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Published in the May edition of 
Computer Link Magazine

While this question has been asked many times since Hormel's canned meat product first hit the shelves, nowadays the term spam has taken on a whole different meaning. According to dictionary.com, spam is defined as:

Unsolicited e-mail, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail. (The second listing in dictionary.com refers to the trademarked canned meat product.)

So why is it important to understand the meaning of the term spam? Marketers have begun to recognize that eMail marketing is one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to reach their customers and prospects. However, if done incorrectly, the negative implications of being labeled a spammer can be more damaging to your business than the upside of low cost marketing.

Defining SPAM more specifically 
While dictionary.com provides a succinct definition of spam, there are a couple of important points that are not mentioned. Another name (or at least acronym) for spam is UCE or Unsolicited Commercial eMail. (Out of respect to Hormel, I'll refer to UCE for the rest of this article). Broadly defined, UCE is any commercial eMail message you receive that you have not asked for. However the key thing that is missing in all of these definitions is how to define "unsolicited."

For most people, the accepted standard is defined by "having a previous business relationship." The definition of that relationship however can vary greatly. It could be as simple as dropping your business card in a fish bowl at a trade show, attending a meeting, or simply sending in an eMail request to the company's webmaster. More obvious examples are signing up for a mailing list via a web site or checking a box on a form indicating that you wish to receive additional eMail from the company.

Defining opt-in
As you enter the world of eMail marketing a term you'll become come across is "opt-in." Simply defined, opt-in means a person has clearly expressed interest in receiving eMail messages from your company and about the topics your messages contain. (For example, if someone opt-ed in to our dockside.net mailing list, it would be inappropriate for us to send information about some other industry or product that is unrelated to our business).

There are really two forms of electronic opt-in. The first, single opt-in, means that a form has been submitted to your web site indicating a person's interest in receiving eMail and they are automatically added to your list. The second form, double opt-in, adds an extra step to the process, which confirms the user's identity and request to receive eMail. This is usually done through an eMail confirmation by which the user is not added to the mailing list unless they click a link in the eMail they receive.

While many marketers feel this extra step in the process limits the number of subscribers, we've seen that customers of our double opt-in eMail tool usually receive 85% to 90% confirmation rates. At the same time, they don't have to clean up invalid eMail addresses (since no one confirms a bad eMail address) and their risk of being accused of sending UCE is greatly reduced. 

What can happen when you send UCE?
The most apparent thing that happens when sending UCE is you will receive a variety of negative emails accusing you of spamming. These emails are often filled with profanity and negative comments about your business. You can pretty much assure that any of these prospects/customers no longer plan to do business with you and that they intend to tell all their friends about their dissatisfaction. The occurrence of this type of response is usually a very small percentage (less than 1%), but in today's economy, just how many customers are you willing to lose?

There is a greater risk however, in addition to a few individual email complaints, your email servers and systems can be effectively shut down from sending outbound email. Some of the less reputable anti-spam advocates have been known to automatically send thousands of messages to your server, in essence shutting down your mailing capabilities while others will reply to your messages with viruses designed to crash your server.

Finally, there are a variety of UCE blocking services that can and will block your server from sending messages to anyone using their service. Imagine sending out a UCE message to your mailing list, and having your server blocked by one of these systems. If any of your customers are subscribed to the blocking system, you won't be able to send them ANY email from your system, not just bulk eMail.

How do you protect your reputation 
Once you're ready to start your Internet marketing program, the most important step is building your initial email list. Many of our clients start out with their in-house list of eMail addresses to seed the list. Again, the rule to apply when collecting these names is "Do we have a previous business relationship with this person." Then once you've collected the list, your first mailing should include an invitation to receive more eMail (or at least the ability to opt-out of future mailings).

The next critical aspect of your eMail marketing efforts is to find an email system or tool that supports the key criteria for commercial eMail marketing. According to MAPS (Mail Abuse Prevention System, www.mail-abuse.org), the guidelines for acceptable commercial eMail are:

• Permission of new subscribers must be fully verified before mailings commence. 
• There must be a simple method to terminate a subscription. · There should be alternative methods for terminating a subscription. 
• Undeliverable addresses must be removed from future mailings. 
• Mail volume must take recipient systems into account. 
• Steps must be taken to prevent use of a mailing list for abusive purposes. 
• Terms and conditions of address use must be fully disclosed.
• Acquired lists must be used for their original purpose. 
• The nature and frequency of mailings should be fully disclosed. 
• One subscription, one list.

Most businesses today, can't afford to lose even one customer or have their eMail systems effectively shut down. Therefore, as you embark on your Internet marketing programs, it's important to remember, Spam is something to eat, not something your business should be doing.