With so many people relying on the internet for information and shopping, a lot of businesses are using email as part of their marketing strategy. The problem is that some entrepreneurs took full advantage of the technology, and started dumping millions of emails onto the internet to people that did not ask for them. This is considered spamming. (Spam is defined as email that is both unsolicited and bulk.) Because of this Internet Service Providers (ISPs) now use spam blockers to prevent their users from receiving bulk and junk emails that they don’t want. Sometimes this can cause problems for the legitimate email marketers that have a verifiable subscription list.
While you are building your email list, be sure your customers are aware that they need to white list your company to be sure they receive your emails. This means that they should add you to their contact list, showing that it is acceptable to receive emails from you. Otherwise, the spam filter in their email client could place your email in the junk folder where it will never be opened.
In addition to having your opt-in customers white list you, you have to be sure that the emails you are sending actually reach their email box. The ISPs themselves may block your IP address, putting you in a blacklist database. Once you are listed there, it is very difficult to be removed. You need to build a good ISP reputation by using email opt-in lists as well as allowing customers a way to opt out if they no longer want to receive your content. In addition, the wording in your emails should be optimized to avoid words that spam filters look for. Words like “open now,” “free,” and “click here” in the subject line can trigger the filters. Using large graphics in the body of the emails can also get your emails blocked.
Please post your email marketing tips here as well, to help all of us become ethical email marketers.
