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