Direct Marketing - The Legal Use of Mailing Lists in Organizations
Saturday, November 23, 2013
To legally use mailing lists, an organization must get permission from a recipient to send direct mail or e-mail to him. To increase the number of people who give you permission to send them material, provide text near the opt-in box that states you will not sell contact information to any third parties. This diffuses the worry that signing up for a list will lead to spam from third parties down the road.
Permissions
According to Entrepreneur magazine, you must get a recipient's permission to legally send her mail. You must have all recipients opt into your direct mail or email messages. A recipient opts into a list by filling out a form to sign herself up. If you receive a recipient's contact information from a third party, you must allow the person to quickly opt out of receiving future communications. In email communication, include a link labeled "opt-out" in the footer of the e-mail. When a user clicks on this link, she should be directed to a webpage that allows her to opt out of future messages. If you are sending direct mail pieces, the recipient should be able to call a number or write to you and request to be taken off of your mailing list.
Annoucements
Inc. magazine recommends using mailing lists to communicate company announcements to interested parties. For example, you can announce that you have just opened a new company division, are launching a new product or are moving into a new region. Include an opt-out option for recipients who may no longer want to receive company announcements from you.
Promotions
Use mailing lists to send incentives to interested customers. For example, you can send a coupon, directions on how to receive a free item or information on upcoming promotions like summer sales. You can also send content promotions like new white papers available for immediate download, links to new case studies or mini-guides to help readers complete a task more easily.
Discussions
Use a mailing list for discussion between customers if you want to allow them to exchange ideas. Inc. magazine suggests this for email lists between colleagues who must work together. This type of mailing list should be restricted from the public. It should only be available to employees directly involved with the project. Management, other colleagues or contractors may opt into the list if they can provide advice, insight or help with execution.
Tags:
Direct Marketing, Marketing
Permissions
According to Entrepreneur magazine, you must get a recipient's permission to legally send her mail. You must have all recipients opt into your direct mail or email messages. A recipient opts into a list by filling out a form to sign herself up. If you receive a recipient's contact information from a third party, you must allow the person to quickly opt out of receiving future communications. In email communication, include a link labeled "opt-out" in the footer of the e-mail. When a user clicks on this link, she should be directed to a webpage that allows her to opt out of future messages. If you are sending direct mail pieces, the recipient should be able to call a number or write to you and request to be taken off of your mailing list.
Annoucements
Inc. magazine recommends using mailing lists to communicate company announcements to interested parties. For example, you can announce that you have just opened a new company division, are launching a new product or are moving into a new region. Include an opt-out option for recipients who may no longer want to receive company announcements from you.
Promotions
Use mailing lists to send incentives to interested customers. For example, you can send a coupon, directions on how to receive a free item or information on upcoming promotions like summer sales. You can also send content promotions like new white papers available for immediate download, links to new case studies or mini-guides to help readers complete a task more easily.
Discussions
Use a mailing list for discussion between customers if you want to allow them to exchange ideas. Inc. magazine suggests this for email lists between colleagues who must work together. This type of mailing list should be restricted from the public. It should only be available to employees directly involved with the project. Management, other colleagues or contractors may opt into the list if they can provide advice, insight or help with execution.
