Everyone is talking about it -- and most everyone hates it. For those who don't know what "Spam" is, it is the practice of sending email to thousands or millions of people who have not requested it or have never contacted your company before.

You get "spammed." I get spammed. Everyone does. Personally, I receive around 50 or more a day of these emails selling whatever product or service they have to offer. I delete most of them with barely a glance, yet they keep on coming.

They are usually (though not all of the time) poorly written and full of extremely hyped messages. One will be for bulk email products. The next might be for search engine submissions (one might wonder why they have to "bulk it" if they are so good at search engine submissions?).

The list goes on and on. I get ads for dolls, cars, credit cards, merchant accounts, and more. We won't even talk about the worst stuff. One piece after another has to be deleted -- and it just keeps coming.

Why So Much Bulk "Spam" Email?

If everyone is deleting it, then why do they keep sending it? It's simple. Although the response rates are extremely low, they still do get orders for their product or service. Their financial cost in sending it is almost nothing, so it is looked upon as a good advertising vehicle. Some sales are better than nothing -- right? Wrong! In all the offers about bulk e-mailing, notice that you never seem to receive the other side of the story. What happens after you send bulk email?

You could lose your local ISP (Internet Service Provider), your web site, your email addresses, and more. Just a few complaints and your server will cancel your account.

This doesn't even take into account your reputation, or the legal ramifications of sending unsolicited bulk email. Currently, several states have laws on the books, or in the works, which can fine you $500 or more for each piece of bulk email you send without a prior business relationship.

Bulk email just isn't worth the potential ramifications. If you have considered bulk email, don't do it! There are so many other more effective ways to market your product or service on the Net that it is not necessary to take the risks that go with bulk email.

What Should You Do?

Email Marketing is effective. That is why so many people are using it to spam others. It will produce consistent sales!

Anytime I see someone trying to build a business online without developing any type of Opt-In list I know they are shooting themselves in the foot. It is possible to build a business online without a list, but why would you want to?

Email is free to send out. Even if you have to purchase a list-server or some other type of application to do your email, we are still talking about only a couple of hundred dollars a year to send out UNLIMITED communications to your prospects and customers. Go to your local post office and ask them if you can send out as much mail as you want whenever you want for one low lump sum. I guarantee you will be laughed out the door!

Usually when I tell this to people, they give me one of three excuses about why they can't do it:

1) They don't know how.

I usually am the least patient with this excuse, because every single one of us had to learn at some point in time what to do. I don't think anyone jumped on the Internet and all of a sudden knew exactly what to do every step of the way.

There are many resources online to help you learn how to start your own e-zine. Dozens of e-zines come out every week talking about the subject -- not the least of which is this very one you are reading!

2) They can't come up with that much content.

Maybe you don't believe you can come up with that much content because you aren't a writer. First of all, I hope you know a lot about whatever subject it is you deal with in your business. Whatever you are selling, whatever problems you are solving, can be the basis for much of your content.

The second thing you can do is use other people's content. Hundreds of e-zine publishers will allow you to use their articles in your e-zine as long as you leave their contact information attached to the bottom of all of the articles. All you have to do is ask and most of them will give you their articles free to use.

3) There are already too many e-zines and newsletters out there.

Who said your Opt-In Email List had to be an e-zine? When I speak of Opt-In Email, it doesn't have to just mean e-zine, although this is the most popular application.

Being innovative and creative in your online business can often be a major key to your success. E-zines are not the only use of Opt-In lists that have become extremely popular and profitable. To get your creative juices flowing, I want to give you some other ideas for your own Opt-In list.

Besides e-zines, "____ of the Day" lists are very popular. The most popular of these that I know of is "Joke of the Day." There are also "Recipe of the Day," "Business Tip of the Day," and more. What idea could you come up with in this area?

What about a Free Online Class? You could develop a 6, 12, 24 lesson class on a certain subject and have them receive the next issue every week, every 2 weeks, or once a month. Then, once they complete that class, you may have advanced classes, etc. You could also put them on an update list for new information constantly.

How could you use either of these ideas in a new way? Don't limit yourself.

But, get started TODAY! If you don't get started in one way or another today in either the development of an idea or in the actual set-up of your idea, you will probably NEVER do it. Owning your own Opt-In list is so important to the effectiveness of your business online that I have to stress your need to get started today…if you want to succeed!