E-mail spiders/catcher

the GALL

If I'm in the wrong place no worries point me in the right direction.
I'm looking to collect a lot of E-mails fairly quickly for a product thats been launched.
1. Is it legal to use an email spider/catcher,?
2. Is the mail sent classes as spam?
3. Should I pay for one of these?
4. Can anyone recommend one, and what price should I be paying?
Cheers

Shzm

the GALL wrote: »

If I'm in the wrong place no worries point me in the right direction.
I'm looking to collect a lot of E-mails fairly quickly for a product thats been launched.
1. Is it legal to use an email spider/catcher,?
2. Is the mail sent classes as spam?
3. Should I pay for one of these?
4. Can anyone recommend one, and what price should I be paying?
Cheers

Legal or illegal. Don't do it.
Yes.
Should? No. Would you need to? Probably.
No.

Don't be a plank, there are far FAR better ways of getting targetted email address for people that will actually WANT your product.

the GALL

Who are you callin a Plank?

What would you recommend?

PaulPinnacle

1. Is it legal to use an email spider/catcher,?
I'd assume the use of the spider is legal (something I've never taken the time to consider to be honest, so could be wrong), but the minute you use the information collected to send unsolicited mail to a private mail address you're in breach of the data protection regulations (www.dataprotection.ie if you want to read up on the legal situation involved).

2. Is the mail sent classes as spam?
By all recipients, yes. It will lead to a widely negative reaction to your 'product' and a serious impact on your reputation. Where the mails are sent to a non business mail addy, refer to 1 for the legal side of it.

3. Should I pay for one of these?
Something you'd need to decide for yourself, given that I can't see a single positive to the use of one... I'd suggest your answer should be 'no'.

4. Can anyone recommend one, and what price should I be paying?
N/a given my own views on it. I'd recommend 'none' and I'd suggest paying 'nothing' for it.

Plank = Don't be in breach of the data protection regulations by mass spamming people who have no interest in the product you are spamming pitching. You'll get yourself in hot water and end up doing more harm to the product you're hoping to promote than good.

Recommend = Build up an opt in mailing list of people who actually have an interest in the product.

the GALL

Whats the best way/quickest way to build up this mailing list of people?
Cheers

Itsdacraic

the GALL wrote: »

Whats the best way/quickest way to build up this mailing list of people?
Cheers

Hard work along with a good, reputable product/company

the GALL

Hard work and a good product
I'll start again the product/company is been launched
so it has no reputation.
An opt in mailing list can you describe that
I looked up plank in the dictionary and it says nothing about spamming or e-mail or the data protection act, is that tech speak or a weak insult?

PaulPinnacle

the GALL wrote: »

An opt in mailing list can you describe that

I'd suggest it's something that you've come across a few million times before (if you browse the web on a regular basis), just that when it's done well it's fairly subtle (but still with high conversion rates).

A common (and fairly simple technique) is to use a sign up form on your website (normally offering something 'free', be it an ebook, newsletter, access to valuable information, etc.), which clearly details how the information will be used (e.g. what they are agreeing to by signing up, in terms of advertising mails for related products, etc.).

There are various tools out there that help automate much/all of this, storing the addy's, managing them from the unsubscribe options, etc., but the majority do come with a small cost. AWeber is probably one of the more common, but do your research and see if it, or any other tool, might meet your needs (there are lots of free ones out there too, I just don't use any to give a personal recommendation).

the GALL wrote: »

I looked up plank in the dictionary and it says nothing about spamming or e-mail or the data protection act, is that tech speak or a weak insult?

That wasn't a direct definition, it was explaining why the term was being used in that context (as per the original query you had, before your post was edited).

I don't think that it's fair to say that using the term 'plank' when describing someone willing to spam people, willing to ruin the reputation of a company and a product and willing to breach their legal obligations is an 'insult', I'd suggest it's a huge understatement.

The poster didn't call you a plank, he advised you not to be one (as I mentioned, if you carried out the steps outlined in the original post, plank is a huge understatement). I'd personally suggest thanking them for the good advice rather than trying to imply they were insulting you.

the GALL

Thanks for clearing tat up paul
So back to my question
Whats the best way/quickest way to build up this mailing list of people?
Cheers

mneylon

the GALL wrote: »

Thanks for clearing tat up paul
So back to my question
Whats the best way/quickest way to build up this mailing list of people?
Cheers

Hire a reputable marketing company.

