There is no question that spam is a problem for businesses who must deal with thousands or even millions of unsolicited advertising, phishing, and hoax emails every year.  But the problem of spam becomes more than just how to deal with the incoming junk.  Spam also hinders the ability of businesses to engage in effective email marketing.

What is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is quite simply the legitimate use of email for communicating with customers.  The problem today is that many people cannot tell the difference between email marketing and email spam.  In fact some spammers can’t even tell the difference, branding themselves as “internet marketers” and operating with no regard for the problems that they cause.

Kevin Garber from Melon Media in Sydney, Australia says, “Increasingly the determining factor of what is or isn’t ’spam’ is in the eye of the recipient, so often legitimate email marketing and spam can be lumped in the same bucket.”

With such as grey line between the two, where can email users begin when trying to make the distinction?  “Genuine spam however is often designed to confuse and trick recipients.  It is also usually very difficult to tell who the sender of genuine spam is,” Garber says.  “Legitimate email marketing at least attempts to do everything by the book – including full disclosure of who the email is from and clarity of all commercial offers.”

Adding to the confusion is the problem of email marketing being confused for spam when the end user simply forgets that they signed up to receive it.  As Microsoft’s Terry Zink points out from experience, “It’s not at all uncommon for users to regularly submit non-spam messages as spam.  The most common of these are opt-in newsletters.  Mail the user opted into at one point but no longer wants to receive.”

The Challenge of Email Marketing

Spam presents two significant challenges to legitimate email marketing.  Firstly it hinders the ability of businesses to have their email communications reach interested customers.  Belinda Jackson of Web Chameleon says, “Getting legitimate email marketing delivered has become more of a challenge with more and more spam hitting people’s inboxes.  Tighter spam control at different levels of the delivery process means that some email does not get delivered.  This of course, is a challenge for those of us who wish to only send valued Email Marketing to their clients and opt-in subscribers.”

Sometimes these problems can be technical in nature, caused by an overly aggressive content filter or keyword blacklist configure by the email administrator.  Other times the problem can arise when servers used by email marketers end up on RBLs such as SpamHaus.  This is particularly an issue when the email administrator has an objection to any emails that do not directly relate to their company’s business activities.

“Both corporate mail administrators and independent blacklists have at various stages blacklisted us,” says Garber.  “All were resolved but clients suffered periods of inconvenience.”

Engaging in Email Marketing

For businesses that wish to use email marketing they need to plan their strategy correctly to avoid being viewed as a spammer.  Both Jackson and Garber agree on some important steps to take.

• Only send marketing emails to opt-in recipients
• Always include a clear reminder in the email so the recipient knows how you acquired their email address
• Never buy lists of email addresses for marketing purposes
• Have a visible and simple way for the recipient to unsubscribe, and make sure it works
• Use a reputable email marketing service that treats deliverability as a high priority
• Be aware of the anti-spam laws of your jurisdiction and operate within those boundaries

Solving the Problem for Businesses

Because email spam is an international problem the real solution must be a global one.  Garber proposes that global legislation combined with a “global law enforcement team with the mandate to track down all genuine spam campaigns and press charges” could go a long way to resolving the issue.  In the meantime, “Users have generally adapted to the problem, but the industry should continue to be vigilant in seeking a mix of technical and legal based solution to this problem.”

Despite what some email administrators might think, doing away with email marketing entirely is not the solution.  As Jackson puts it, “The reality is that a lot of people actually enjoy getting marketing letters and brochures in their letterboxes much like many people enjoy receiving commercial emails and newsletters that provide value and that they have subscribed to.”

With this in mind it is important to understand that poorly implemented anti-spam systems can ultimately hurt legitimate business activities.  A balance must be struck between preventing spam and allowing businesses to engage in effective email marketing campaigns with their customers.