SPAMs Skyrocket as Businesses Crash

A sobering find: Spam devours corporate resources, clogging up to 50% of a network’s assets. Clearly spam remains a major force to contend with, underlining the importance of good combat readiness.

Facebook recently brought spam back into the headlines with a $711M judgment against infamous social media spammer Sanford Wallace under a law known as the CAN-SPAM Act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act). Lawmakers passed this act in 2003 fully intending to take a bite out of internet marketing spam. Unfortunately a number of anti spam advocates expressed concern that the act did not go far enough. And they may have a point: since 2003 the number of junk mail messages has increased ten-fold, leaping from 45% of all emails to above 90%.

Consider this: in June the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shut down an Internet Service Provider suspected of harboring malware programs and other tools hackers use to carry out web activities related to email spam and identify theft. In another case, the FTC doled out a $2.9 million fine to advertiser ValueClick, Inc. for deceptive advertising through emails, banner ads, and pop-ups.

Here are a few steps to make sure you protect your business:

• Start with a spam filter to protect your business on the front lines, although keep in mind that a variety of anti spam solutions exist, so shop around and find an offer attuned to your company’s needs.
• Introduce your network security team to the spam blacklist.
• Educate your employees: get them to understand what spam is, how to identify it, and how to overcome it.
• On public web pages, use a technique like a response form to protect company addresses from a spammer’s prying eyes. Make sure to add a “captcha” for authentication.
• On the customer end, ensure your network security protocols are robust and updated, and have a notification policy to keep customers informed.
• For internet marketing, consider that many consumers’ previous experience with spam makes them wary of unexpected messages. Encourage your business to use an “opt-in” policy when developing internet marketing campaigns, and follow the terms of CAN-SPAM as a guideline in identifying what differentiates email spam from honest selling. Make sure your tactics avoid landing your business on a damaging spam blacklist.

You do not need to pay expensive per-email pricing in order to participate in Internet & Email Marketing campaigns. DPS’ Technologies recently launched their “Smart Flyer Software” which includes a powerful network & campaign management center (within your website), allowing you to control multiple campaigns, and a comprehensive email list. The software purchase includes a registration form compliant with SPAM laws.

By Joe Unander

Generating Votes & Election Support through Smart Internet Campaigns

We live in a Democracy, where “every vote counts”. So, it seems obvious that with 250 + million internet users, politicians would be utilizing the plethora of internet marketing tools in their campaign management, and expansion of loyal voter base. If you are a politician, or a campaign manager, here are some simple steps you need to consider, prior to your next election:

• Create a website, as your online campaign headquarters.
• Generate an online support network (voters) through registration:
• Conduct offline campaigns directing consumers to your website, to receive updates on campaign specific interest(s).
• Create & distribute ad campaigns, linking ads to your registration page.
• Set up an affiliate network (online partners) to co-campaign/advertise for you. Groups that are stationed within your campaign area, have a local/ geo-targeted consumer base, and have similar political interests would be ideal. These campaign affiliates are extremely important as they will play an integral role in acquiring votes for future elections. Distribute your ads through your affiliates’ online websites. You can even target specific consumer groups depending on the affiliate specifics.
• With the eventual goal of creating targeted voter email campaigns, ask your supporters about their individual political interests (through a brief survey)…

… What topic interests you the most?

• Local/ National Economy
• State/ Federal Unemployment
• International Business Relations
• Immigration laws
• Gay Rights & Marriage Equality

… Get basic demographic information – age, sex, ethnic origin (make this optional).

• Optimize your website content through composing & incorporating a list of “geo-targeted keywords” (content incorporating your consumer bases’ political interests & location for better visibility)
• Utilize a mass emailing software; segment your voters and campaign affiliates into separate address books in order to run aggressive personalized campaigns.
• Set up pages on major Social Networks (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter) and keep fans involved in the issues that majority of your registered network appreciates.
• Create a YouTube page, and run advertising campaigns through YouTube. Optimize your YouTube videos with rich geo-targeted keyword content.

Begin Campaigning!, but don’t forget to utilize the valuable consumer data you have collected.
Internet Marketing specialist, Rohit Barman, president of DPS America insists that “political officers and campaign managers MUST get acquainted with internet marketing, as it allows them to acquire valuable data on voter interests, segment it seamlessly with the help of automated email registration software(s), and run aggressive campaigns targeting voters with interests that effect them the most. Tapping a voter’s core nerve will create enough excitement to get them out on Election Day.”

