| We've discussed blacklisting, I wanted to | | | | at the inbox level. A recipient need only to |
| spend some time looking at where the rubber | | | | scan subject lines and decide which messages |
| hits the road for email delivery: the ISP | | | | not to delete immediately. A subject line |
| inbox. | | | | such as "Exciting offers for you, Bob!" will |
| | | | surely be marked as spam. Consider using your |
| Let's be very clear about this for consumer | | | | company or newsletter name in brackets at the |
| facing campaigns there are 4 major ISP's that | | | | beginning of your subject lines. |
| manage the majority of consumer inboxes. | | | | |
| | | | • Consider including unsubscribe |
| • MSN/Hotmail | | | | instructions at the top of your e-mail, in |
| | | | addition to the footer. Some users use the |
| • Yahoo Mail | | | | "report spam" button as an unsubscribe method |
| | | | and won't scroll through an entire message to |
| • AIM Mail | | | | find that link. |
| | | | |
| • Gmail | | | | • Include instructions for users to |
| | | | whitelist your domain. This prevents a |
| What Does this Mean? | | | | user-based filter from mistaking your message |
| | | | for spam and either diverting it to the spam |
| Basically unless each of these mail platforms | | | | folder or prefixing "[SPAM]" to the subject |
| relays your message to the primary folder, | | | | of the message. |
| your email campaign is far from optimized. | | | | |
| | | | • Provide a preference update page. |
| What Causes mail to be delivered to a bulk | | | | Disclose how your organization will use a |
| spam Folder? | | | | subscriber's e-mail addresses, and how often. |
| | | | Allow subscribers to select preferences on |
| All of these ISP's allow their users to | | | | the opt-in form, and link from e-mail to a |
| report spam with a "report spam" button. The | | | | preference or profile update page. |
| ISP uses this feedback to create a profile | | | | |
| for your mail. If users are reporting your | | | | • Avoid spammy looking content. Try |
| mail as spam you will run into problems. | | | | not to use garish, bold fonts; large, red |
| | | | letters, and the like. Avoid images with poor |
| What Can I do to make sure I do not create | | | | compression quality. A clean, readable design |
| ISP Spam complaints? | | | | isn't as likely to be mistaken for spam. |
| | | | |
| AOL recommends keeping spam complaints below | | | | • Don't over e-mail. If recipients |
| 1-3 percent of traffic, depending on volume. | | | | expect to receive a few informational e-mail |
| This figure is unique to AOL's user base; | | | | messages each month from your company, don't |
| it's too generous when applied as a general | | | | suddenly start sending two or three each |
| standard. Be at or below the range of one | | | | week. |
| complaint per 6,000 to 8,000 messages, or | | | | |
| 0.013 percent. | | | | • Don't send unexpected e-mail. If |
| | | | subscribers opted in to receive your "Trends |
| Minimize Complaints | | | | & Tips" newsletter, don't send them your |
| | | | hard-sell e-commerce messages, unless they |
| Minimizing complaints always starts with | | | | clearly requested them. |
| practices used to collect e-mail addresses. | | | | |
| It should be obvious by now sending | | | | • Include opt-in information. If |
| unsolicited e-mail only gets you in trouble. | | | | possible, add to your e-mail admin area |
| Mailing lists with the lowest complaint rates | | | | information, such as the subscriber's e-mail |
| are either confirmed opt-in or properly | | | | address, date of opt-in, and how she |
| managed single opt-in. If you have a solid | | | | potentially subscribed (product registration, |
| permission-based list but still find incoming | | | | white paper download form, sweepstakes entry, |
| complaints are higher than the optimal rate | | | | etc). With many subscribers receiving dozens |
| or are rising, consider the following: | | | | of commercial e-mail messages daily, it's |
| | | | easy to forget signing up for your newsletter |
| • Brand your subject lines. Mail | | | | -- and then to file a complaint. |
| systems with spam complaint buttons offer it | | | | |