If you utilize e-mail marketing to prospective customers, make sure you don’t become an offensive spammer. There are a few simple rules to follow that can make a difference between happy customers and angry spam recipients. These rules are outlined in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) CAN SPAM Act, which went into effect January 1, 2004. The CAN SPAM Act applies to commercial and pornographic electronic messaging and carries penalties for non-compliance of up to $11,000. Learn more about the CAN SPAM Act at www.ftc.gov/spam, including how to turn in offenders.

I find that spam—not the spiced ham in a can variant, but the deluge of unsolicited commercial e-mail—has become the topic of many of my conversations of late. It’s always evident when a new spamming tool becomes available that has been cleverly developed to foil even the best spam filters on the market. In fact, one of my clients estimates that 90% of the e-mails he receives fall into the category of spam, and I believe him.