The internet can be a powerful vehicle for your marketing messages–but it only works if those messages are actually getting to the intended recipients and not being routed to a spam folder or, worse, blocked totally. If you get labeled as a spammer, you can be quickly blacklisted by ISPs and that will prevent your legitimate e-mail from getting through, and it’s not easy to get off the blacklists.

To avoid being accused of spamming, keep these points in mind:

- Respect and process unsubscribe requests promptly. If someone doesn’t want to be on your list, take them off. Tell them you’re sorry to see them go and they are welcome to resubscribe at any time, but don’t decide they need to keep hearing from you when they’ve said they don’t want to. Periodically check your unsubscribe link to be sure it’s working.

- Include instructions on how to unsubscribe or change subscription preferences in every e-mail you send out.

- Only send subscribers what they actually signed up for. If they agreed to receive your e-newsletter but not other marketing messages, that’s all you should send them. If you develop a new e-newsletter, don’t just automatically send it out–send them a message offering the opportunity to subscribe. If you expand your product line, don’t assume all of your customers will be interested in information about the new items–ask them first if you can send them that sort of news.

- Don’t sell or rent your list unless you have received permission from the people on it to do so.

- Create a clear, easy-to-understand privacy policy and make it easy for users to opt-out of receiving mail from you and any third-parties with whom you have relationships. Better yet, develop an opt-in procedure so that customers must ask to be included on your lists.

- Keep track of all your computers, servers, and other computing resources so that you know where your legitimate e-mail is being sent from and can quickly identify bogus addresses or a system that may be infected with a virus that is sending out spam.

- Be sure all your databases and address lists are current. Synchronize multiple lists to keep them clean so that you don’t remove a customer from one database but leave him on another.

- Limit the number of e-mail address from your organization that are published online. E-mail addresses that are available via the internet usually receive substantial amounts of spam and can be used by spammers as spoofed addresses. By limiting the addresses published outside your organization, you make it easier to filter for incoming spam and monitor for misuse.

- Use only legitimate, reputable third-party mailers if you’re outsourcing newsletters and other electronic messages.

Jacquelyn Lynn is the editor of Flashpoints newsletter. Flashpoints is a comprehensive information resource for business owners and managers who want to take their operation to the Flashpoint. Visit http://www.theflashpoints.com to sign up for a free subscription to Flashpoints newsletter plus an extra free gift: The Mindset of High Achievers by JK Harris and Jacquelyn Lynn.

In addition, Jacquelyn Lynn is the author of more than 20 books, including Entrepreneur’s Almanac; Online Shopper’s Survival Guide; Make Big Profits on eBay (with Charlene Davis); In Search of the Five-Cent Nickel (with Don Abbott); and 11 titles in Entrepreneur Media’s StartUp Guide series. Visit http://www.jacquelynlynn.com for more details.