Finding Emails of Potential Customers, sending initial eBlast

[amandabrunish]

Hi All - 

I am having trouble communicating in a way that people understand that my organization that you cannot send email blasts to lists you created by searching the internet.  For example, someone recently created a list of 80 potential leads from organizations he thought viable and asked us to blast a press release.  I explained that it is illegal to send someone a blast email without permission.  You could send them a personal email and include the press release, but email blasts are different monsters.  

Anyone have insight, good articles, actual written law on this?  

[Phil_Vallender · Accepted solution]

Hi @amandabrunish

Point your colleagues at CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business or this helpful summary from HubSpot What Is CAN-SPAM? [FAQs]

But the explanation is simple, you need a person's permission to send them a commercial email. 

Transactional and relationship emails are not subject to the same controls because they serve a different purpose - and presumably are much less likely to become a nuisance. 

Hope this helps. Good luck educating your colleagues. 

[amandabrunish]

Thanks, Phil.  You think that simple explanation would be enough.  But I work with engineers and they are always trying to find ways to "cheat" the system. 🙂