Prevent being marked as a spammer
Online Newsletters – How to prevent being marked as a spammer
Use double Opt-in feature
Don’t activate unconfirmed email addresses
You’ll often find a number of email addresses in your list that haven’t been activated. The reasons for this are either, it wasn’t a real email address or the user has changed their mind. Most software will allow you to re-send the confirmation email, but if you don’t get a reply from this, delete the email address and forget.
Read more about Spam Traps & Honeypot addresses
Spam content & spam check
From your subject line to the content of your newsletter, be careful of capitalising entire words, or phrases, using words such as ‘free’, ‘click here’, ‘one time opportunity’ & lots of exclamation points!!!!
Other areas to consider is a lot of white space, images, attachments, coloured text that is hard to read, and the size of the newsletter (try keeping it between 20-50k) to prevent spam filters automatically collecting your newsletter.
Most newsletter software offers a spam scanner, which highlights words & content within your content that may cause it to be marked as spam, allowing you to alter it before sending it out. If yours doesn’t, search for “Spam checker” on the internet and choose from one of the many available.
Invite your audience to “white-List” you
Although there is blacklisting, there isn’t actually a white list to be added to. However, you can ask your readers to add your from address to their address books or safe senders list.
Unsubscribe Link
Make sure you have a statement included in your email that is easy to find in each newsletter with a link for the recipient to click to unsubscribe & instructions to reply with the subject of “unsubscribe” if they choose or can’t get the link to work. Some experts suggest that this appears at the top of the newsletter.
Unsubscribe requests
Australian laws under the Anti-Spam Act of 2003 states all unsubscribe requests must be processed within 5 business days. Any emails sent after this time will be classed as Spam and the sender can be prosecuted.
Clearing bounced emails
When people have either closed their email account, have abandoned it or it’s been incorrectly entered, you will receive a bounce. Often ISP (Internet Service Providers) & email providers such as Hotmail use these email addresses to search for spammers.
Most newsletter software offers an automatic bounce processor, but to be safe make sure you do a manual check on a regular basis and delete all bounced emails. This will prevent you ending up being blacklisted & taking any other user on your server with you.
Read more about Spam Traps & Honeypot addresses
Allow Users to update their details
Save your valuable customers from having to create a new account when they need to update their email address. Include a link in your newsletters to encourage them to click if they are about to change their email or want your newsletter to go to a different address. This will allow you to prevent bounces & keep them from marking your newsletter as spam.
Consistency
Let your subscribers know when to expect your emails. For example:
“Our newsletters are sent quarterly, so keep an eye out for our next one late July”
If you plan to send out occasional announcements or blasts, either create a check list where your subscriber chooses the types of newsletters they wish to receive. If your software doesn’t allow for this, ask your subscribers if they wish to receive the blasts & create a separate list for those who wish to receive them.
Know the anti-spam laws
In Australia, go to ACMA – Online Safety & Security site
Click here for the Practical spam guide for businesses
For a full list of Anti-spam Acts for each county, go to Wikipedia
Learn about Spam Traps or Honeypot addresses & how you can get caught, click here to read more