SimplyCast: Email Marketing Blog

We all know email is probably today’s most popular way to advertise. Every day our inboxes are filled with messages from people who want our business – whether we asked for the contact or not. Email is today’s biggest communication factor; but why shouldn’t it be? It’s all but free to use, and it’s almost instantaneous.

But there is one problem with advertising via email that you may not think of very often: blacklisting. All it takes is one complaint, and your ISP or domain name can be put on someone’s blacklist. If you’re on the blacklist, your emails are not getting through – and neither is your advertising message.

So how big of a problem is this? AOL, one of the world’s biggest Internet service providers, blocks a whopping 80% of messages to its subscribers due to blacklisting. Your email could be the most legitimate message ever sent, but if one person forgets they signed up or decides to complain, you could be blacklisted. And for your business, the resulting slump in sales can be devastating.

What is a blacklist exactly? A blacklist is a database of known Internet addresses (or IPs) used by individuals or companies sending spam. Various ISPs and bandwidth providers subscribe to these blacklist databases to filter out spam sent across their network or to their subscribers. Companies like AOL, MSN, and Yahoo all have very strict policies on spam, so many well-intended, legitimate emails never get through.

So how can you be sure you haven’t been blacklisted? Unfortunately, you really can’t be 100% sure. You may be on someone’s blacklist and not even know it, and can be added to and removed from blacklists at the drop of a hat. The only way to prevent being blacklisted unfairly is to use today’s technology to keep track of it all. There is cutting-edge software technology available that checks all the major blacklists like Spamcop, MAPS, and SPAMHaus, to ensure your domain or ISP hasn’t been added.

Taking a few moments to understand and solve your potential blacklisting problem can mean a world of difference in your bottom line.

Blacklist Monitor™ is an online service that monitors your IP addresses against the most popular blacklists. Know when you are blacklisted, where you are blacklisted, and what to do to start the blacklist removal process. Blacklist Monitor Reports will keep you informed of the status of your IP addresses. Email notification will be sent immediately upon blacklisting or delisting of a DNS blacklist.

Sign-up for the full-featured Blacklist Monitor Service for only $149.00 a year. Peace of mind for less than 25 cents a day!