“Email Ethics” Or Why My Autoresponders Will Be Changed To Noreply
- Email Marketing For Bloggers, The Basics
- Email Marketing, Setting Up The Subscription Process
- Your Blog As A Core Content For Email Marketing
- “Email Ethics” Or Why My Autoresponders Will Be Changed To Noreply
I’m a strong supporter of email marketing and integration of the process with your bogging. In my mind the two go hand in hand better than any other form of Site/Autorespoder integration and helps you turn your hobby into profitable venture a LOT FASTER than without it!
But I’m also a believer into ‘Double Opt-in” process for subscribers to be absolutely sure that a person who subscribed to receive my emails actually had to take second step:
- Verify Request For Receiving Information from me!
I hate spam just as much as anyone else and what pisses me off is when I get OVERLOADED with spam as result of me trying to be accessible to my customers, subscribers, blog readers…
Earlier this week I shared my gratitude to the people who helped me learn the ropes, be it by design or by example and without them even knowing about it, but non less – I learned what I believe to be the Bases of Ethical Email Marketing!
Rule Number One in Ethical Email Marketing:
You have to have a permission to send Bulk Email to a person!
Above is my own loose definition of the Double Opt-in process I use and recommend and even though many marketers lately are switching back to single option, I stick to my guns and agree with what aweber describes in their blog post “Confirmed Opt-in Myths Exposed” – I prefer quality over quantity!
I have made it a point to be also accessible to my subscribers and both my partner and I are trying to always respond to emails we get, if one requires respond. Granted sometimes our answers are not too detailed but as the numbers of current subscribers continue to grow – email begins to take up a lot of our time.
But even that wouldn’t be issue if not the Email Spam We Get as result of being accessible!
Why I’ll Change “Reply-To” email address to “No Reply”
This is the classic case where one or two people make it bad for everybody, unfortunately what might seem as one or two is increasingly becoming very large number.
And although I can’t confirm it – ever-increasing number of the people who do what I’m about to describe tells me that there is SOMEONE out there who teaches this crap!
I believe that as more people join the attempt to earn money online – they access this “teaching” and implement it exactly as advised. I even believe that most of these people are not even aware that what they do is nothing but SPAM!
And here is scenario I’m talking about:
- My email list is configured with a “reply to” email that actually leads to me, as I want to be accessible to my subscribers
- I present a Subscribe form, in one form or another somewhere on the web. I have many different variations
- I follow the guidelines and REQUIRE that person confirms their subscription and request to get information from me!
Are we good so far? I think process is pretty simple and from my side I took all the precautions to make sure that NOBODY can subscribe by accident!
Next steps is what the problem clear…
- I begin to deliver on my promise and send information in 3 forms:
- One of the gifts promised as download for subscription
- Autoresponder follow-up sequence
- Broadcast emails
- Each time I email – I get hundreds and ever-growing number of automated replies!
And here I’m not talking about “out of office” or “vacation” replies. Those are bit annoying but a normal part of email correspondence and I can live with that.
What I’m talking about here are ever-growing number of emails that contain nothing but promotion! Somebody have taught those people to setup autoresponder associated with email account and include some promotional message in there and then go out, subscribe to any email list they can get their hands on and anytime email comes to their inbox – they reply with SPAM message.
And Yes! It Is SPAM!
If you were taught this strategy as valid “email marketing” – stop now! There are several major problems with this approach:
- You NEVER received a request from me to send me emails
- You NEVER got permission from me to send me emails
- You ARE NOT COMPLIANT with CAN-SPAM and can become a subject to legal action!
Just because you subscribed to my email list doesn’t mean you have received permissions to send me emails!
But what is even much worse – what you are doing is Illegal and Unethical! CAN-SPAM legislation is designed to protect people from email abuse and requires that if you are running promotions – you have to provide receiver with simple means to be removed from it!
I have yet to see a single person who uses this method to do that!
But let’s just assume you are doing this on purpose and actually acting with full understanding of the implications – you can’t possibly get enough response to justify your name being associate with SPAM and destroying something for everyone else in process!
