Permission marketing definition

"Spamming" is defined as sending unsolicited emails to one or more people. If you have the email address of someone you want to connect with, and send a personal message -- a single email, not a mass distribution -- from you to him or her, that isn't spam.

Permission marketing is being given specific permission to send email to people who know they will be part of a mass distribution, like your newsletter. But if you add someone's email address to your list without having been given permission from the recipient to send them email, that is spam.

Never include an email address to your distribution list without specific permission. Even if someone registers with your website to gain access, that alone does not imply permission to send email.