I got this list from...
By using this software you are bound to a very
strict (kosher) permission policy. This is so important, because
not complying with our anti-spam rules can actually land you
in legal trouble.
Forget any legal mumbo jumbo - here is our definition
of spam
While the CAN-SPAM laws are a step in the right
direction for classifying and reducing spam, we don't feel
they go far enough. Our definition of spam goes beyond the
laws in most countries and encompasses what we believe to be
true permission email marketing.
Spam is any email you send to someone
who hasn't given you their direct permission to contact them
on the topic of the email.
But that's not enough. Permission is a fuzzy
word open to interpretation. Let's get into some specific scenarios
so it's clear what does and doesn't constitute permission.
The type of permission you MUST have
You can only email subscribers using this software
if you obtained their permission in any of the following ways.
- They opted in via your
web site - This could either be through a newsletter
subscribe form or by ticking a checkbox on another form.
This checkbox cannot be checked by default and it must clearly
explain that checking it will mean you will be contacting
them by email.
- They completed an offline
form and indicated they wanted to be emailed - If
someone completes an offline form like a survey or enters
a competition, you can only contact them if it was explained
to them that they would be contacted by email AND they ticked
a box indicating they would like to be contacted.
- They gave you their business
card and you explained you would be sending them commercial
email - If someone gives you their business card
and you have explained to them that you will be in touch
by email, you can contact them. If they dropped their business
card in a fishbowl at a trade show, there must be a sign
indicating they will be contacted by email.
- They purchased something
off you in the last 2 years
- By making a purchase from you they have provided
their permission implicitly. Feel free to email them but
at the same time, we think it's always better to ask anyway,
so why not include an opt-in checkbox as part of the checkout
process. Also keep time in mind, although we allow purchases
from 2 years ago that doesn't mean someone is going to remember
that purchase. Memory is a fickle thing.
Scenarios that DON'T equate to permission
Basically, anything outside the examples above
doesn't equal permission in our eyes, but here are some examples
to make sure we're crystal clear.
- You obtained the email
addresses from a third party
- Whether you purchased a list, were provided one
by a partner or bought a bankrupt competitor's customer list,
those people never gave YOU permission to email them and
they will consider your email spam. No matter the claims
of the source of this list, you cannot email them.
- You have access to this
list as a member of an organization or club
- Although we know that Chambers of Commerce and
Tradeshow lists, for example, often give access to lists
with email addresses to each member, we don't consider this
enough permission to use with our service, since the permission
was not given directly to you. (If you are the organization
owner and are contacting them regarding the organization,
that's ok)
- You scraped or "copy
and pasted" the addresses from the Internet
- Just because people publish their email address
doesn't mean they want to hear from you.
- You haven't emailed that
address for more than 2 years
- Permission doesn't age well. Even if you got their
permission legitimately, they won't remember giving it to
you. If you haven't sent something to that address in the
last 2 years, you can't start now.
We're here to help.
