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