5 Rules for Email Marketing
To fully understand the importance of managing email lists, you should begin by familiarizing yourself with the CAN-SPAM Act.
Not following these rules can have some pretty severe consequences (including fines or imprisonment) but the most common of which results in ending up on a blacklist. As long as you keep your data up to date and manage your lists properly, the whole process of sending bulk marketing emails becomes fun!
Here are five simple steps you should take to keep your customer list data up-to-date: 
1) Offer an opt in method: Before you even add people to your list – make sure you have permission to send things to them, either from a check-box on the sign-up form or through an implied business relationship.
2) Let customers leave: It is mandatory to have a working unsubscribe link in your email. If somebody wants to leave, let them and don’t email them again. Continuing to do so can get you reported.
3) Age: Check that none of the addresses in your list have been out of correspondence for more than two years. If you haven’t sent them an email in over two years, deactivate and archive the addresses.
4) Third parties: If your list has data from a third party (an external provider) – ensure the validity of the address and that they have opted-in to receive messages from you.
5) Manage bounces: After conducting a send you will most likely receive some bounced emails. If it is a permanent bounce type (ie: No such address), then you should delete them from your list. Deactivate the address or, even better, unsubscribe it to prevent future mailings. Continuously sending to bounced addresses can affect your sender score.
Notes for existing Nexternal clients: The Mail Wizard may not be used to send spam. Spam is defined here as an advertising e-mail intended for a recipient who did not voluntarily give his/her e-mail address to your company, or for a recipient who has requested not to receive advertising from your company. To ensure that your e-mail complies with the CAN-SPAM Act, UNSUBSCRIBE will be replaced by a means to unsubscribe from future mailings. SIGNATURE will be replaced by your company contact information. These elements may be moved but not removed.
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.