I pride myself on doing my best to be accessible to people to the extend permitted by time but when I waste over an hour a day clearing my inbox from these unsolicited promotions disguised as email reply and separating them from actual customers requests, feedback, etc – I just can’t afford it anymore…
I will have to as result of ever-increasing SPAM switch to email address I will not be monitoring but simply explaining people how they can still get access to me and ask for the help they need.
I don’t know about your opinion but to me it sucks when a few bad apples spoil it for everyone!
Let me know what you think? Comment below!
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About The Blog Author
Alex Sysoef is an IT Consultant, Internet Marketer and ProBlogger who shares his passion and knowledge of WordPress, SEO, Social Media and traffic strategies on his blog WordPress Howto Spotter. Connect on Twitter or Facebook
27 Responses to ““Email Ethics” Or Why My Autoresponders Will Be Changed To Noreply”
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I know there used to be a couple of people that taught this type of marketing. In my opinion this is just as bad as the spammers who send out millions of emails about adult products and such.
What I can’t understand, this method can’t possibly have results, yet people continue to use it.
.-= Jim Clary´s last blog ..The Best Search Engine Optimization Results Are Through Thoughtful Selection =-.
FYI, changing your “from” or “reply to” address to be invalid is a violation of our terms of service and also puts you potentially in violation of the US Federal CAN-SPAM act.
Not to mention that it’s completely contrary to building relationships with the people subscribed to receive your content. I would strongly recommend against taking this action due to a few bad actors. If someone is sending you junk as a result of them being subscribed to your list, unsubscribe and block them and move on with your day.
Thanks Tom,
I’ll re-evaluate the action. I wasn’t aware of the TOS on this one, although my post title was slightly misleading. I planned to change to an actual email address that was a LESS monitored, instead of my main email.
As always – we learn and I appreciate the feedback and guidance!
Thank you Alex and Tom for the great info. I’m also getting a trickle of this as my list grows. But I agree with Tom. I want my list to interact with me and the messages I send out. I’m not becoming inaccessible to my subscribers because of a few dopes. Plus I want to ensure I’m CAN-SPAM compliant. I do feel bad for the misguided newbies who are getting this terrible “advice”from a shoddy marketer without ethics.
.-= Alan Petersen´s last blog ..Understanding Warrior Special Offers =-.
Like usual, awesome post Alex
I feel your pain, I was pretty much in the same situation couple month ago.
What I did is exactly what Tom Suggest…
I track down the subscribers that always reply back with promotion and unsubscribe them manually.
I probably spent a good hour or two the first time, but now that 99.9% of the bad apples are gone, take me about 2 minutes to unsubscribe any new subscribers that trying this approach.
Once again great Post.
.-= Cedric Aubry´s last blog ..Five Steps To Launching Your Own Affiliate Program =-.
Hi Alex
I am on a few lists where their address is “no reply”
however they (mostly) have a link inside where you can contact.
I don’t know if that breaks Aweber’s terms or not but they use Aweber and one uses Get Response .
I am sure they get past the invalid address by actually having one called no reply and just check once in awhile to delete the junk.
Too bad spam is ruining the way the internet is run… Can anyone say FTC on Dec 1st ?
.-= Ron´s last blog ..25 Chocolate Articles – $1.99 =-.
Ron,
Same here and that is exactly what I planned to do – include link where I can be contacted but as Tom pointed out – it is against TOS and obviously not something I will do now.
Sometimes we learn by openly airing our ideas more then by consulting with couple people
I would hate to loose my aweber account and will never do something that breaks their TOS.
Well this is news! Thanks for addressing one of my concerns before I even asked. As a new marketer with a new WP site I have been learning a lot from the fodder that comes to my inbox ( I subscribe to lots of things just to learn how things are done ).. but I’ve been wondering how to get rid of the unsolicited responders who don’t include an unsubscribe – and I don’t even have myself a list yet!
I’ll be watching to see how you decide to resolve this Alex. Thanks!
.-= Captain Matt´s last blog ..WordPress Video Listbuilding =-.
