As BTGI works extensively in the email-marketing arena, I'm often asked "What is considered spam?" Spam is unsolicited e-mail. What exactly does unsolicited mean?

According to the Webopedia of Computer & Technology Terms, unsolicited email from a recipient's point of view is junk mail. It's no different than those annoying telemarketing calls we get (or used to get) during our dinner and family time.

Or it can be likened to the pile of mail delivered by our friendly mail carrier that usually ends up in the trash.

There is only one circumstance when you should receive email from an unknown source. That's when you've provided your permission via site registration to accept email from affiliated vendors and/or services. This is known as opt-in email or permission-based email. Note: this is where you want to "read the fine print" and check the box to either agree or disagree to receive postings about particular products or interests.

The next logical question, what is solicited email? There are only TWO ways you can send bulk email. Either the recipient has given you permission or you have a prior business or affinity relationship. ANYTHING else is unacceptable spam. Period -- end of story.

As email recipients, we have the power to email the spammer's ISP or call our ISP with a complaint. If an ISP receives too many complaints (too many can equal one), they can put a block on ALL messages sent by a particular sender to their server. The sender can be shut down, temporarily or even permanently.

As we are barraged with email, we are now faced with less and less time to read our email. Our email is vying for the competitive edge -- to simply be received and read. Consequently, it is counter-productive to grow your client e-list by sending information to anybody and everybody. Spam is detrimental -- nothing short of brand suicide. With viruses running amuck, how do we know the opt-out (unsubscribe) option is legitimate?

By sending opt-in or permission-based email, you are telling your clients and/or prospects that you are a professional and you respect their time and personal attention.

For you trivia buffs, according to the Webopedia of Computer & Technology Terms, the term Spam is derived from a famous Monty Python sketch ("Well, we have Spam, tomato and Spam, egg and Spam, egg, bacon and Spam…") that was current when Spam first began arriving on the Internet. Spam is a trademarked Hormel "meat" product that was well known in the U.S. Armed forces during World War II.

Stay tuned next month and I'll discuss the various ways to build an effective opt-in/permission-based e-list.