You might have heard some buzz around Internet Marketing forums recently about this issue.  Some are scoffing, suggesting that it’s all overblown and there’s nothing at all to be concerned about.  Others, at the other end of the spectrum, are declaring the sky is falling.

What’s a balanced position, and how worried SHOULD we be?

From my own reading (remembering that I am not a lawyer, and this post should be taken as private opinion, not legal advice), I don’t think that there’s anything to be worried about at all … AS LONG as we are careful to act diligently, lawfully and ethically.

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First we were taught “The money’s in the list!”  It’s vital that we understand that, because it’s a cornerstone of online marketing. You must build your double opt-in email list as TOP priority.

Then Frank Kern put a little spin on the old mantra, and taught us something vitally important. He said that it’s more accurate to say that “The money is in your RELATIONSHIP with the list.”  It’s not enough just to have a list. If you have a huge list, but don’t send regular emails, or worst still only ever contact them to blast them with an advertisement, your response rates will crash and your unsubscribe rates will soar.  You need to build an ongoing relationship with your subscribers so that you are seen as an authority on what you’re talking about, and a source of great information and help. They need to look forward to your emails!

Well, I don’t claim to be in Frank Kern’s league, but I’d like to offer another tweak to the rule.  Here’s my version: “The money is in your relationship with THE WELL MAINTAINED LIST.”  We need to pay attention to the state of our list.  Of course this goes back to building a great relationship with your readers, but there’s something else too: the problem of duplicate subscribers.

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