Spammer. Urban dictionary has a number of definitions, among others “A moron who sends out E-mails, filling up your inbox so you can't find any real E-mail” and “Quite possibly one of the lowest forms of life around” – and I, in keeping with the tone of this blog, omitted the more explicit terms used.
As with anything the bigger email marketing grows, the more it is abused. Spammers continue to find new ways of abusing this effective marketing tool to serve their own interests. And the more this happens, the more I find people asking how they can guard their own reputation against being labeled with the S-word.
The email
There are certain things in an email that automatically sends warning signals to spam filters.
The best possible advice for your emails is to keep them short and simple. As soon as you, for example, make excessive use of CAPITAL LETTERS AND PUNCTUATION TO PROMOTE YOUR SALE!!!!!!!!, well, that would not be keeping it simple, would it? Similarly, graphic-heavy emails also wave red flags at spam detectors, things like block background colors or very image-heavy emails. The general rule of thumb is to keep images below 60% of your content – you text should be relevant enough to get your message across without the need for excessive graphics.
Speaking of text, bear in mind that certain words (like “free” or “bonus”) will also be picked up on by spam filters. That’s not to say you can’t use them, but if they pop up in the subject line of every email you send, questions might be asked.
If you’re concerned about the content of your email or just want to double check, it’s always a good idea to run a spam checker over your email before sending. You would’ve noticed this in your account under Sending>Send to a mailing list. There is a “Check spam score” button – it takes under three minutes to perform this automatic check and the results will tell you whether or not your email is at risk of being labeled as spam.
Your subscribers
Double opt-in has become a pretty standard email marketing practice. (That’s where your subscribers not on have to click on a subscribe link to sign up, but you also send them a follow-up email where in they have to click on a link to confirm their subscription.) It may seem unnecessary, but it is in fact illegal to send your emails to people if you can’t prove that they’ve opted in to your mailings. You also have to very clear about what it is they’re signing up for. Make sure that, if for some reason you’re partnering with someone and sending to their contacts as well, that you know how they obtained their email addresses. This does NOT mean that you can buy a mailing list from someone!!!
Get your subscribers to indicate, via surveys or through their profile information, how frequently they want to receive communications from your and what kind of information (like product information, promotions or industry news) they’d be interested in. Be sure to follow up by checking if and how they then engage in your mailings.
That way you can gauge their interest and engagement in your campaigns. Why? Because happy subscribers won’t make a spam complaints against you.
Managing your mailing list
Managing your mailing list is incredibly important, especially given the above mentioned changes in the way ISPs (Internet Service Providers) monitor your mailings. If you have subscribers who have, for years, been ignoring or deleting your emails, there’s no point in keeping them on your mailing list. The same goes for those who have unsubscribed, or worse, launched a spam complaint against you. Delete and block unsubscribes as soon as possible and make these changes on a regular basis. You should also be updating your contacts regularly to avoid bounced emails – ISPs pick up on it when you keep sending to email addresses that no longer exist.
Remember that any employees who have access to your email marketing account should be briefed on these practices. That way you avoid mishaps with any future sends.
The big shots – ISPs (Internet Service Providers)
At the end of the day, it’s the ISP who decides whether or not to let the email through – they’re the ones who set in place spam filters and shape your reputation. Maintaining email marketing best practices keeps you in good standing with ISPs.
At GraphicMail we aim to maintain good relationships with all the major ISPs, making it easier for you to stay in their good books.
Authentication also factors heavily into your deliverability; be sure to implement methods like SenderID or DKIM. You can learn more about these authentication methods here.
A new development that also seems to be catching on among ISPs is implementing a system by which they measure engagement metrics. That means that, for you to maintain your good reputation, you’ll have to have an active campaign and a healthy list – your relationship with your subscribers will have to be such that they actually open or click through on your emails, engaging with your emails. All those little extras – personalization, testing your emails to see what works best for your subscribers, segmenting your lists, sending TriggerMails and, above all, ensuring that your content is relevant – will become increasingly important in generating engagement and ensuring delivery. Of course, it all works to your advantage as it means greater returns on your email campaigns.
NB: Do you feel like you’ve received unsolicited or spam emails from a client who uses GraphicMail for their email campaigns? You can assist us in combating spam by visiting our anti spam centre and posting your complaint.
