Navigation: Advertising > Sending Emails Doesn't Make You a Spammer



Sending Emails Doesn't Make You a Spammer

The word “spam” makes most ordinary people cringe. After all, nobody likes having those 
unwanted emails pitching the latest deals on software, pharmaceuticals, or online dating service 
bombard their inboxes. But if you think spam exists solely in your email inbox, you’re quite mistaken. 
Wikipedia defines “spam” as “the use of any electronic-communications medium to send unsolicited 
messages in bulk, indiscriminately.” By that definition, every television commercial you’ve ever seen 
can be called spam. And if that’s true, even the Pillsbury Dough Boy is a spammer. 
Tell me that high-pitched giggle hasn’t gotten on your last nerve before. 

When I sit down to watch TV, I am constantly interrupted by commercials. Do I want to see 
the commercials? Not particularly. Do I have a choice? Not at all. So why are the same types 
of messages so offensive when they’re delivered in an email format? What is the difference, really? 
The real difference, if you ask me, is that we can’t avoid television commercials without turning 
off the TV. However, we can set up filters and block senders on my email account. 
We can allow only people that we know to send emails to me. We can’t do that with broadcast 
television – we get their commercials no matter what. So why do people take such horrific 
offense when they receive an unsolicited email? 

Sure, I’ve been involved in promoting some offers that have been considered spam, but then again, 
just about every “unsolicited” email is considered spam these days. I’ve certainly broken no laws. 
Besides, what’s the real difference between receiving an unwanted email in your inbox and 
receiving an unwanted coupon booklet in your mailbox? In my opinion, there isn’t one. 
Strictly speaking, spam can occur in any form of advertising in any medium so long as the 
recipient did not explicitly request what’s being delivered. Well, doesn’t that cover ALL advertising? 
Why have we relegated spam to the confines of electronic mail? The fact is, when a marketing 
company follows the rules and regulations of the Can-SPAM Act, email communication is NOT 
considered spam. 

Most legitimate marketers follow these rules. If they don’t, they can get fined, shut down, and 
blacklisted, and legitimate marketers know that it’s not worth risking everything to send out an 
email offer. Some rules of the Can-SPAM Act include: having the opt-in information – the when, 
where, and how those on a list opted into it – of every recipient on their lists, inclusion of the 
physical address of the marketer sending the email, a functional unsubscribe link, and using 
non-misleading subject lines. 

As a marketer that has seen the potential of legitimate email marketing for small business 
owners, I feel obligated to defend it. Yes, there are people out there that will spam you, 
but those people aren’t legitimate marketers and, undoubtedly, they should be reprimanded 
for their actions. But legitimate marketers adhering to the rules of the CAN-SPAM Act have 
the right to send emails to those people who’ve opted in to receive offers, and they shouldn’t 
be lumped in with the law-breaking spammers. 

During my career, I’ve utilized email marketing a lot, and believe me: I’ve had my fair share of 
berating from friends and relatives. “Oh! So YOU’RE the one that sends me all that JUNK MAIL!!!” 
has become a familiar statement at holiday get-togethers. But, truth be told, email marketing 
can be a very effective way to promote your products. Unfortunately, many small-business 
owners just won’t use it because they don’t want to be called a spammer. The word itself 
carries so much negative connotation for people that they dismiss email marketing before 
they even understand the laws regarding it and how it can be utilized effectively.

More importantly, small, local businesses shouldn’t disregard email marketing because 
they’re afraid of being called a spammer. There are many useful, legal ways to use email 
as part of your overall marketing strategy, especially concerning your own internal 
customer database (a list of current and potential customers’ email addresses). 
These are YOUR customers; they have either purchased a product or service from you or 
have, at the very least, requested more information from you. 

If you’re having a blow-out sale, are introducing a new product, or are simply mailing an 
informative newsletter, email is an excellent way to communicate with your internal customer 
database. Sure you can pursue more expensive and time-consuming communication methods 
like calling them or sending a direct mail piece, but why would you? Besides breaking your 
bank and eating up your resources, those methods aren’t as efficient or effective at bringing 
these prospects back to your website. 

With a simple click of the mouse, you can catch your internal customer database at the right 
time and in the right place. If they’re checking their email, they are already online – 
one more click takes them directly to you – and you’re one step closer to your goal of more site 
traffic and more sales. The best way to integrate email into your marketing strategy is to start 
creating your own internal customer database. Once you have some names compiled you can 
begin to communicate with your list. For some great ideas about how you can start collecting 
your current and potential customer data, check out this article on Low Hanging Fruit. 

When you do start emailing, you’ll really be able to see how your database is responding, 
because you can track everything – how many people read the email, how many click on links 
to your site, and more. There’s a possibility that you might get some complaints from people 
that don’t remember giving you their information, but don’t let that discourage you. As long as 
you’re abiding by the rules and regulations of the Can-SPAM Act, you have the right to communicate 
with these people as you see fit. If you do get a complaint, handle it thoroughly – remove that 
address from your database, make sure it’s excluded from receiving future mailings, and send 
them an email letting them know that they’ve successfully unsubscribed. 

