{"id":10039,"date":"2019-11-12T17:13:12","date_gmt":"2019-11-12T22:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=10039"},"modified":"2020-05-19T10:51:06","modified_gmt":"2020-05-19T14:51:06","slug":"a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam","title":{"rendered":"A Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM"},"content":{"rendered":"

It goes without saying that email is a major communication channel for businesses and a dependable tool in the marketing mix.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Think about how many emails you clear from your personal inbox on a daily basis \u2013 it\u2019s likely upwards of 20. This can get understandably frustrating, especially if you haven\u2019t invited this form of communication. It\u2019s for this reason that consumers and regulators alike have become protective of the inboxes of consumers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2003, then-President George W. Bush introduced the CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) Act in response to a growing number of consumer complaints. The law became the first set of guidelines for commercial email communication in the U.S. and is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).<\/span><\/p>\n

So, how does this impact your business? If you\u2019re sending emails to potential, existing, or former customers in the U.S., you’ll want to read on. It might help you avoid a hefty fine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Icon\"<\/div>\n
\n

Become a Digital Marketer in just 12 weeks!<\/p>\n

BrainStation’s Digital Marketing Diploma Program<\/a> is a full-time, 12-week program that equips professionals with the skills and experience to start a new career in marketing.<\/p>\n

Speak to a Learning Advisor<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What is CAN-SPAM?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The CAN-SPAM Act spells out the rules around how businesses can promote their products or services to consumers through email marketing. It gives consumers the right to stop hearing from you and lets businesses know what consequences are in store if they don\u2019t comply.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Act stretches beyond mass emailing marketing, covering individual electronic business communication as well as messages from internet-to-phone (SMS). More specifically, CAN-SPAM covers \u201c<\/span>any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service.\u201d This includes business to business email marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dos and Don\u2019ts of CAN-SPAM<\/b><\/h2>\n

Luckily, like most customer-focused business practices, CAN-SPAM rules are pretty intuitive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can think about them in the context of the three stages of the email experience: receiving the email, reading the email, and choosing to opt-out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Receiving Emails<\/b><\/h2>\n

When a customer first receives an email from you, they must be able to clearly identify who the sender is and what the email is about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The \u201cFrom\u201d field of your email needs to explicitly state your business name and the name of the person sending the email. This information can\u2019t be considered false or misleading.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Your subject line needs to give your customers a good idea of what they\u2019ll find inside. Don\u2019t mask a promotional email as a transactional one. If the email content is sexually explicit, this needs to be made clear in the subject line.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Reading Emails\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Once a customer opens your email, they must know where your business is located, whether the email is promotional in nature, and how they can opt-out of receiving emails in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The email body must include your business\u2019 physical mailing address. This can be your street address or a registered postal box address. <\/span>
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. You need to clearly and visibly identify that the email is an advertisement. While this doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be done in the subject line, you need to make it transparent enough to avoid any confusion. If the customers on your mailing list have agreed to hear from you, then you don\u2019t have to label the email as an ad, but you do need to meet all other CAN-SPAM requirements. <\/span>
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Your customers should be able to find and understand exactly how to opt-out of your mailing list. They should be able to do this within one step, by either visiting an external page or replying to your email without having to give you anything in return. Don\u2019t use font size or color to make opting out difficult.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Opting Out of Emails\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

      If a customer has decided to opt-out of your emails, you need to have a process in place that can quickly act on their request.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. You must let your customers opt-out of your mailing list for at least 30 days after the email is sent. You need to be able to process the opt-out request within 10 business days. At this point, you can\u2019t transfer their email to any third-party business unless it\u2019s a business helping you comply with regulations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Keep in mind that even if you outsource your email marketing, your business is ultimately responsible for complying with the CAN-SPAM Act.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Transactional Versus Commercial Emails\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

        The Act <\/span>does<\/span><\/i> differentiate between a transactional or relationship email and a commercial or promotional email. Some examples of transactional emails are when you send customers a confirmation of purchase, let them know an invoice is available, or alert them to changing terms or service updates. Commercial emails are the ones you send that promote a product or service, even if it\u2019s just sharing your most recent blog posts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        If you\u2019re sending an email that combines transactional and promotional messaging, you need to keep in mind the primary purpose of the email. If the primary purpose is transactional, then the only rules you need to comply with is a clear subject line and \u201cFrom\u201d field.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Below is an example of a transactional email from the FTC website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \"Email

        Email example from ftc.gov<\/p><\/div>\n

        If the primary purpose of the email is promotional, then you\u2019ll need to fully comply with all CAN-SPAM rules. Below is an example of a commercial or promotional email.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \"example

