June 23rd, 2009

As an email newsletter publisher, one of the critical issues you face is in navigating your way through the spam threats. While email has become the standard for Internet communication, privacy is a significant concern for newsletter publishers.

Since this issue is so important, articulate a privacy policy for your newsletter. Will you rent, sell, or exchange the names of your subscribers to other organizations or persons? While most of us have no plans to do so when we are small, that opinion can change as we grow our list.

As your list grows, renting it may become a real and lucrative possibility. Many magazine and subscription publishers find that the difference between a profit and loss is list rental income.

Either course is legitimate, but you must advise potential subscribers at sites where you collect their information. By posting, and adhering to, a privacy policy, you will get more subscribers. To find examples on which you can base your policy, simply use any good search engine.

You must also make it quick and easy for subscribers to say good-bye. Each issue of your newsletter should contain information explaining how to unsubscribe or be removed from the mailing list. There are many forms this information can take. To find appropriate wording, go through the email newsletters you now receive, and decide which you like best. Then, prepare your own notice, using this one as a guide. Of course, you will not copy anything directly, which would be plagiarism.

On the flip side, add information to each newsletter that explains how to subscribe, and consider, too, putting in a line asking recipients to pass along your newsletter to someone else who would benefit from it. A simple reminder like that could help you build your list, painlessly. Recommendations from a trusted colleague or friend will boost your subscriber list quickly.

Summing up, develop a privacy policy and stick to it. In addition, give your subscribers an escape hatch they can access quickly and easily.

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Related posts:

1. List Building: How to be Popular with Newsletter Publishers
2. eMail Marketing and Privacy Policies
3. The 3 Best eZine Formats
4. Guidelines For Growing Your Opt-In List
5. 5 Things To Consider When Publishing An Email Newsletter