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