Four Rules of Permission Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective weapons in a small business owner's arsenal. It allows you to market to large numbers of potential customers for a fraction of the cost of traditional direct mail. However, there's a fine line between sending effective email messages and spamming your client

Whether you buy, rent, or compile your own email lists, keep these four points in mind when developing your opt-in strategy:

1. Make sure that the names on your list belong there. Don't add the names of people who haven't agreed to receive messages from you. Sending unsolicited e-mail — known as "spam" — creates a negative impression of your company. Your ISP can even shut you down for this. For guidance on how to develop an e-mail list, read Developing E-Mail Marketing Lists.
   
2. Let your customers decide the format in which they'll receive your promotional mailings. Not everyone has an e-mail account that can process HTML and rich-text messages, and some people prefer plain text.
   
3. Give customers a chance to opt out of future mailings. Customers come and go, so don't be alarmed when someone wants to be dropped from an e-mail list.
   
4. Give fair notice to your visitors, if you harvest names from your Web site. Reassure your customers that their personal information is safe, and that you won't sell or distribute it. Develop a privacy policy, post it prominently on the site, and stick to it. Read What Should My Business Web Site's Privacy Policy Cover? for guidelines on developing your privacy policy.