You’ll soon discover that the rewards will vastly outweigh any negatives associated with using 
email to market your business. Remember, no successful entrepreneur ever became that way 
by avoiding risk. And when the risk is as safe and proven as email-marketing results, it’s well 
worth taking. Spammer? Sticks and stones… Smart, successful business owners don’t buy 
into that kind of hype – they apply sound marketing principles that generate the results that work! 







About the author:
Author: Stephanie A. Leuer
Web Site: http://www.lowhangingfruit.com
Email: stephanie@itimeinc.com
Phone: 563-323-4609 

Stephanie A. Leuer is an expert marketer. Her background in sales, marketing, affiliate networks, 
and multi-media advertising have given her outstanding insight into successful marketing principles, 
and her articles enable local-businesses owners use marketing strateg






Advertising Articles:


 


Things good to be known about Camper Shells

Camper shells in different shapes and sizes offer protected storage and versatility.
Protected storage is an important asset for RV owners, and for the owner of a pickup truck towing a travel trailer, a camper shell is virtually essential.


$1 Million in Google AdSense Earnings

They are calling him the million dollar man. Jason Calacanis recently revealed in his blog that he is on track to earn a million dollars from AdSense over the year ahead.


Sex in Advertising

I do not agree with some of my professional colleagues who preach that we should not take ads seriously while basing their 
conviction on the slogan “creative light-heartedness and freedom of expression.” Advertising is a pervasive, powerful force 
that shapes attitudes and behaviour in today’s world that it would be foolhardy not to take commercials that seriously!


Are Your Adverts Making You Money?

Does your advertising costing you $10,000 a month? If so you might
as well burn $5,000 of it. Unless you know how to make
your ad more effective. This article gets you started
making more effective ads.


Viral Marketing: What It Means and How It Can Impact Your Business

Viral marketing basically creates a word-of-mouth referral method by using your existing customers and contacts. Your message is passed around and around, creating exponential growth for your company


How to Advertise In Ezines

Advertising in Ezines has proven to be a very cost-effective way to market. You can reach a large audience for 
little investment and the exposure usually happens very quickly. Most Ezines will tell you what their requirements 
are for advertising. Make sure you follow the guidelines they set forth


How to Advertise FREE with Ezines

This is a win/win situation because it gives the editor free material and it gives you free exposure to their subscribers. It also establishes you as an expert in your field, which can do wonders for your credibility


Understanding Banner Adertising

A banner ad is a graphic that is displayed on a network of websites. When someone clicks on that banner, they are taken to the site of the person, or company, that owns the banner


Quick Tips for Designing Your Banner

While banners have lost the appeal of many marketers on the web, they are still an effective means of pulling in traffic. The key is to have a visually appealing banner with an enticing offer


Tips and Tricks to Advertise Using Pay Per Click Search Engines

Pay per click search engines are an effective way to get the most out of your marketing budget. Take the time to explore this option further and you will be pleasantly surprised at the results you achieve


Promoting Your Business Offline

Offline promotion for your Internet business is important. Use traditional marketing channels and media. Incorporate your Website URL (web address), phone number, and mailing address into all of your printed and promotional materials


The Paradox of Advertising Creativity

Reaching the target audience for a brand should not necessarily require resorting to shocking or offensive material so as to stand out. Ads need to project the right image. Did you know that Volkswagen ads made fun of the car? A slogan for one of the ads was “ugly is only skin deep” because it has a lighter, more spirited image (Grace Butland 2000). The manufacturers started with a well-defined image and built their advertising around that image


Disruptions in Advertising

Ours is now a brave, new world, replete with alternatives to straightforward advertising. P&G recently embraced channel planning which is about putting media or communications planning at the front end of one’s campaign creation. The organization realizes that the first step in any marketing programme is to understand one’s consumers and how they might be reached rather than what might be said to them.
Channel planning is about trimming traditional media ad budgets and spending more on other marketing activities


Technology-driven Outdoor Advertising

Thanks to the advent of new true colour, ultra-bright LED technology which now makes it possible for outdoor electronic billboards to be capable of performing like a real outdoor television even under direct sunlight. The EVB is an attractive, animated giant outdoor advertising video screen which is noted for arresting people’s attention on a busy street whether pedestrians or in a car or bus or stuck in traffic. 


DISCONTINUITY IN ADVERTISING MEDIA

Our traditional media owners should find ever more pressure to prove their value in the marketing mix. Ambitious advertisers should learn to project marketing messages into the digital fabric of online games. When will the proverbial light bulb light up for Nigeria’s marketing communications industry? Why can we not take a cue from BMW, for example, which has looked for other media that are invited into consumers’ homes, e.g. the groundbreaking BMW films on the Internet? What if we experience the “TiVo” syndrome? TiVo pioneered digital video recorders (DVRs) in 1999 which make it possible for you to skip advertisements. What if our market is flooded with interactive televisions? Are these threats or challenges to our marketing communications industry?
Larry Light, global chief marketing officer at McDonald’s once remarked openly that broadcast-centric model was dead. According to him, “mass marketing today is a mass mistake.” Nigerian advertisers need to be more concerned than ever about getting value for money.


