As of July 1,2014 the CASL (or Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation) will come into effect, and in the following post we are going to discuss how that will change the way individuals and businesses alike conduct their online endeavors.
Digital marketing is full of unscrupulous individuals who will rip off your content and declare it to be their own. But as the online world grows in sophistication and spectrum, so too does the ability to monitor who is taking what from where.
Not only is web content a plagiarism pillage, but email lists are also highly sought after. Corporations utilize this contact information to send out their promotions, newsletters, and other such marketing paraphernalia as part of their marketing strategy …or lack there of.
However, with these activities becoming increasingly monitored, and soon – legislated, it has now become an offence of sorts for companies to do business this way.
CASL …the shift of online monitoring
Unlike days of ‘not so long ago’, the email list your site hosts for individuals to sign up to your newsletter, discounts etc, will soon require a manual opt in process. This is a process whereby the individual is specifically requesting to receive additional information from your company. In the same token, they also have the ability to opt out at any time.
This opt in consent can be given in writing, verbally (with a record of the commitment) or through a manual signup process, but it needs to be an active decision on the consumers end, and not some fancy online form of “bait and switch”.
The downside to all of this, is that an email list that was previously generated will need to be re-qualified in order for it to qualify within the legislation of these new digital media guidelines.
CASL …Judge & Jury
As with most government regulated business, this shift in legislation means that professional organizations will be subject to examination from a selection of 3 federal agencies handing out monetary penalties for those who do not comply with the guidelines set in place. They will be handing out a hair raising 1 million dollar fine for individuals who don’t comply with their legislation, and up to $10 million for businesses who are not in compliance with these rules and regulation.
Fear Not …email marketing is still a valuable tool
Although this might all seem like a daunting undertaking – as far as re-acquiring an “agreed to” email list to market your business – know that many individuals will still opt into your mailing list if you have been providing content they want. Coupons, discounts, newsy info …and the likes therein.
Although this might be an added step in the process, it gives you the opportunity to check in with your online audience and ensure they are truly those who want to know more from and about your business.
By understanding the rules, you can successfully continue to use email marketing as the aforementioned valuable tool that it truly is …by ensuring those on your email list are receiving content of value.
At Net360 Solutions we’re here to help …so let us know how we can do so!