Is it ever okay to send unsolicited commercial emails (SPAM)?
Absolutely not. You do so at your peril.

If I have not yet built an email database, where do I start?
Ask for email addresses at all points of contact with your customers. If you are looking to grow your list quickly, we recommend creating an enticing offer or promotion, and renting access to a highly targeted permission email list.

If I were to rent a permission email list, how do I know it is a quality list?
Know the source of the list, go through the list's opt-in process, and gather information about campaigns that have gone out to this list before. If you don't have time to do this legwork, we recommend you contact an experienced email broker.

How can I be sure my email addresses I have are current and still being used?
Be sure to track the undeliverable emails from each of your campaigns. If you outsource your email marketing make sure that your supplier will retry the undeliverable emails at least three times for you, and will supply you with the failed addresses at the end of the campaign.

How do I know how effective my email campaigns are?
Be sure to track your email results, including successfully sent emails, email views, click throughs, emails forwarded to friends, and unsubscribes. Within 48 hours you will have received 90% of your email tracking results.

How do I ensure the content I am sending to my customers is relevant?
Ask your customers what they want you to send them. You can ask them at the time they opt to receive your messages, or send them a short email survey that shows them you are interested in knowing where their interests lie.

Isn't it a lot of work to send unique, custom messages to my email database?
If you are working with an email supplier that has the ability to customize content with the click of a button, then no. Variable messaging is easily done with the right technology provider.

What if I don't know if my email recipients can accept HTML (graphics)?
You can either send a text email out in which you ask people to reply with their preference, or you can outsource to a service provider that uses MIME technology. MIME technology senses whether the email recipient is HTML, text or AOL compatible and automatically delivers the appropriate message.

If I am sending Html, how do I ensure that my email is displaying as it should?
Test your email messages across multiple platforms: Eudora, AOL, Netscape, Hotmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc. If you are using an email marketing supplier, ensure they are doing this testing for you.

Why would I outsource to an email marketing supplier?
By doing so, you eliminate the need for substantial investment in capital and support staff. Furthermore, you are able to take advantage of your supplier's experience and expertise in a fast-moving industry.