The 'E-mail Delivery Best Practices', drawn up by AIM's Council for Responsible E-Mail (CRE), were due to be made public in May but were delayed by internal wrangling between AIM and its parent organisation, the Direct Marketing Association, on how far they should restrict e-marketing practices.
The best practices are designed to provide marketers with clear and conspicuous advice and recommendations on the delivery of e-mail. They are recommendations only, and are not enforceable.
In summary the guidelines state:
Consent – bulk commercial e-mail should only be sent to persons with whom there is an existing business relationship or if consent has been actively obtained.
Content – e-mails should be relevant to both the business relationship and the motive for which the consumer consented to receive the e-mails. The subject heading and text should not be misleading.
Delivery – a relationship should be built up with service providers to ensure that the legitimate commercial e-mails are recognized as such. ISP protocols should be followed, and marketers should get on to any 'whitelists' that are running – lists that ensure that bulk e-mails are recognized and not tagged as spam.
Hygiene and Suppression – a list hygiene policy should be developed to deal with such matters as replies, removals and address validations.
Education – consumers and industry should be informed and educated about legitimate commercial e-mail, illegitimate commercial e-mail and the tools to deal with them appropriately.
Inquiries and Dispute Resolution – must be dealt with reasonably and efficiently, courteously and respectfully.
Kevin Noonan, Executive Director of AIM, said:
"Incorporating these best practices into one's marketing activities will help ensure that legitimate e-mail gets delivered. But perhaps what's most important is that following these practices will not only defend, but enhance that most treasured asset, the brand, by respecting and addressing the preferences of consumers."
The eight page guidelines are available as a PDF download.