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CAN-SPAM Compliance Checklist: 4 Mandatory Tasks

CAN-SPAM Compliance Checklist: 4 Mandatory Tasks

The CAN-SPAM Act was created in 2003 to serve as a set of guidelines directing email marketing initiatives – compliance is necessary for. It also serves as a methodology for creating better relationships and opportunities with prospective and future customers. When properly implemented, it not only protects your business from incurring hefty fines, but also creates a set of expectations that customers can understand and appreciate. Whether you’re sending out emails in-house, or partnering with an affiliate who will send out emails on your behalf, we’ve created a list of email marketing tips that every company can leverage to protect their business and keep customers happy.

CAN-SPAM Compliance Checklist

Make Opting Out of Emails Simple

Per the letter of the law, CAN-SPAM compliance depends on your business being able to acknowledge unsubscribes from emails within a period of ten business days. It also requires that each email that you send contains a link to unsubscribe from all future emails, remaining active for at least 30 days. Entering into an email marketing campaign requires customer consent. It should be just as easy for customers to stop receiving emails from your company as it was for them to sign up in the first place. This should be done with a legible button at the bottom of each email you send. While opting out of your business’ emails may be seen as a net negative, the reasons people opt out of emails vary. This can be used to your and your customer’s advantage. Offering different types of opt-outs, such as opting down, can ensure neither of your businesses are wasting their time. For instance, if a customer wants to receive emails from specific departments of your organization, or receive them less frequently, these features can be customized with a robust unsubscribe platform.

Remove Opt-Outs in a Timely Manner

CAN-SPAM compliance requires that you acknowledge these requests within a period of 10 days. In the age of the internet, this time frame is far beyond what your customers expect. In the era of one-click purchasing, customers expect immediacy from unsubscribe requests. Failing to acknowledge unsubscribe can lead to duplicate unsubscribe entries in a system, which can cause a backlog of requests that go unacknowledged. This can be a problem with affiliate marketing campaigns. For a CAN-SPAM request to be acknowledged, it needs to speak across multiple databases to ensure that the request is logged in each account. Using a centralized unsubscribe platform can help ensure that every unsubscribe request is accounted for.

Keep Information in Each Email Relevant

When a customer receives an email from your company, the intent of your email should be immediately apparent. This means that your subject line, your header, and the content of your email should clearly dictate that the email is coming from your organization. Additionally, your current physical address must be included. If your business doesn’t receive mail, your P.O. box may be used. Under CAN-SPAM, customers need to understand that each email you send is from you, and acknowledges that it is an advertisement. This is as much a function of good email compliance as it is good email marketing. The more relevant an email is to a customer, the better the results of your campaign are likely to be.

Leveraging A Centralized Unsubscribe Database to Manage CAN-SPAM Compliance

CAN-SPAM compliance is as much a law as it a critical element of good marketing methodology. When you send messaging out to clients, the intent is to provide them with content that is relevant both to their industry while offering your product or service as a solution. Every email is a facet of your branding. Content should be relevant and matter to your customers. A centralized unsubscribe database is essential in any marketing campaign. While you may have ten business days to acknowledge a request, faster results yield for a better customer experience. Centralized databases prevent requests from being siloed across departments or affiliates, and can sort between different types of data. Just one bad interaction with your company can spoil your image in the eyes of a customer. UnsubCentral offers a single turnkey solution that makes unsubscribes easier than ever across dozens of email service provider integrations. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

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