Have you ever heard of the CAN-SPAM Act? It’s something all small business owners need to know about because it includes rules for email marketing. One of the least popular aspects of the law is that you must include a mailing address on all email messages you send. If you don’t have a brick and mortar, this post breaks down how to include an address in emails without publishing your home address.
“They” say “the money is in the list.” What “they” don’t usually tell you is that there are federal rules every business with an email list must follow.
One of the biggest – and most annoying – rules is that a business address must be included on every email sent to your list. That’s typically not a problem if you have a brick and mortar. Heck, if you’re a small business owner with a brick and mortar you WANT and NEED people to know your address! But for those of us without a physical presence, the idea of plastering our home addresses on every email is jarring.
Thankfully, there are ways to include an address in emails without publishing your home address. Before we get to those, however, let’s back up this train a bit to talk about why this is the case.
The CAN-SPAM Act
The CAN-SPAM Act sets laws for all commercial emails.
Via the FTC, “(The CAN-SPAM Act) covers all commercial messages, which the law defines as “any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service,” including email that promotes content on commercial websites. The law makes no exception for business-to-business email. That means all email – for example, a message to former customers announcing a new product line – must comply with the law.”
Every email you send on behalf of your business must comply with the following rules:
- The name and/or business sending the email must be clear on the email header.
- Your subject line must reflect the content in the message.
- If you are sending an email on behalf of another company that paid you to do so, you must clearly mark that the email is an ad.
- All messages must include a valid address.
- All emails should include an opt-out button or otherwise note an easy way that people can stop receiving messages.
- If someone opts out of your list, they must be removed within 10 days.
- Even if you hire another company to run your email marketing campaigns, the buck still stops with you. You can’t feign ignorance if they break any of these rules.
How serious are violations of the CAN-SPAM Act? Every single email sent that’s in violation of the Act can incur up to $42,350 in penalties. That means that if you have 1,000 people on your email list, you could potentially be liable for $42,350,000 in fines.
Uh, yuck.
Thankfully, following most aspects of the CAN-SPAM Act are easy. The one place where people tend to get held up is on the inclusion of an address.
How to Include an Address in Emails Without Publishing Your Home Address
I should stress this: If you are comfortable doing so, you absolutely CAN include your home address in emails. Just be cognizant that anyone who ever receives a message from you is going to see your home address.
If you want to maintain your privacy, here are a few different options for including an address in emails that’s not your home address:
Rent a PO Box
I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to stay on the right side of the CAN-SPAM Act is to rent a PO Box from the United States Postal Service. I have used one for the past couple of years and it is what I use as my “business” address.
Tip: The charge for a PO Box varies from post office to post office, so price out a few. I currently pay $46 a year, or $3.83 per month, for a small box that I check once a year. I never get any mail there, but at least I’m not paying big fines!
Rent a Business Mailbox from UPS
UPS offers a similar service, except the biggest difference when you rent a UPS business mailbox is that you’ll get a physical street address instead of a PO Box. This doesn’t really matter in terms of the CAN-SPAM Act, but if you’re planning to actually use your mailbox for business purposes – or you get a lot of packages – this may be a better option.
Use a Friend’s Business Address
If you have a friend with a brick and mortar business, you can ask if they’d be comfortable letting you use their address on your email messages. On the off chance that someone sends mail to this address, they just need to be able to get it to you.
Join a Coworking Space
Many coworking spaces will allow members to use the address of the coworking space as an added benefit.
Get a Virtual Mailbox
If you actually need a place to send mail but don’t need to access it physically, a virtual mailbox may be a great option. They tend to cost more than traditional PO Boxes, but having one is almost like having a personal assistant whose sole job is to open your mail and scan it to you. There are quite a few companies offering this service now, including PO Box Zone and EarthClassMail.
Where Do You Add Your Address to Your Email?
If you’re running a small business and building an email list, I highly recommend signing up with an email service provider instead of just using your personal Gmail or whatnot.
There are myriad reasons why I recommend this, including email automation, ease of use, and list management. Most email service providers will also take care of the details, like making sure your mailing address is on your email. (You’ll find it at the very bottom of the email.) You enter the address when you register for an account and never have to think about it again!
Another bonus: Email service providers automatically add an “unsubscribe” button to the bottom of your messages! Woo hoo for CAN-SPAM Act compliance!
The two email service providers I recommend for small businesses are MailerLite and Constant Contact.
Yes, Your Emails Must Have an Address
There are plenty of ways to include an address in emails without publishing your home address, which means there’s absolutely no reason not to do it.
Sometimes I’ve seen people online say that you can delete the address from the bottom of your email, or even lie outright and say you don’t need an address. Take it from me and the FTC: Putting a mailing address on your email is the law and the last thing you want to do is get stuck holding a bill for $42,350 for every email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act.
Need help getting your email newsletter set up? Let’s work together!
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