Forum Moderators: LifeinAsia
The site is intended to be advertiser-supported (and free for all users) and my client has gotten fabulous feedback from the 1,700 member schools that she has slowly attracted so far.
My client would like to do an email campaign to make more schools aware of the site's existence and she has collected over 5,000 email addresses for this campaign.
She has been vigilant in her email collection and in her email message design to ensure that everything is 100% compliant with CAN-SPAM. We are committed to doing this absolutely by the book.
The problem we have run into is how to actually send out the email. Both my client and I are prohibited from sending these emails by our ISP's. Same issue for sending from the web host. Every email delivery service I have checked out (Constant Contact, AWeber, etc.) prohibits sending to collected emails, even though CAN-SPAM allows that if certain circumstances are met (and we have ensured that they are!)
Does anyone have any suggestions as to a service that will work with non-permission-based email, as long as it is CAN-SPAM compliant?
Thanks for your help!
Does anyone have any suggestions as to a service that will work with non-permission-based email, as long as it is CAN-SPAM compliant?
I'd try contacting Constant Contact and explain how those email addresses were obtained, just as you have here. CC is based on opt-in but I do think they may consider issues such as this on a case by case basis, I'm not sure, but it is worth contacting them about it. You definitely are going to need to send those emails from a Trusted Provider to improve the deliverability rates.
Its the collection process that is in question. If those emails were collected by visiting websites and extracting email addresses that could be found, then I don't think you're going to get much cooperation from the third party providers. These days, you "will" need permission from the recipient to send them email on a scale such as this. That is if you want to remain off of the RBL (blacklists), etc.
You don't specify what you mean by your client being "vigilant in her email collection," but she either DOES have explicit permission from those e-mail address owners or she DOES NOT. There is no middle ground.
There may be some companies willing to send the messages for you, but I don't know of any first-hand. More likely, your client should consider advertising on mailing lists or e-zines targeted towards the demographic she is trying to target.
consider just about anything that is "non-permission-based email" to be SPAM
I can understand people's sentiment who take this stance, after all we are all buried under email daily so it would seem that one more message where you didn't give explicit permission should be considered SPAM.
However I have struggled with this question myself. I have collected a number of emails from people that gave me their business cards (which has their email on it) and other places where people gave me their contact information. Now these people have never EXPLICITLY given me permission to send them an email, but they never gave me explicit permission to call them either, but most of us would consider that ok. If we call and they are not interested they can say so and even go farther by asking not to be called again.
My question is why can't you do the same with email? I guess I don't see the harm in sending a simple offer or newsletter to a list of addresses one time, with a clear unsubscribe link, business name and address, phone number, coming from a real email address, etc. If they don't want you to send them a message they simply hit the unsubscribe link and you never send to them again.
Marketers don't ask for permission to send you mail, make a call to you, stop in to your business and talk to you, etc. So why do we put such an incredibly high bar on email from these same businesses?
I just think we have gone a little too far with this permission email issue. I don't like SPAM anymore than the next guy, but I also don't like junk mail, telemarketing calls, or sales people visiting me. Unfortunately that seems to be how business gets done and seems to be a price of doing business. We all have to eat and to do that we have to make sales.
I am afraid we are setting the email box up as this sacred place that should never receive a message, ever under any circumstances unless I have signed some type of legal agreement that says I can send you a message. If I didn't do that very thing then you are saying I have SPAMMED you, which seems a little extreme to me. I don't maybe it is just me.
Marketers don't ask for permission to send you mail, make a call to you, stop in to your business and talk to you, etc. So why do we put such an incredibly high bar on email from these same businesses?
In regards to the example you gave about collecting business cards: to me that indicates permission to contact that person (e.g., with a personal e-mail), but NOT permission to be put on a mailing list. What I would probably consider acceptable is something like the following (even if was a form letter e-mail): "Dear LIA, I met you on such and such date and thought you might be interested in a new e-mail list I've started. [Insert brief summary of list and explain why the recipient would be interested in it.] I value your privacy so did not sign you up automatically. However, if you are interested in receiving it, please be sure to signup at [link]. Keep in touch! - John Smith"
And yes, I have found myself put on mailing lists without my permission from giving out my business cards. Most of the time I immediately unsubscribe from the list and put a negative mark against that contact for future reference. Depending on the person, I may also send a message expressing my displeasure and how being added without my permission is a serious breach of ettiquette.
It's one thing to be SPAMMED by someone I don't know. I consider it an even lower level of professionalism to be SPAMMED by someone I do know.
We are talking about a one-time message to inform school librarians that this resource exists. It is available to them at no cost. so we are not trying to sell anything.
In compliance with anti-spam laws the email will be clearly marked "advertisement", it will contain all required contact information and will have a "do not email" link (not really necessary since we don't plan to contact them again, but we will be in 100% compliance with the rules).
I appreciate everyone's contribution in terms of why this could be considered spam, but I have been tasked by my client to figure out how to send this out. Since it will meet all legal requirements, I need to figure out how to get it done...
I've been using the FTC site at: [ftc.gov...]
