I had someone ask how to get around anti-spam laws yesterday.
I replied to him, but not very well.
So I thought I would write about it here.
Here’s the bottom line: Don’t try to “get around” anti-spam laws. There’s no point playing a game of cat and mouse and trying to escape the clutches of the laws.
Indeed, there’s no need to… if you do newsletters the way I suggest.
Here’s the thing: The email inbox is people’s inner sanctum. It is perhaps the most personal medium there is, with marketing emails mixed with messages from mother and from long-distance friends.
People are right to want to protect this area from intrusion, which is why (in part) these anti-spam laws are in place.
But this same special nature of the inbox makes it extremely valuable real estate for any business that wants to make a meaningful connection with its clients.
The key here is “meaningful connection.”
You see, it’s time for a change in mindset. Stop thinking in terms of an antagonistic war of attrition to “get their message in front of” consumers.
Instead, think deeply about the value you offer your clients.
Think about what they really want to know, and how you can best serve the needs of those clients.
Consider how you can make your clients’ days better.
When you do that, your messages are welcomed rather than shunned.
So here’s your game plan:
1. “Sell” the value of signing up to your newsletter so you get the chance to reach the inner sanctum of the inbox. Make people excited to sign up.
2. Provide value in your newsletter – respect your clients’ time.
3. Keep sending your newsletter and build a relationship.
The thing is, spam isn’t going away. And anti-spam laws aren’t going away either.
While some of the laws might be taking the wrong approach, affecting people like us rather than the real spammers, the underlying rationale of these rules isn’t so dumb.
So it makes sense to behave in accordance with the spirit (and the letter) of these laws.
Be welcomed in inboxes.
So… to getting started…
I have for you a ready-made email (and print) newsletter you can use as it is, or edit until your heart’s content.