Bulk Email

Bulk email can be confused at times with unsolicited e-mails, or "spam." While spam can critically injure a new business, the solicited, and therefore, desired e-mails coming from mailing lists can be a very important method of keeping vital communication with a base of customers and subscribers.

The differences between spam and bulk email through mailing lists can be considered obvious, in most cases. However, knowing these differences can keep a business owner from losing his customer base, or worse, being accused of sending unsolicited mail.

It is commonly believed that by definition, spam is all bulk email sent to someone who didn't specifically request to be added to a subscription, though must request to be removed from the list, or "opt-out." The spammer has no verifiable proof that anyone consented to their e-mails, and can be held liable through their Internet Service Provider, who may cancel the violator's website and e-mail address. Some ISPs will even charge a fine to violators, adding insult to injury; hundreds of dollars are spent obtaining the website falls away to ruin.

In order for a subscribed mailing list to be solicited, the receiver has to have actually asked for the subscription. In some cases, the receiver even requests twice. First, the request was sent via the company's website, and second, when the receiver confirmed the request through their own e-mail. This practice is commonly known as a Confirmed Opt-In, or "COI."

Having an effective mailing list, covered legally by the concept of COI, will grant the business and its customers the needed communication for a thriving commercial relationship. A new business owner can create such a mass emailing list by following a few basic guidelines.

The first step is rather simple; making sure the registry is visible. By visible, your subscription form should be right on the front page, large enough to be very clear, and be very simple to use, so that nobody becomes confused by the registration process.

Having a visible registry is not quite enough, as most people wouldn't bother registering unless they believed they had a great reason, which brings us to the second step: providing viable motivation for a potential consumer to subscribe. Perhaps the business owner can send e-mails citing success stories, or special deals on products, or simply provide more in-depth information that is only available to members of the mailing list. The stimulus for entering such lists must also be visible along with the form; after all, that isn't the type of thing you'd want to keep secret.

The very important third step is to be consistent when you use bulk email. An email should be sent out to all subscribers on a very constant basis, once a week, once or two times a month, whatever is needed. This way, subscribers keep the business in mind, never fall short of good information, and never forget that they subscribed to the mailing list.