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Never, in fact, has effective communication, especially on the web, been more important in business than today.

 

 

 

 

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Put Your E-Mail List to the Test - Are you CAN-SPAM Compliant?

Whether you are e-mailing to one hundred people or one thousand people the government tells us who we can e-mail and who we can't through the CAN-SPAM law that was enacted in 2004. Even after several years we need to remind clients the real meaning of "Permission-based" e-mail marketing. If you follow these simple guidelines you will be one step closer to being CAN-SPAM compliant.

Spam is defined as 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 review 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 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.

Scenarios that DON'T equate to permission

Basically, anything outside the examples above doesn't equal permission, but here are some examples to further clarify permission.

  • 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 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.

BZA E-Mail Campaign Showcase

Image DesignImage Design Consulting
Sharon Kornstein, President of Image Design Consulting, seasonally keeps her clients and associates informed with helpful tips from wardrobe building to business etiquette.
Zone FirstZone First
Zone First wanted to let their prospects and customers know that they will be at the HVAC Trade Show Comfortech 2008. The email encourages a visit to their booth to receive a special offer for a FREE system.
The Heart of YogaThe Heart of Yoga
The Heart of Yoga wanted to let their students know about their up and coming fall class schedule. No postage, no printing, no flyers. One mouse click does it all (with a little help from BZA).

Put Some Thought into the Subject

For many people, composing the subject line of their email campaign is an afterthought. Remember, if you can't get your recipient to open the email, no amount of great content or offers is going to get your message across.

So, how can you make those precious few words in the subject line grab your recipient's attention, create interest, and make them want to open your campaign? Below are some principles that work:

Keep it Simple

Compose your e-mail subject line so that there are fewer than 10 words; fewer than 5 is even better. Keeping your subject line down to a few words will make your email seem more credible.

What’s in it for them?

Your prospects are always interested in one thing: What's in it for me? Write with that in mind -- which means write about the benefits that matter to them, not features that matter to you.

You Who?

While it's generally a good thing to use the word "you" in persuasive copy, it's a spam predictor in subject lines. Few people use the word "you" in emails to colleagues; spam uses it frequently. The closer your subject line comes to the tone of ordinary email, the more likely it is that your message will be opened.

Don't Do It!!!

Don't use exclamation points at the end of the subject line. Rarely do you see personal emails that need that kind of "noise" to grab your attention. Do use question marks, if doing so makes sense. Questions are much more engaging than statements.

Avoid Sales Language

We have been so inundated with slick sales stuff that it now is an automatic turnoff. Avoid words like "limited time," "free," "opportunity," and "only." Doing so may hook some; it will turn off many more.

Love at First Sight

Not every email software program has a preview, nor does everyone who has a preview have it set to preview. The important thing to remember, though, is that whether the first part of the message is seen in a preview or when the email is first opened, it still has to grab your recipients’ attention and engage them to keep reading.

BZA to Design Ecommerce Web Site for Equipt for Play

This fall BZA will be hard at work designing a full featured online store for Equipt for Play. The New York based company provides the most unique golf shoes and gloves for women. To get a peak at what’s coming visit http://www.equiptforplay.com and while you’re there sign up for their newsletter.

BZA to Exhibit at North Jersey BIZ EXPO

As a North Essex Chamber of Commerce & NJAWBO member we are excited to participate in the up and coming North Jersey BIZ EXPO that will be held on September 25, 2008 at the Birchwood Manor in Parsippany, New Jersey. BZA designed the BIZ EXPO flyer that was mailed to thousands of businesses across the state. For more information and to download the flyer click here.