        Email example from ftc.gov<\/p><\/div>\n

        What are the Consequences for Violating the Act?<\/b><\/h2>\n

        You can be charged up to $42,530 for every email that doesn\u2019t comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. The FTC can also make your penalty public, potentially causing reputational damage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        What Does This Mean for Your Business?<\/b><\/h2>\n

        If email marketing is important for your business, be aware of the rules of engagement. Parts of the law are flexible and open to interpretation, so it\u2019s best to err on the side of caution. Educate yourself on the finer details, especially if your business buys mailing lists or is planning to run a campaign asking customers to forward your email to friends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Remember that the CAN-SPAM Act was born from consumer frustration, so don\u2019t just think about it as a pesky legal compliance \u2013 consider it another way to put the customer experience center stage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        For more information or FAQ, read the <\/span>FTC\u2019s Compliance Guide for Business<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
        \n
        \"Icon\"<\/div>\n
        \n

        Learn marketing skills to boost your career \u2013 from home!<\/p>\n

        BrainStation offers Online Live Certificate Courses<\/a> in data, design, development, marketing, and product management. Attend live classes and interact with Instructors and peers from anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n

        Speak to a Learning Advisor<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        If you\u2019re sending emails to potential, existing, or former customers in the U.S., you’ll want to read on. It might help you avoid a hefty fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":10043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1066,169],"tags":[136,520],"yoast_head":"\nA Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM | BrainStation\u00ae Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How does CAN-SPAM impact your business? If you\u2019re sending emails to potential, existing, or former customers in the U.S., you'll want to read on. It might help you avoid a hefty fine.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM | BrainStation\u00ae Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How does CAN-SPAM impact your business? If you\u2019re sending emails to potential, existing, or former customers in the U.S., you'll want to read on. It might help you avoid a hefty fine.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BrainStation\u00ae Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-12T22:13:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-05-19T14:51:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/pau-casals-1Gvog1VdtDA-unsplash-e1573595660727.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"3000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"975\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BrainStation\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"BrainStation\u00ae Blog\",\"description\":\"The Digital Learning Company\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/pau-casals-1Gvog1VdtDA-unsplash-e1573595660727.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/pau-casals-1Gvog1VdtDA-unsplash-e1573595660727.jpg\",\"width\":3000,\"height\":975},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam\",\"name\":\"A Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM | BrainStation\u00ae Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-12T22:13:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-19T14:51:06+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11\"},\"description\":\"How does CAN-SPAM impact your business? If you\u2019re sending emails to potential, existing, or former customers in the U.S., you'll want to read on. It might help you avoid a hefty fine.\u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11\",\"name\":\"BrainStation\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"BrainStation\"},\"description\":\"BrainStation is a global leader in digital skills training, empowering businesses and brands to succeed in the digital age. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 250 instructors from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge, real-world digital education that has empowered more than 50,000 professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/author\/brainstation\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","description":"How does CAN-SPAM impact your business? If you\u2019re sending emails to potential, existing, or former customers in the U.S., you'll want to read on. It might help you avoid a hefty fine.\u00a0","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","og_description":"How does CAN-SPAM impact your business? If you\u2019re sending emails to potential, existing, or former customers in the U.S., you'll want to read on. It might help you avoid a hefty fine.\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam","og_site_name":"BrainStation\u00ae Blog","article_published_time":"2019-11-12T22:13:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-05-19T14:51:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":3000,"height":975,"url":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/pau-casals-1Gvog1VdtDA-unsplash-e1573595660727.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BrainStation","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/","name":"BrainStation\u00ae Blog","description":"The Digital Learning Company","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/pau-casals-1Gvog1VdtDA-unsplash-e1573595660727.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/pau-casals-1Gvog1VdtDA-unsplash-e1573595660727.jpg","width":3000,"height":975},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#webpage","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam","name":"A Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2019-11-12T22:13:12+00:00","dateModified":"2020-05-19T14:51:06+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11"},"description":"How does CAN-SPAM impact your business? If you\u2019re sending emails to potential, existing, or former customers in the U.S., you'll want to read on. It might help you avoid a hefty fine.\u00a0","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/a-marketers-guide-to-can-spam#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Marketer\u2019s Guide to CAN-SPAM"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11","name":"BrainStation","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"BrainStation"},"description":"BrainStation is a global leader in digital skills training, empowering businesses and brands to succeed in the digital age. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 250 instructors from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge, real-world digital education that has empowered more than 50,000 professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world.","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/author\/brainstation"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10039"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10039"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11670,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10039\/revisions\/11670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}