Running Newsletters - Follow the Rules!
Because there seems to be so much spam running wild and so many “I didn’t know” responses, I guess we need to blog about this again.
Yes it’s true a newsletter is vital to your business. However, if you just start adding email addresses here and there, you are going to DESTROY your business before you even get it off the ground.
Really it doesn’t matter WHERE these email addresses come from, you do NOT have the right to just add them to your list without permission. To run a legit newsletter and legally send people advertisements, the following needs to happen:
1. A person sees your newsletter subscription box or way to sign up to your list.
2. THEY enter their email address SPECIFICALLY for your newsletter (NOTHING else!!).
3. That same person then CONFIRMS they want to receive your newsletter by clicking a link in an email. (This is called “double opt-in”).
That’s it. You don’t EVER add them yourself for ANY reason. In fact, even if you move your newsletter to a new mailing list provider, you really should just have all your subscribers sign up again. This makes your list completely clean and free of spam complaints.
Just because someone asks for information at some point in time does not give you the right to spam them. Even if they’ve ordered from you before that STILL does not give you the right to spam them. And if you own a message board, you DO NOT have the right to use the “mass email” function to spam them about things unrelated to the boards.
Let me stress this again. If you want someone on your list, THEY need to enter it. THEY need to confirm they want information from you. Even if they order from you, that email address is to be used to contact them about their order and NOT to be added to a spamming list.
Just to let all spammers know I’m done being nice. If you aren’t following the guidelines above and you spam me, I WILL turn it in. Simple as that!
Your fellow WAHM in success,
Kara
Topics: Internet Marketing |
May 4th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Amen to that! I am so sick and tired of wahm forum owners, wahm website owners automatically adding me to their spam email lists and then they turn around and say if I don’t want to continue receiving it to unsub myself! Now why should I do that when I didn’t even subscribe myself? It’s SPAM no matter how you slice it!
May 5th, 2008 at 8:42 am
And here’s another one for you - one I just dealt with the other day. It’s not for newsletters but it’s spamming just the same.
Included on every page of my Direct Sales Company Directory are forms for visitors to fill out for more information about a particular company.
The other day someone filled one out just to spam the person who bought that listing. She said something along the lines of “I used to be with such and such company but now I’m with this such and such company. Better compensation, more enticing fundraisers … yadda, yadda, yadda”.
I replied to the offender and asked her to not spam my advertisers. (Yes, I was nice.)
Her reply was something like “Sorry you thought my email was spam but it wasn’t. My company is 100% legitimate and if you look at this link you’ll see that we’ve been around for many years, yadda, yadda, yadda …”
Ummm … sorry sweetie there was no “thinking” to it. It was spam, pure and simple - not even “boarderline” or “sneaky spam” - just plain spam.
Ignorance is NOT an Excuse
These are things that should be thoroughly researched before going into business.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:26 am
You mean, I should put my info into YOUR sign up box so I subscribe to your newsletter?
I shouldn’t have to click unsubscribe to get off the list that I am added to?
That is truly a-maz-zaz-ing! lol
It gets old having to go through hundreds of spams a day. I realize that those that have not been online do not understand the big deal. But I have well around 500 spams a day to weed through and make sure I don’t miss a real biz email and then you yell at me for missing it. So now you are saying I should just buck up and add more when I didn’t ask for it?
I really can’t believe that so many people have thought that I am overboard. It’s hard not to put them in their place. They just aren’t where we are and that comes off as being a pompous a** when I say it. lol
May 6th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Well this morning I received Samantha Kobs Newletter which I did not subsribe to. A month ago I sent two emails to her asking to be taken off her list. She did respond that she would, well she didn’t. I know that I have never purchased advertsing from either, that is what she has on her newsletter as to why you are receiving this newsletter.I don’t even belong to any of her message boards! Below is what is printed on her newsletter:
You are receiving this email because you have purchased ads with one of the KobsMedia sites, are a user on any of the kobsmedia message boards, or TCC, PRP
May 7th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Marie,
The fact that you specifically named Samantha tells me that maybe you’ve already read the past issues we had with her. Just incase you haven’t, you can see this post:
Unprofessional Business Acts - Spamming & Email Harvesting
You’ll see the stories of what we dealt with as well as how to turn her in. I swear this lady learns nothing! She said she removed everyone who requested to be removed. She also said that she started over with her list. Both are lies! Sorry, a little harsh, I know but gee … I’m past being nice at this point.