Well, unfortunately if people don’t include unsubscribe option – more then likely are spammers.
Interesting post, Alex. I have a number of my own lists, and have never had the problem you described.
To spam back lists that you belong to is certainly unethical as well as being very frustrating to the list owner.
This has not happened to me, however if it did, I would fire all those who spammed me back and ban their emails.
Thanks for the post, you did get me thinking as to how I will handle this problem, if it arises.
albert grande
Albert, this problem is not that young, I started first seeing it last year but this year it seem to have grown.
I swear there is some “guru” who is selling crap that teaches people to do it. I can’t explain otherwise how decent people participate in outright spam.
Hey Alex,
I just love your blog. Every time I come here, I learn something. Thanks for that!
I set my “reply to” email addresses pipe into my help desk. Then, my “pit bull” Virtual Assistants delete pretty much everything, and only forward those emails to me that are valuable, relevant and/or personal information. Plus, they respect my time more than I do and will not run off on wild goose chases, like I would, trying to help everyone and their brothers.
So, they either respond with a prewritten reply, delete, find the answer if it’s appropriate, or forward to me. Easy peasy and takes very little time each day compared to when I was doing it myself.
Yes, it costs me money and yes, it sucks to pay to weed through bulk emails, but it allows me to still be accessible to those who really need to reach me – like interview requests, while protecting my time from spammers.
My 2 cents.
Nicole
.-= Nicole Dean´s last blog ..What Does a Day of an Internet Marketer Look Like? =-.
Thanks Nicole,
I pretty much decided on similar solution. I obviously want to be accessible but at same time chasing the tail is something I simply don’t have time for.
I’ve just learned a lot from Nicole Dean ( as I spied her reply on Alex’s How to Spot’er comments ) – Visit her website and see… meanwhile I’m back to my To-Do-Today list as well – although so far I can never get all the way through it! What a challenge blogging is for this layabout in sunny Florida…
.-= Captain Matt´s last blog ..WordPress Video Listbuilding =-.
Well, thank you, Captain Matt!
I have yet to build a list but know it needs to be in my plans somewhere down the road. I had no idea people where actually doing this. I will admit it is pretty creative but I do agree that it is wrong and it is SPAM.
.-= Josh´s last blog ..Best WordPress Real Estate Themes =-.
You’ve got to be kidding, I’d love to know who teaches that, and where along the path they believe it to work? Someone went through your double opt-in to subscribe an address that autoresponds back to you with spam. That seems like an aweful lot of work. I know a lot of my collegues use a service (forget the name of it now) that intercepts your emails and requires the original sender to reply back to confirm their human before becoming a safe sender. Perhaps you could put the reply address to something like this to avoid receiving the spam message.
.-= Kevin McKillop´s last blog ..Link Building With Comment Luv =-.
What I see a lot of the big companies doing is, they set the responder to a no reply email. It is a valid email, but it is not monitored and when someone sends a message to it, it sends an auto reply reminding them that it is a no reply email. It is easy enough to provide a contact email that you actually monitor below the signature, in the email body. People will see it, bots may not.
John,
As you can see in comments to this post – aweber CEO Tom Kulzer have commented and made it clear it is against aweber TOS. As such I do continue to provide a valid email address. I simply had to create one that is less monitored then my regular email and notify people of that while providing direct explanation on how to get more timely support if needed.
Alex
The post is from last year but still full of good points that those just starting out with email marketing should follow. You have to build a list of double-opt in readers and never purchase a list or rent one. You never really know what you are getting.
Hi Alex,
I think I’ll be coming here more often. I can’t resist to learn new things from your site, both from you and from peoples’ comments. We all hate spam. Sometimes you get not to notice legitimate emails because of too many spam emails.
Ross recently posted..The Best Websites To Buy
Ross,
You have to pic and choose whose emails to read
I have a few I’ve been subscribing to for last few years but most never make it past first few emails. If it is not useful to you – just unsubscribe. Sometimes legitimate emails are perceived as spam simply because message within is not right for you at that moment …