Bulk Emails... Can I? Can't I ?

[UncleWiggy]

I am researching the posibility of purchasing an established web site (directory type) which the existing owner uses email capture and email campain and bulk emailing as a method of first contact with prospective advertisers. This offers 60 days free advertising, after which they will become warm calls and hopefully customers. The system seems to work for him ?? However ...
Can anyone assist me in the new regulations I am hearing about that will restrict the use of this type of email contact and/or explain how the email campains like this can be acceptable.

I understand that if you place a remove me from your database option that this may cover the problem.

Is it something that will be strickly enforced or just another red tape exercise that will be ignored as it will have no legal back up? The regulations dont seem to have slowed my unsolicited email inbox?

Comments, contact or links to any resource matertial on this matter would be appreiciated.

Barry Hopkins
aka Uncle Wiggy

[Rob Holmes]

which the existing owner uses email capture and email campain and bulk emailing as a method of first contact with prospective advertisers. This offers 60 days free advertising, after which they will become warm calls and hopefully customers. The system seems to work for him ?? However ...
Can anyone assist me in the new regulations I am hearing about that will restrict the use of this type of email contact and/or explain how the email campains like this can be acceptable.

Thats pretty much the definition of Unsolicited Commercial Email aka SPAM!

I understand that if you place a remove me from your database option that this may cover the problem.

No since November 2003 people have to opt-in to your database NOT opt-out.

Is it something that will be strickly enforced or just another red tape exercise that will be ignored as it will have no legal back up? The regulations dont seem to have slowed my unsolicited email inbox?

For a start you could be blacklisted as a spammer that could close your business overnight if you don't know how to resolve the issue with the 200+ blacklists, or each upheld complaint could cost you up to £5000 in court (or both)

Bottom line is never buy in an email database, how many times have you responded to spam? You need to build your own opted-in email list. This takes time and effort but can be very rewarding (in fact it's the main way internet entrepreneurs make their money)

Hope this helps,

Rob

[buying_it]

Actually - the regulations only protect personal email addresses.

Providing you can prove that the email addresses that you wish to 'SPAM' are work related you can send them unsolicited email.

You should provide an opt-out - and you should register yourself with the data protection registrar as you will be holding information on individuals.

Beyond those restrictions you are free to do as you wish.

Netiquette indicates that you should proceed with caution though as you really don't want to fall foul of the regulations in this area as the fines are hefty and operate fairly swiftly.

Hope this helps,

Andy

[Rob Holmes]

The law is one factor, from a sales point of view there is little mileage in sending 'legal' unsolicited commercial emails.

Sorry I can't be more positive but I see this everyday, from a webhosts point of view and I also run an email marketing system too so I see it from both sides.

Rob

[Amber]

buying_it is right: consumers must opt-in before you can email them, businesses can be contacted by email as long as you give them the option to opt-out (and are contacting them for a legitimate business reason). That's my understanding, anyway, although I'm no expert :)

That said, I think Matrixx is right, too: I think there's little mileage in sending a standard email to a list. If you want to use email, it's possibly a better idea to pick a few companies you'd like to target and send them a personal email which shows that you've researched and understood their business, and can offer them something with benefits which will appeal to them. Speaking for myself, I don't mind getting that kind of email - we're all trying to win business after all :) I DO hate getting an email that's obviously been sent out to a mailing list, and which isn't relevant to me, though.

Building your own opt-in list is definitely a good idea. Have you thought about having a newsletter sign-up or similar on your site?

[buying_it]

newsletters or weekly summarys on a topical area are great business leaders - providing you are good at writing them.

I am involved in a weekly inspirational email (http://www.time4change.com/members/index.htm) that goes out to around 800 people. It started very small but over two years it has grown hugely! It really grinds you down though - knowing that everyweek you have to find another topic :-(

But two years in we are now looking at turning it into a book, calendar and all kinds of other goodies - and the membership is very interested in it!

I would have to query why the current owner is selling - has he been caught by the regulations? Or blacklisted?

On an other note - I just had the most professional cold call from yell.com. Incredibly knowlegable, helpful and above all polite. I still think cold calling is a pain the backside but it gets better results than Spamming people!

Andy

[UncleWiggy]

Thanks for the advice . I will respond and expand next week to your comments. Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time.

Barry

[coolengineer]

whatever you end up doing, just be sure to provide opt out options