Avoid the agitation of having your email be considered spam by following these simple tips
Email marketing is an important aspect of any comprehensive marketing campaign. But there are many ways to execute your email marketing campaign that wind up raising red flags with spam filters.
Here, we look at several strategies you can employ to help ensure that your email marketing campaign doesnt look like spam and ultimately get you placed on a black list.
Make sure there is an option to opt out. Nothing says spam like a lack of ability to remove oneself from an email list. Make sure that every email you send has a clear option for removal for your readers " its a part of the CAN-SPAM law, and you could be fined $16,000 for not abiding by it.
CAN-SPAM laws require that you provide a physical address in your email so that recipients can reach you by postal mail.
Include your physical address. The CAN-SPAM law also requires that you cite the physical address at which you can be reached via postal mail. Either a street address or a PO Box may be cited.
Dont use all caps in your subject line. This is seen shouting by the recipient, but is also an alert for spam filters, unless done with the right mix of caps and lower case.
The blog Netmatters.com notes that you can mix words with all caps and not, as in the following example: Subject: FOLLOW UP: Previous E-mail Subject, which works to grab attention without shouting, but something like READ THIS EMAIL NOW! can actually raise red flags with spam filters.
Make sure your email is sent only to people who have opted in to receive it
Ensure that your email list is of a quality nature. Comm100 indicates that the lower your open rates and click-throughs are historically for your email list, the more likely it is that your next email will be considered spam by filters. So make sure you are sending your marketing materials out to people who have opted in to receive mail from you.
Dont use the wrong words in your subject line. According to LocalNews.biz, over 35% of spam is detected via the subject line, and spam filters will catch your email if you use certain words in the subject line. Words like Free, Clearance, and Opportunity should be avoided in your subject line, as spam filters see these as words highly likely to be associated with spam mail. For a more in-depth list of words to avoid using in your subject line, click here. You can also use this handy tool to test the effectiveness of your subject line and ensure that it doesnt get caught in spam filters.
There are multiple important factors you cant ignore when pulling together your email marketing campaign in order to avoid being caught by spam filters. Getting black-listed means scrapping all prior work and having to start all over again, so avoid this hassle by following these simple rules: You must have an opt-out option for subscribers and include a physical address at which you can be mailed, in accordance with CAN SPAM laws. With regard to your subject line, use capital letters with discretion and avoid spam-like wording. Finally, make sure you are emailing people whom you know want to receive emails from you, and that you actually are emailing subscribers and not a junk list or one that youve purchased where opt-ins will be high.
Follow these rules, and youll likely get the hall pass from spam filters.