Are you using Instant Buzz? If you are, and even if you aren't, you need to read this WARNING!
As you all know, I LOVE Instant Buzz, it's a GREAT little traffic tool and it's become a fantastic attractor of Contacts for my business.
HOWEVER
If you are using Group Mail, or any desktop mail program, even Outlook or Outlook Express, and you are marketing the CLB way (invitation emails) and you have the mailspace ads in IB turned on, your email may be considered as SPAM.
PLEASE HEED THIS WARNING
Go to your Instant Buzz red button and click on it then click on Preferences and TURN OFF the Mailspace ad.
You can always turn it on when sending to your optin list, as those are the only people you can send a url to. I recommend you leave it shut off. It is not worth the risk.
Now let me tell you why your email may be considered spam.
With the MailSpace ads turned on, your invitation email now contains a commercial ad at the very top, right at the beginning and BEFORE the body of your email.
The fact is, regardless of position, it is a commercial advertisement sent to a 'lead' list prior to any kind of verification.
Remember, the list you are sending your 'invitation' email to, is just that, a list of email addresses of people who do not know you, thus the point of our Invitation email. Placing a mailspace ad in your email, now creates a commercial email to a non-verified list.
All of a sudden your invitation email is no longer a spam compliant email.
Please - if you are sending emails to verify lists, ensure your Mailspace Ads in Instant Buzz are SHUT OFF!
I cannot stress this strongly enough.
If you continue to use the Mailspace Ads, you may be accused of SPAM (and rightly so).
If you need more information or have questions about Spam or responsible email marketing, contact me any time.
I want to thank Kevan Crowley for spending time with me to analyze his situation, it is through our discussion that we discovered the potential issue with the Mailspace Ads. Thanks Kevan, your support and dedication are well commended!
If you aren't using Instant Buzz or want to learn some great ways to build your list with it, read my article, Secrets to Building Your Business with Instant Buzz:
I am here to help you market responsibly.
Have a great day.
Regards,
Janet Legere, The Contact List Builder
Connecting Leaders in Business Online Since 1999
P.S. Don't forget to check out the Mother's Day Special - SAVE $100 on the CLB Business Survival Guide and Receive 5 additional bonuses! Click here for details:
http://www.contactlistbuilder.com/store/clb_mothersday.asp
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Sykaro Inc.
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Saturday, May 07, 2005
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11 comments:
Excellent advice, as always, Janet!
It is very important to follow all the regulations and keep up with the awareness of what is allowable and not...
A spam complaint is a very serious thing and not something that a legitimate business should risk!
That's absolutely right, Patrysha, as is apparant with Kevan, who lost his connection because of it.
A hard lesson learned and valuable for all of us.
I'm a little confused here. I thought that the SPAM laws prohibited you from sending ANY unsolicited messages? Why is an "invitation" email to someone you don't know not considered SPAM?
I know I consider them SPAM (though I don't report them). Aren't you running the risk of someone reporting your "invitation email" as SPAM?
Hi John,
Great comment.
The fact is, we are sending our invitation email to Optin Leds or FFA leads, so in essence they have already agreed to receive my email, I'm simply asking permission to send my business information or to connect.
I've been successfully using this method for 5 years now.
I recommend reviewing my free ebook you can download at http://www.contactlistbuilder.com/
Please let me know if you have further questions.
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You aren't right, I just wasn't in the mood to argue. Since you believe you are right.
I know what I teach and so do my affiliates.
I teach, in all my courses, how to be a real person online. Had you taken the time to read any of my material, you would know what I mean.
Personally, I include all my personal information in every email I sent.
I teach CanSpam Compliant methods and show people how to be real.
Try it sometime, hundreds of others successfully have.
Thanks for your feedback,
Janet Legere, The Contact List Builder
Coaching Leaders in Business Online Since 1999
Hi Eileen,
You are not confused, Darrin is confused.
Many people forget they have signed up for things, that is why we send our varification email and why I recommend and strongly encourage everyone to include their personal information including full contact info.
I do not condone the use of false email addresses which is what Darrin is referring to.
As you know, and as you have experienced first hand, we do not teach how to nor do we send spam email.
I hope that helps to clarify,
Janet Legere, The Contact List Builder
Coaching Leaders in Business Online Since 1999
Thanks Lee,
You are absolutely right!
That is why I wrote this article, to warn InstantBuzz members to stop using the mailspace ads unless they understand the implications.
Mailspace ads are especially dangerous and can cause spam complaints.
Have a great day,
Janet
I was just on your blog. Here's the problem I have with mailspace ads on IB: Dopey people who can't spell. OK, maybe they are not all dopey--maybe they're from another country. Whatever--it doesn't matter. It makes me look stupid when I have an ad on my email with poor English or misspellings--and heaven forbid, they are advertising Viagra!! My friends and family thought those were my ads! Then I had to start putting disclaimer messages at the top of all of my emails, saying, "The ad shown is a service--they are not my products." It was just too much trouble. I didn't see any additional traffic, but I would have turned it off anyway, even if I did. It wasn't worth it to ruin my reputation with the people I know and my customers. Please pass on to Mike! Thanks, Anita Stone
This whole thread is great...
I will turn off Mailspace ads immediately- I never understood myself why I would want some of the ads I've seen allowed on IB on my emails.
Now knowing they're also SPAM in addition to being poor quality and in poor taste.
Now if IB wasn't such an embarassment to promote (no support, PC lockups, mysterious results, credit theft, no training, no useful users guide and tons of blatant ads from Mike F that can't be deleted) I might actually promote it:-/
I would like to add thanks to Janet for the IB tip. Goodness knows how many emails have been sent with this on top .I allways thought that spam was an email that did not have proper identification and no opt out message ,Is this so?
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