E-mail marketer ClickAction Thursday launched a new online training center to let marketers get the latest buzz on the opt-in market.

Co-sponsored by the E-Business Communication Association eBCA, the E-mail Education Center offers marketers expert advice in a variety of areas including best practices, segmentation strategies, acquisition strategies and privacy issues related to e-mail.

E-mail marketers have many challenges recently, what with the public outcry against e-mail spam and the opt-out/opt-in debate.

As e-mail marketing guru Jeanne Jennings sees it, opt-in lists draw better response. In her recent article on the controversy Jennings suggests e-marketers try a very practical approach.

"In the rush to optimize e-mail marketing and obtain short-term gain, companies are forgetting that the basis of e-mail marketing is trust," says Jennings. "If you're buying a list, make sure it wasn't created via negative option opt-out. If you work with a company that does negative option campaigns, know that you are jeopardizing the long-term viability of the list and your company's reputation for short-term gain.

Fittingly, Palo Alto, Calif.-based ClickAction also says marketers can opt-in themselves for a free membership, which includes e-mail updates and offers to attend biweekly online seminars on valuable e-mail marketing topics.

"We are committed to helping marketers continually improve their business results through education and opt-in e-mail," says ClickAction Director of Client Programs Geoff Smith. "With the growing importance of highly targeted permission-based e-mail marketing communications, it is critical that we identify and deliver educational solutions, such as online seminars and expert advice, for marketers that augment their existing marketing initiatives. By partnering with an organization like the eBCA, ClickAction can offer a best-of-breed educational service that will help our clients, members, and marketers in general communicate more effectively and cultivate important business relationships."

ClickAction specializes in e-mail marketing automation products and services and offers a hosted ASP solution, ClickAction EMA (e-mail marketing automation), as well as an in-house Enterprise solution, ClickAction EMA Enterprise for BEA.

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The E-mail Education Center's next member online seminar will address e-mail marketing best practices, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am PT on Wednesday, March 6, 2002.