Word to the Wise – Avoid SPAM
It is common for businesses to struggle with email marketing. One of the biggest frustrations is understanding how SPAM filters work. Here are a few ways to ensure your email is making its way in.
Permission:
Ensure you are complying with the CAN-SPAM Act by requesting permission from your subscribers. It is best to have your subscribers sign up through an email sign up form. Clearly explain what the subscriber is signing up for as well as what kind of emails they should expect to receive from you.
Whitelist:
Send your new subscribers a welcome email confirming their addition. In this welcome email, ask the subscriber to add your “From” address to their address books. This guarantees all future emails will not be stuck in a spam folder. This is so simple, yet so often missed.
Content:
Similar to Google’s SEO algorithm, there is no magic formula for spam filters. Spam filters have their own rules which are constantly growing and expanding. Certain criteria help the filters decide if an email is junk including subject lines, formatting, images and sloppy code. Avoid overusing special characters and punctuation (? $ !), as well as certain key phrases in subject lines. Keep subject lines simple. Stay away from ALL CAPS and make sure images are balanced with text.
Testing:
It is good practice to create different email addresses for yourself (Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, Outlook, etc.) and send yourself several copies of the email before sending it out to your subscriber list. Confirm that the links work and the images appear properly.
NOTE: To ensure that your email complies, you must provide a method by which subscribers can unsubscribe from future mailings as well as the sender’s physical address.
Still having trouble? MailChimp offers a SPAM check tool called Inbox Inspector for you to use.
Shauna has a background in information technology and is currently a Senior Account Executive at Nexternal . She has been creating and cultivating client relationships with brands since 2007, offering her clients both eCommerce and online marketing insight.