By Kevin Haggerty

“DPS’ 2.5 hour interactive training, Digital Promotions Strategy, beginning in January and based in New York City, is the first of its kind to incorporate the entire spectrum of creating, engaging & expanding an online network. Extracted from the internet’s scientific principles, the live seminar(s) will provide celebrity agents the knowledge, structure, and tools to track consumer/ fan behavior & campaign effectiveness – an internet marketing strategy that will give agents the confidence to manage their public relations campaigns more effectively than ever before.”

A BPO insider addresses risk management in business outsourcing

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) can easily come off as a complex industry full of used car salesmen types. However, there is no doubt that American businesses are reaping the benefits associated with outsourcing. I had the opportunity to recently interview, Rohit Barman, consultant for 30 year old BPO service provider, DPS Technologies, who outlined some key outsourcing know-how’s for any business considering the offshore advantage.
Barman is the president of DPS America, and a 2nd generation BPO agent. His experience includes setting up a HIPAA compliant KPO- centric customer support facility for a Medicare Part D program catering to 70,000 beneficiaries, establishing a BPO-centric 24/7 medical emergency response service, and founding a NY based internet marketing solutions provider with an offshore facility in Kolkata, India.

Q: Describe the role of the “middle man” in business process outsourcing. What makes an executive at a BPO vendor fit this description?
A: A “middle man” is traditionally an outsourcing agent, usually lives in the United States, and is of the same ethnic background of the BPO vendor.

Q: Which BPO services do you recommend outsourcing? and which ones would you say no to?
A: It really depends on the country you are outsourcing to.
When it comes to IT software, internet marketing, and data entry work, India is clearly the offshore leader.
For customer support efficiencies (cell centers), the Philippines has pretty incredible results. Their spoken English skills are comparable, if not better than most Americans.
For hardware support, I would recommend China or Taiwan.
I would not recommend outsourcing art direction, writing/ editing, telemarketing, or any service that requires higher level familiarity with our local culture & communication.

Q: Fraud is an unfortunate side effect of any business, and the complexity of a BPO service certainly opens the door for various types of scams. Have you ever seen an outsourcing executive resort to a pricing scam like bait-and-switch, hidden fees, or false billing?
A: Being a 2nd generation BPO middle men, I have grown up in the outsourcing world. I’ve worked as a BPO vendor, BPO buyer, and a BPO middle man. In my experience, I have witnessed pricing scams, but I’ve actively stayed clear from affiliating myself with such businesses. BPO executives are no different than executives of US firms. You should not sign a deal, till you are comfortable with your research & analyzed your risk.

Q: Have you ever witnessed a BPO executive exaggerate what they can deliver in order to make a sale, or charge higher rates?
A: Of-course, the good news is that I’m familiar with global BPO rates & service standards, and utilize my familiarity to negotiate pricing.

Q: How can a company be on guard for these types of unethical practices, ensuring that the value they get from outsourcing is real? What can a BPO buyer do to ensure transparency, reliability, and data security in their deal with an offshore vendor?
A: Business should not underestimate the amount of research and background checks you have to do when selecting an outsourcing vendor, even if they were recommended to you. Some imperative research includes asking yourself…

• Who is the middle man/ agent? – look up records for felony, fraud, and other potential misdemeanors in the United States. There are several BPO middle men in the United States who have settled law suits out of court, and have paid their way back into building a business reputation. Ignoring such an important red flag is no different than getting married to a heroin addict – your partnership is doomed.
• Look up the BPO production facility to see how long they have been around? Ask for local references, and verify them.
• Don’t fall victim to the “yes, we can do everything spiel. I’ve heard it a million times.

Q: Is it possible to settle on a performance scale that uses accepted methods?
A: Buyers should always set up a quality management system in-house. If you open this up to the BPO vendor, you risk being exposed to improper reporting. Conduct monthly reviews based on quantitative reasoning.

Q: While there are always a few of the proverbial “bad apples” in every industry, what has been your overall experience working with BPO companies?

A: A good outsourcing partnership could be a lifelong marriage. If trust & efficiency can be established within the first 6 months to a year, the BPO vendor & business buyer will experience significantly stronger ROI & customer service satisfaction.

By Joseph Unander