This is a tale of two email newsletters, one on my whitelist and one just added to my in-box blacklist. Judging from their subject lines they started pretty even. One read, "AAA Member Newsletter", the other (from our local farmer's Saturday Morning Market) read, "December 2008 Customer Email". Each message was delivered in HTML (web) format. Each contained plenty of color, text and images. Each cost just pennies to deliver. But that's where the similarity ended. The AAA message contained over 30 links, only one pertained to news (a future event listing) the rest were marketing offers for upgraded membership, offers to purchase AAA gift memberships, cruises, gift cards or event tickets. Some of the links appeared to lead to valuable news including the The Road Map to Good Health for Seniors. The landing page stressed "you will get straight talk on the pros and cons for all plans". The link lead to a "FREE INSTANT QUOTE" page at an AAA affiliate. Check out little insurance man in the the pop-up video. By contrast, the Saturday Morning Market message left me with a favorable impression. Although both messages contained marketing information, the use of the word Customer instead of Newsletter, as well as the ratio of news to marketing, set an accurate expectation for the farmers market organization. Each organization has taught me what to expect from their email marketing, which is why the AAA subject line is now marked as spam. While I intend to continue to be a customer of both businesses, AAA has forever lost the opportunity to use permission based email to contact me. Here are some tips to help your organization avoid a similar failing grade from appearing on your permanent record. Set Realistic Expectations - Customers don't mind receiving marketing messages, as long as they know what to expect. Use the subject line to describe the true nature of the message, not to trick your valued customers into opening your marketing messages. Respect My Time- Customers visit the web for only two reasons, they want relevant information and they want it fast. Include a limited number of links your customer will see as having value. Stay on Message- Sending a "Join/Renew Now" link to existing members demonstrates both ignorance and arrogance. Don't they know I'm already a member? And why is their need for my early renewal payment more important than my need to maintain a budget? Creating Value Leads to Valuable Relationships- My expectation for the content of an December automotive club newsletter includes information on Winterization, Winter driving, or tips for planning a trip to Grandma's house during the holiday. Sit in your customer's (driver) seat as you choose the content for the next edition of your newsletter. Make Unsubscribe Links Unnecessary- Forcing customers to unsubscribe is no excuse for a poorly conceived newsletter, in fact, it's dangerous.  Marketers can take little comfort in the excuse, "If they don't want to receive it, they can unsubscribe." Recipients rarely unsubscribe, they simply block it from appearing in their in-box. It tarnishes your brand image, trashes customer goodwill, and in rare cases, may provoke a customer to complain via a blog post. And now a question for you. Did this post hit the mark by providing relevant information, fast? If it did, which point hit home (or struck a nerve)? If not, where or what did I miss? Feedback through an open dialog is the only way to create valuable customer relationships. Please share your thoughts.