Bulk email has become a tricky issue. To many, a regular message from a central source such as your local theater or community organization is a blessing. To others, it is annoying. The Federal Trade Commission has adopted a ruling called the CAN-SPAM Act in an attempt to curb spamming activity. Non-compliance can be costly in many ways. Here’s a link to the detail of the act:
https://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business
Here are the top rules to keep your bulk email messages compliant:
Physical Address
• Your message must include your valid physical postal address. This can be your current street address, a post office box you’ve registered with the U.S. Postal Service, or a private mailbox you’ve registered with a commercial mail receiving agency established under Postal Service regulations.
Opt-In
• Ensure that you are only sending mail to users who specifically requested it. It is not advisable to purchase mailing lists or subscribe users by having an opt-in checkbox automatically checked on your website. • It is preferable to have a double/confirmed opt-in process. When users subscribe to your mailing list, send them an email asking them to click to confirm their opt-in. This will reduce the number of people who sign up from fake email addresses.
• When users subscribe to your mailing list, tell them what mail to expect, how often to expect it, and what it will look like. Set recipient expectations clearly.
Easy Unsubscribe
• Provide an obvious and visible unsubscribe process in your mail.
• Make it easy for users to unsubscribe from your mailing list. • Ensure the unsubscribe process is easy to use, such as a one-click unsubscribe web page. • Users should not have to log into a website in order to unsubscribe.
• Process unsubscribes immediately.
Note: If your bulk email message continues to land in your recipient’s spam filter, the recipient’s local spam settings may be responsible. You may want to add an advisory to your email instructing them to add your email address to their email whitelist.
