I think a lot about spam.

Here's the simple email/twitter/posting equation:

Unwanted + Impersonal = Spam

85 Broads is a network of busy, focused women who don't have time for irrelevant, unwanted information! Now, here is where things get tricky.....Balance busy (perhaps not able to log onto 85broads.com daily) against the desire to get out to the membership all the amazing stories, expertise, opportunities...Alison Levine arrived at Everest Base Camp...Manisha Thakor was on ABC News...Jam Session with Janet Hanson has been posted....conference for members in Africa, new job listings in Brazil....

You see the problem. Lots of members doing great things, and how to present all this information - as and when it happens - to a global audience, without spamming.

Seth Godin's blog today was on spam. How do you avoid spam and get information out to your audience? Permission. As Seth notes:

"...the future of marketing is based on permission. It's based on sending messages to people who want to get them, who choose to get them, who would miss you if you didn't send them. It's not easy and it's not cheap to earn permission, but so what?"

It takes time, effort and creativity to engage, to earn trust - to be granted permission. It's an investment in relationships and investing in understanding (as well as caring about) your audience.

Read Seth's blog "Cannibailsm and spam" at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/04/cannibailsm-and-spam.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fsethsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail