Email Marketing Just Got Harder

It was bound to happen. There has been so much abuse of email. Many of us have multiple email addresses just to avoid the "e-junk" that comes at us daily -- finger poised to the delete key. Now, it looks like we will have a regulatory program to contend with in the future. "House Commerce Committee Passes Anti-Spam Bill," the Weekly recently reported. "Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (UCE) Act of 2001" (HR 718) passed the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. Last Wednesday it was unanimously approved by its parent, the Commerce Committee. The bill would create the following requirements for transmitters of UCE: messages must contain an accurate return address; messages must be labeled as advertisements; and recipient requests to be removed from distribution lists must be honored, under penalty of criminal law.
 

Steps To Take:

1. Use only opt-in email addresses for your direct marketing.

2. Improve the quality of your addressing to be sure that you have the correct email address conventions.

3. Always provide a way that the recipient can get off the list. Never sell that list to other companies.

4. Acknowledge when a person asks to be removed with an affirmative email.
 

msdbm is a specialist in Internet marketing.  Services include:  Web site strategic planning, tracking and profiling, data capture and analysis, email direct marketing, lead distribution systems, Internet database development, online promotions, web site development and traffic analysis. Contact msdbm at http://www.msdbm.com or via phone at 310-208-2024.  Published by msdbm.  Copyright © 2001 msdbm. All rights reserved. 'NET HAPPENINGS is a regular service of news and tips for on-line marketing professionals from msdbm. Please send us comments or suggestions for future articles.