I should know the answer to this but I'm just not sure I'd like to send a few individual emails to prospects around my local area just to let them know that I exist. I intend to follow up with phone and snail mail but didn't want to over look sending a friendly email...providing I wouldn't get fined 200K for spaming someone. So, would shooting off a few emails (one at a time) be considered spam? Any online references supporting your thoughts would be appreciated too. Thanks!
Hmmm...basically I would say mails that brings no importance to the receiver and they somehow they never request for it (unsolicited). And one more thing... spams usually keeps flooding the mailbox without stopping and sending the same message over and over again. That's how I see it....
Spam is in the eyes of the beholder. If you send unsolicited emails of any kind, it could be considered spam. Most people ignore and delete it and others will report it as spam to the email provider. Some go as far as reporting your IP to your web host and/or ISP. It all depends how your emails are taken by the people you send them to. Chances are, you will have no problems if you are offering a legit business offer to your local area.
Yeah, be careful with that. Many (myself included) see that as spam. I go out of my way to not do business with companies/individuals that send me unsolicited material via email. However, I am not as annoyed with regular snail mail spam (flyers and such) - I guess it's because I expect it. I never read it though...it goes straight from my mailbox to the trash.
If it feels like spam, it probably is. What you are trying to do is the equivalent of a cold call, illegal in lots of places and yes, spam.
Thanks for the comments! I didn't really have a "warm fuzzy" feeling about the idea anyway, but wanted a few opinions beyond my own.
Here's a link to the CANN SPAM act http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.shtm Personally I don't think what you're describing is illegal or wrong in any way. Of course, you will find will people that act ridiculously outraged and start pulling out their hair everytime they get an email from someone that doesn't have LOL cats in it. Whatever....
this is a tricky one.. spam by definition is "unsolicited email" but that is rather a broad term. so from what i see is as long as you include something personal in the email (like some reference to their business, their website) most people don't mind.. as long as you don't copy-paste stuff or add a 100 different BCCs you should be fine!
I see this to be true. It just amazed me the other day when I was a t a friends house and he was going through his spam messages about making money online. He is smart but he said, "Look at this email this guy sent me. I tells me how I can make money online!" I asked him if he knew the guy and he said that he didn't. I also asked him if he knew the difference between spam ads and regular email. I didn't get an answer but a remark on how he thinks he can do this money making thing. So this just proves that spam works to a certain percentage and if it was illegal than no-one would be doing it. Just another thing that the media is paid to convince the public something is illegal when it is clearly not. Personally spam doesn't bother me with free email accounts you can register stuff on that and keep your personal mail secluded!