Email marketing will only work when the people getting the emails have given you permission to use their email address.

PaulPinnacle

the GALL wrote: »

Whats the best way/quickest way to build up this mailing list of people?

That's a hugely broad question.

The answer will depend on what niche/target market you're after, whether you want a tightly targeted or just a high volume list (focusing on a smaller number of targets but with far more personalised mails can result in better results in the long term), if you have an existing site to utilise it on, if you do have a site - does it have sufficient traffic, do you have a reason/call to action strong enough to generate sign ups, etc. etc.

Mailing lists have been a central part of internet marketing for years. A search for 'building a mailing list' will go into far more detail on how to attract sign ups, landing page optimisation, squeeze pages, calls to action, tools to use, etc. than any of us here ever could.

Your own personal choices will come into play as will the target market you're after (e.g. many guides will suggest the use of extremely irritating pop up tools, something I personally would never suggest or condone), but at least you'll be able to review your options and see how others do it. Think of the mailing lists/newsletters you've signed up to, how they gained your confidence and how they went about mailing you after (and what techniques lead to unsubscribing and what lead to you checking out the offers).

link8r

the GALL wrote: »

Thanks for clearing tat up paul
So back to my question
Whats the best way/quickest way to build up this mailing list of people?
Cheers

Quick answer: Give people a reason to sign up for it in the first place - a really good offer/something for free/big discount on something people want = a way to entice them to hand over their details.

Scouring the web for personal contact details and then using them without permission probably isn't legal AFAIK.

the GALL

Let me get this straight If I e-mail someone/stranger about this product(I've got there E-mail off the internet from their organization) and ask them to look at this product and tell them there's an opening offer and would they like to sign up for a monthly or whatever update and give them the option to opt out in the initial E-mail That's not spambut If I E-mail someone about this product and ask them to have a look they might be interested without a special offer or the option to opt out and keep there details and send on E-mail every month or so That's spam..
As is I want to build up a database of a couple of thousand mails hit them once informing them of the product leave them with the special offer and my contact details and see what happens.
As Blacknight said hire a marketing company, I dont want to do that, what I want to know is how do they get their E-mail list, Do they check the internet like what im proposing, finding people who work in the area which im trying to target or do they stand around shopping centres stopping people and asking for their info that way

PaulPinnacle

the GALL wrote: »

Let me get this straight If I e-mail someone/stranger about this product(I've got there E-mail off the internet from their organization)....

Regardless of what happens from there, if it's a private email addy you're in breach of the data protection regulations and breaking the law. (The rules are different for business email addresses, see the earlier link to the dataprotection website to investigate fully)

In order to mail them, legally, you need them to opt in to receive that email. They must choose to opt in to your mailing list, where the privacy statement associated with it has clearly identified that doing so will result in them receiving the relevant marketing material you intend to send.

The 'special offer' is simply a way of getting people to opt in to that mailing list. If you don't offer them 'something' (be it a newsletter with great material, something free, vouchers for special offers, etc.) then they have little incentive to sign up, so won't. It doesn't mean that offering something free in an unsolicited mail (i.e. spam) makes it legal.

the GALL

Cheers paul
but if I go to a companies website and it shows JoeBloggs@com/org name.com and there the people the organization want the public to contact. Well surly the company/org are inviting e-mail, and if the E-mail is structured with an opt out option then how can that be spam, when the company/org has invited the mail in the first place.
I can see why people need to be protected from spam but without Phoning, E-mailing and advertising how do companies plug their products, word of mouth(friend to friend)?
All replies are welcome and read.
Cheers

the GALL

Just read the data protection act again, I think that covers me with regard to sending an E-mail to a com/org that has invited me on the web page am I right

Marketers may send you electronic mail for direct marketing purposes where:

You have given them explicit consent to do so within the last twelve months,
Cheers

link8r

the GALL wrote: »

Just read the data protection act again, I think that covers me with regard to sending an E-mail to a com/org that has invited me on the web page am I right

Marketers may send you electronic mail for direct marketing purposes where:

You have given them explicit consent to do so within the last twelve months,
Cheers

Posting their e-mail address on their website for individual contact is not the same as giving permission to be included in an automatic e-mailing list.