ORGANIC TIE-INS: ADVERTISERS’ BOUQUET OF OPPORTUNITIES

Meanwhile not far from my domicile, a satirical film on the Lagos Bar Beach was the subject of a forum. The irony inherent in the film is the fact that a stone’s throw from the once serene beach is a tourist edifice where we are shown films like Spiderman, Goldeneye, Austine Powers, Be Cool, XXX, etc. What most of us probably do not know is that these movies made millions of dollars even before they were ever released!


Online Shopping Resource for Users and Advertisers

BuyIt.ws is new amazing shopping resource that connects providers of products and services to Internet users looking for products and services online. BuyIt.ws provides free advertising options as well as on PPC base.


Sending Emails Doesn't Make You a Spammer

Email Marketing - being compliant and making a profit


Banner Advertising for Beginners - Part 1

Introduction to banner advertising for the small business website owner.


WAHMS 5 Tips to Increase Your Google Adsense Revenue

Five Easy Tips for Work at Home Moms to increase their Google Adsense Revenue. Read this article to make more money with Google Adsense on your website.


PPC Easy As 123


Entrepreneur - a risk-taker who has the skills and initiative to establish a business. Does he?

So called guru-s creating life time opportunities one after another and because of them, sometimes its better to give money to a perfect stranger than pay for so called perfect biz.


Advertising as a Threat to Innocence

Do you still remember our own immoral outdoor advertisement for a condom brand and the issues it generated? We are starting to find it difficult to protect our children from suggestive subjects and images that they are not emotionally and psychologically prepared to handle. Do we not owe our children the duty of protecting them and guarding their childhood? There is no doubt that things have changed from being decent and proper, to being indecent and morally corrupt.


Decency Issue in Advertising

These advertisements are targeted at men for the simple reason that sex is just one of our basic strong emotions. And advertisers will always attach their products to these basic emotions in order to sell them


What are Hover ads and why are marketers choosing them over popup windows?

Hover ads have been called the next generation in online advertising...so what are they? and why are they much more effective than regular popup windows?


Are Popups Good for Marketing? Annoying to some, Interesting to others!

The big question. Do people actually pay attention to pop ups? With so many softwares out there that deal with blocking pop ups you'd think the answer would clear. Back a few years ago pop ads were all the craze, but as more and more sites starting using them they became more like spam then anything else.


Marketing via Email. Why aren't People Replying?

Chances are if people haven't requested to receive an email from you then you are wasting time. Let me guess your routine:

-Select a list of names.
-Type in subject and body text
-Click send.


Hype: The Advertiser’s Wet Dream

When will the real brand with real advertising and real branding emerge? Advertising practitioners need to guide their clients in identifying the real market and its needs. They should introduce the much needed realism in their brand communications i.e., candid-cam advertising, real-life cameo branding, such that a real interface of the brand with the real consumer is established in the market place


Do Free Articles Work?

Free articles are used to promote business, whether the writer’s own business, or the business of the website on which they’re used. But do they really work?


There is hidden a 'Successful Formula' in everything

What can you do to make your advertising techniques better? Try to find a successful formula to market successfully. There exist a formula in everything... yet 50% never use it.


Advertising - Do you dare to wait?

Living in a world of Advertising Fairy Tales.
Talking about Free Members Making Money in Advertising Fairy Land.


Do You Need Links to Your Site?

Do you prefer automated link directories or semi-automated moderated link exchanges? Or would you rather host link scripts?


How To Win The War of Pay per Click Advertising

Know how to get really highly targeted traffic to your site by the real cut method-Pay Per Click Advertising in a simple and easy way that really works for you.


Pay-Per-Click - Inside Edge

This month we take a look at how Pay-Per-Click Pays Back Big for Local Business Marketing Efforts and hear from industry experts on how an effective and well managed Pay-Per-click campaign can benefit any business.


Is Your Website Innovative? Increase Your Business Over Night!

While studying online for IT investment opportunities, I found that one main factor was constant. All of the biggest money makers have eye-catching, simple, innovative, and the cleanest websites online!


The most powerful niche in the world and how you can always profit from it

It seems everyone these days are looking for a profitable niche. This is the map to a goldmine.


Audience Motivation in Advertising

I find the market age concept interesting. In their research paper, “What to say when: Advertising Appeals in Evolving Markets,” Chandy et al submit that market age is crucial to understanding the inverse relationship between motivation and ability to process ads. For a particular product or service, one market is considered older than another if the product or service has been around and enjoyed advertising longer in the first market than in the second market. Market age therefore refers to the length of time that a product or service has been available and advertised in an identified market


MSN PPC Advertising Behavioral and Demographic Targeting: Killer App. or Achilles' Heel?

Privacy advocates, bloggers, and many people's own low tolerance level for creepiness may damage not just the advertising program but MSN itself.