| Many marketers are hesitant to try email
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| | low-risk methods for using email. I've
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| marketing, because they're afraid they'll
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| | formulated an Email Marketing Hierarchy
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| be accused of "spamming" and get in
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| | of Risk, which lays out email marketing
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| trouble. Here's how to minimize the
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| | methods in a spectrum from highest-risk
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| risks.
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| | to lowest-risk, like so:
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| Anti-spam advocates argue that spamming
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| | Highest Risk
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| is unethical and that it robs users and
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| | Rented spam list
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| Internet service providers of valuable
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| | Homemade spam list
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| computing resources. Whether you agree
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| | Targeted spam list
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| with this ethical argument or not, you'll
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| | One-time unsolicited invitation
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| have to agree that spamming is a risky
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| | One-to-one cold canvass
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| proposition.
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| | Rented opt-in list
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| Spamming is widely hated among Internet
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| | In-house opt-in list
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| users, and those who hate the practice
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| | Lowest Risk
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| can do real harm to your business.
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| | The highest risk comes from engaging the
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| Getting labeled as a spammer can do much
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| | services of a bulk e-mail company, which
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| more than subject you to a deluge of
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| | will send your ad out to a blind list of
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| unpleasant flame mail.
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| | recipients, many of whom will object to
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| Some Net users are capable of
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| | receiving your message. Building your own
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| technological retaliation, such as
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| | spam list or a so-called "targeted" list
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| sending e-mail bombs -- large e-mail
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| | are also high-risk activities. Somewhat
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| messages that can clog or even shut down
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| | less risky is sending out a one-time
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| an e-mail server. One company naively
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| | invitation for people to join a standing
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| hired a bulk e-mailer to send out an ad
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| | list. And a personal message sent one at
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| for them. The company received thousands
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| | a time to a carefully vetted group of
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| of complaints. Someone set up a robot
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| | recipients might not be unwelcome -- if
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| that called their toll-free number over
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| | the message is carefully crafted, short
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| and over for three days.
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| | and tactful.
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| Spamming can also get you in trouble with
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| | Least risky on my hierarchy is the opt-in
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| your ISP. Most service providers prohibit
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| | list, whether "rented" or developed
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| unsolicited commercial e-mail on their
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| | in-house. This is a list of recipients
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| systems and will shut down your account
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| | who have actively requested to be on a
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| -- or even remove your Web site -- if
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| | list. Opt-in recipients will welcome
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| they find out you've been involved in the
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| | e-mail from you, as long as it is
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| practice.
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| | relevant to their needs, and as long as
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| As an email marketing consultant, I
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| | you don't mail so often it becomes an
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| recommend that online marketers seek out
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| | annoyance.
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