The amount of false information available about e-mail marketing
on the net is staggering. If you are advertising your affiliate
program through e-mail campaigns, make sure you know what your
responsibilities are.
The lawless days of spam e-mail are over, at least for U.S.A.
based advertisers. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the
Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act) sets
forth specific requirements for advertising via e-mail. The law
has been tested numerous times since being passed and fines have
been levied, property seized, people have even been sentenced to
prison.
As an affiliate marketer obviously you don't want to be on the
wrong side of this law. Luckily, complying with the provisions
in the law is fairly simple. Here is what it requires:
No misleading or fake header information. This includes the
"From:" and "To" fields.
No deceptive subject lines. You want your customer to know what
you're selling anyway, so this should be no problem.
Messages must be labeled as advertising. Again, the moral is: no
sneaky stuff.
An "internet-based" opt-out method must be provided. You have 10
days to stop e-mailing a person once you have received their
remove request.
Messages must include your business (or home) physical address.
This provides accountability and a way for the customer to
verify that your business is real.
Breaking any of these rules could lead to a fine of up to
$11,000 per violation! Honesty is now truly the best policy. You
may be thinking: if this is such a big deal, why is my inbox
flooded with spam every day?
It's not a perfect world, and the short answer is that many of
those advertisers are breaking the law. Commonly they are
outside the United States in areas where prosecution may be
unrealistic. You, on the other hand, would probably be quite
easy to catch.
Be sure to read the detailed requirements for yourself. You can
find more information at the Federal Trade Commission's website,
http://www.ftc.gov/spam
About the author:
Daniel Detlaf is a lifelong student and one-time Day Trader with
a few things to say about internet marketing. Visit the home of
his ebook "Make An Honest Living" at:
http://www.makeanhonestliving.com
