Email Marketing Tools

At Bruce Clay, Inc. we are in the process of developing our own email marketing tools and will let you know as soon as they become available. In the meantime, we are referring you to the resources below, which can assist you in planning your email marketing campaigns.

1. CAN-SPAM Act of 2003

One area you must be familiar with is the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, as this legislation governs email marketing. It is important to know the distinction between "transactional" and "commercial" email, applying the new regulations governing these messages.

While a transactional email confirms a commercial transaction initiated by a recipient, it can also provide warranty, security or recall information for a product purchased or used by the recipient, as well as a notice of change in terms, status or account information regarding the ongoing purchase or use by the recipient of a product or service offered by the sender. Transactional emails can also provide information related to employment relationships, or about a benefit plan of which the recipient is a member.

A commercial email is an electronic email message that contains an advertisement or promotes a product or service.

Key terms such as initiator (the one who originates, transmits or procures the origination or transmission of a message), sender (an initiator whose product, service or website is advertised or promoted by the message), and affirmative consent (when the recipient expresses consent to receive a message either in response to a clear and conspicuous request for such consent, or at the recipient's own initiative) are defined as they apply within the new law.

You can get a free copy of "Understanding the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003" at the link below. This includes the full text of the law and explanatory commentary.

http://www.customerparadigm.com/index/43/Can_Spam_Act_Free_Summary.php

2. Online Resource Center for Email Marketers

You can download email marketing white papers under the categories of: delivery assurance, customer acquisition, email performance and email compliance at the link below. A sampling of topics includes:

• Beyond Authentication: Keys to Email Delivery Success
• Bonded Sender Increases Email Deliverability by more than 20%
• Email Blocking and Filtering Report, First Half 2005
• How to Get the Most Out of Third Party Email List Rental
• 6 Steps to Better Acquisition Email Campaigns
• Checklist: 5 Easy Ways To Grow Your Email List
• Six Ways Data Intelligence Will Transform Your Email Marketing Program
• Beyond Clicks, Opens & Bounces: Metrics that reveal the path to optimal email performance
• 7 Techniques to Improve E-mail List Integrity
• Lost Relationships: The Collateral Damage of E-mail Address Changes
• Email Authentication: Actions you need to take today
• Avoiding the Spam Filter Trap

http://www.returnpath.net/

3. TrimMail Free Online Spam Fighting Tools

This resource offers a number of free online spam fighting tools for email marketers under the categories of SMTP Tools, Domain Name Service and Other IP Tools, Internet Surveys and Miscellaneous Email Management Tools.

http://www.trimmail.com/news/tools/#Open%20Relay%20Test