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Business owners need to understand the fine line between Internet Marketing and Spam to take advantage to make the marketing campaigns a success. This understanding can result in implementing marketing campaigns to gain the maximum amount of exposure without running the risk of being viewed as spam.

The definition of spam is open to interpretation but most people agree on the fact that spam is equivalent to junk mail you receive at your residence. It is sending commercial email to people you do not know & without their permission. In general spam is unsolicited emails which are part of an advertising campaign. The term spam can also apply to message board postings which are posted solely for advertising purposes. This discussion will examine the differences between effective Internet marketing and spam.

First we will consider the use of message boards for the purpose of Internet marketing. Message boards are essentially online meetings places for Internet users who share a particular interest to exchange ideas, ask or answer questions or just socialize. These message boards allow users to register and post messages. Most message boards have a set of guidelines which the users follow while making posts. These guidelines may vary widely with some being very strict about acceptable content and others not being nearly as strict. It is important to follow these guidelines because failure to do so may result in the moderators deleting your account and other members not paying much attention to your posts.

Message boards are ideal for Internet marketing because they can provide a business owner with access to a specialized target audience. If you are in the expot/import business and are looking for suppliers who wish to supply goods to you, you might join a message board dedicated to export/import business who may be interested to buy/supply your products. Here you may learn a great deal about the concerns of your target audience. You can also take the opportunity to post links to your website when appropriate and in accordance with the message board guidelines. Mostly this means putting the website link in the signature text, that most message boards/forums allow. This is effective & smart Internet marketing, because most members will have interest & need for your product or service. While
responding to posts, avoid putting a link to your website. Participate in discussions, offer help with comments of value to other members’ queries. As you gain respect & trust among members, it will make your marketing efforts very successful. But if you are adding posts with links & not interacting with members, this can be damaging because these members may opt to avoid your website even if they have a need for your services.

E-newsletters and email advertising are one area of Internet marketing which is most likely to be viewed as spam if not done properly. Most Internet users do not appreciate unsolicited emails especially when these emails pertain to a subject that does not interest them. Many business owners make the mistake to buy email lists and send their advertisements to everyone on the list. This is not effective because you are not likely to reach a large population of your target audience. Recipients of the email will block your email address & future communications will be automatically sent to spam folder. Some recipients may even report you to their Internet service provider who may investigate the claim that you are a spammer. This may result in suspension of your webhost service, sometimes permanently if you cannot answer the query from the web hosting provider. A better way to approach the concept of email marketing is to only send e-newsletters and advertisements to past customers who have specifically asked to receive such emails and potential customers who have requested additional information.

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