The Privacy Regulations prohibit Marketing Via E-Mail to individual and corporate, previous or new unless the E-Mail campaign being sent contains the Registered Company Name, Address & Registration Number of the sender along with a ‘unsubscribe’ address/link. Never hide your unsubscribe option as this has proven to damage the credibility of your company. It is essential that all unsubscribe requests are dealt with. Contact details should be suppressed rather than just deleted from the data base as this can result in the individual being contacted in the future breaking the legality of unsubscribing.

From 1^st January 2008 E-Mail Marketing must clearly include details about your business including the Registered Businesses Name, Full Contact Details & Registration Number. These details MUST also be stated on your Website& Business Email Communications. These have been added to existing regulations covering Business Mail. It is illegal to mask your identity in any way. All prices within the email must be clear and & should include VAT costs & details regarding any delivery costs that may be levied . There is no indication as to where exactly the required information should be shown, although it must be “easily, directly and permanently accessible”.

Using Carbon copy or inserting your address book in the To: (j.smith@abc.co.uk ; an.other@def.com etc ) section may seem like a good idea but to do so in a Email Marketing Campaign is illegal. Using a professional Email Broadcasting System will avoid any such problems as all details are managed through a database address book. Also by using a reputable dedicated system you can ensure that unsubscribe are handled correctly in accordance with the law as well as your data.

The Data Protection Act regulations not only cover how you use & manage your Customer Database, but Email Marketing also. Other legalities to be aware of when Email Marketing are Laws on Privacy & E-Commerce. You should check all regulations prior to planning your campaign. Privacy Regulations forbid Marketing unwanted email communications to individuals for example joe.blogs@home.com (but not business individuals such as joe.blogs@work.com) without the individual’s prior consent. An exception regarding Emails promoting products/ services similar to ones that the individual has previously bought, shown an interest in, and has been given an opt-out request.