When considering marketing via email, the first thing you need it a list of email addresses. There are a couple of ways of getting these - collect them yourself, buy a costly opt-in list, or buy a cheap (and nasty) spam list. So why bother with the hassle and expense when spam is so cheap? Here's why…

Firstly, what is spam? Spam is any email that you didn't ask or sign up for - usually pushing something, from get rich quick schemes to weight loss programs. Spammers buy lists of millions of email addresses at an affordable cost, or they buy a robot program that searches the Internet for websites containing certain keywords, and from these they collect any email addresses appearing thereon. Certain spammers have even managed to avoid being shut down by using off-shore service providers who offer protection from this. Spammers have also learnt to use anonymous free email accounts such as Hotmail or Yahoo, to avoid being detected.

However, in order to succeed, spammers have to find their way through filters set up by service providers and individuals. Spammers can purchase a sophisticated email program that creates random subject lines and return address so that these filters are tricked into believing that the message is unique. Spammers even go so far as to set these programs to switch servers after a certain number of mails have been sent, in order to avoid alarm bells going off - all of which constitute fraud.

So who are the culprits behind spamming? You would be wrong in thinking it was big corporates - they have too much to lose, particularly trust and respect - something that spammers lack completely. The typical spammer is a single person operating from home in an attempt to become rich. Small businesses also tend to abuse spam simply because they do not know better - until they are bombarded with complaints and closed accounts from irate customers. Don't let this be you!

Why do people object to spam? Firstly - it is costly to you, the recipient. While legitimate bulk mail services pay for the infrastructure needed to deliver their mail, the spammer makes use of existing infrastructure from your service provider. This means that millions of extra unwanted emails are going through these servers a day, and costs have to be increased in order to process, store and deliver such emails. Spam also displaces regular email, which means that it takes people longer to go through the messages in their inbox to find and reply to legitimate emails - and time is precious. Finally spam is something done without your permission -violating trust and respect - a sure way to lose, rather than gain customers.

Some people might say that spam is their only option because they cannot afford to buy an expensive opt-in email list - but this is not true. Many entrepreneurs are in the same boat, but instead of compromising their integrity they prefer to be innovative and creative in their marketing approach. Remember that there are many approaches to Internet marketing - if one does not work, try another one. Use your interests and skills to create a successful campaign - without deceit and fraud!

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