It's Not Spam If It's E-Mail Marketing

One member of the ISP-Marketing list touches off a storm of words by suggesting that ISPs advertise by using e-mail, pop-unders, and sponsorships—and then finds that some colleagues are already using e-mail marketing, carefully.

[October 22, 2001]

On the ISP-Marketing list in October, ME queried,

"Have any of you been successful in utilizing online advertising to acquire customers? We're thinking of using e-mail marketing, pop-unders, and sponsorships on specific sites. I think that e-mail marketing is going to work the best, but I'd appreciate your feedback."

A number of respondents weren't thrilled with the idea of 'e-mail marketing':

[EA screamed] "You mean you want to spam? Horrors!!!"

[PS agreed] "That's a good way to scare off customers: spamvertise an ISP! Hey, let's all sign up for a service that is blocked from sending mail to anybody in the Western Hemisphere! I really think that you need to leave that idea alone, for the sake of the safety and reputation of your business."

[MS offered] "E-mail marketing doesn't always work, and may give your company a bad image for spamming."

Others noted that there is a clear distinction to be made:

[KR explained] "He didn't say spam; he said e-mail marketing. There are about ten billion e-mail addresses out there of folks who have opted in to receive solicitations. If they've opted in, it ain't spam. The way some of your heads leave your bodies at the idea of solicitation by e-mail is akin to that achieved by shouting 'witch' in the middle of a Puritan prayer meeting."

[MC agreed] "E-mail marketing does not mean spam."

BB suggested that there really isn't any difference:

"Just about every spam I receive these days (and it's now hitting hundreds per week) assures me that I've opted in."

JT observed that there is a correct and careful way to handle e-mail marketing:

"If I use a list from an opt-in source, I state which source that is. The first couple of lines of the commercial e-mail should say why the person is getting the e-mail, and how they can stop the e-mail. As a result, I have gotten maybe five complaints over the years I've been doing commercial mass e-mailing.

I had another hosting customer who used an unqualified list, and I got over 100 complaints in less than two hours. I pulled his website, and spent another two days answering every complaint personally. Commercial mass e-mail is a valuable tool, as long as it's used with a lot of common sense and a qualified list."

—End