Another Note on Spam

If you send out mass emails to a list, you need permission. Most people are pretty good at asking people before they send out information. But there’s another big part to permission, and that’s the ability to opt-out.

People sign up to receive emails because they are looking for information at a certain point in time. Sometimes there comes a point when they no longer want that information anymore. If the people receiving your messages can’t opt out of your communication when that point comes, you risk angering that list.

The source of this little rant comes from the University of Regina. I signed up to be put on an email list to receive an email a few times a week when new job opportunities came through the employment office at the University. Well, that was a few years ago now and I have a job so I don’t really need those emails anymore. Frankly, they’re a little annoying. I emailed the address that sends these updates a few times to ask to be removed from the list but I still keep getting emails from them.

It doesn’t pay to have people on your list that don’t want your information. Instead of creating fans, you end up creating enemies without intending to. If you use email to communicate with your customers, it’s crucial to have an opt-out link at the bottom of all your correspondence. If people feel locked in, you’ll never get them to sign up for something again and they probably won’t buy anything from you in the near future.