Are Your Mailings CAN-SPAM Compliant?

by Darren McLaughlin

If you’re like most internet marketers, I bet you are not compliant with CAN-SPAM at all. In fact, I receive spam emails every day from so-called “internet marketing gurus” who are violating all known spam laws at will. In fact, almost none of the emails I get from “webmasters” ever have the proper unsubscribe options or have a physical address printed on them.

CAN-SPAM laws are very clear

They’re so clear, in fact, that these types of routine emails are not allowed.

• Link exchange request
• VBulletin forum mailers

Anything without a verifiable opt-out is not allowed.

Here’s a rundown of the CAN-SPAM law’s main provisions:

* It bans false or misleading header information. Your email’s “From,” “To,” and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person who initiated the email.
* It prohibits deceptive subject lines. The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.
* It requires that your email give recipients an opt-out method. You must provide a return email address or another Internet-based response mechanism that allows a recipient to ask you not to send future email messages to that email address, and you must honor the requests. You may create a “menu” of choices to allow a recipient to opt out of certain types of messages, but you must include the option to end any commercial messages from the sender.
* It requires that commercial email be identified as an advertisement and include the sender’s valid physical postal address. Your message must contain clear and conspicuous notice that the message is an advertisement or solicitation and that the recipient can opt out of receiving more commercial email from you. It also must include your valid physical postal address.

All in all, almost NONE of the mailers I currently get meet this requirements. Article directories, in particular, seem to be defying all logic with their mailing methods.

If you’re sending emails and you aren’t following these rules, you might be vulnerable to losing your domains.