Posts Tagged spamtrap
20 ways to avoid email spam filters
One of the major benefits of email marketing is that email is free, but obviously this is the same reason why spam has become so popular and so frustrating to us all.
With spam comes spam filters and with spam filters comes the blocking of legitimate email.
How do you avoid spam filters when sending out your latest email marketing campaign?
Here are 20 important ways to dodge those pesky spam filters.
1. Follow best practice email marketing techniques.
2. Have permission to contact the recipient. If you don’t you are spamming.
3. Avoid spam trigger words in your subject line.
4. Use a consistent “From” field.
5. Monitor blacklists using www.blacklistmonitor.com.
6. Don’t use carbon copy to a lot of recipients.
7. Personalize the “To” field.
8. Don’t keep mailing to someone if they have unsubscribed.
9. Don’t use a mailing service that tolerates spam.
In case you are wondering, SimplyCast is strongly opposed to spamming and we will make every effort to discourage the sending of spam.
10. Remove bounces from your list.
11. Don’t use the recipient’s email address in the subject line.
12. Don’t use multiple exclamation marks or dollar signs.
13. Ask recipients to add your email address to their “trusted sender” or “whitelist” list or Address Book.
14. Don’t use excessive capitalization.
15. Avoid javascript, embedded forms, and hidden text in HTML emails.
16. Prefix all links with http://
17. Don’t use an IP address in links instead of a domain name.
18. Block generic email addresses from your list (postmaster@, abuse@, nospam@, sales@, info@, webmaster@, etc.)
19. Use confirmed opt-in (ie. send a confirmation email whenever someone is added to your list).
20. Avoid using words that appear in Microsoft Outlook’s Junk Filter list.
As an email marketer, it can be difficult to sell your message as well as sail past all spam filters. By following this helpful list, you will give your campaign or newsletter the best possible chance to be delivered to the intended destination.
3 comments May 22, 2009
Kill your email marketing with spam-traps!
A spam-trap is an email address collected using automatic harvesting methods for the purpose of sending unsolicited communications. The spam-trap address is usually hidden from view by using tiny font or coding the email using the same color as the background. However, spam-trap emails are different than regular emails, if an email is sent to this address the owner of the spam-trap will process the unsolicited email and beginning a complaint process to your ESP/ISP or block your domain/IP completely.
The only way to protect yourself from falling into a spam-trap is first, ensure you follow best practices of email collection using only closed-loop double-optin confirmation process, where users must confirm their intention of receiving your email. Second, remove all hard bounces regularly to ensure you are sending to a clean and current list.
SimplyCast Email Marketing has a built-in system to automatically remove bounces from your list and the web sign-up form will automatically generate a closed-loop double-optin confirmation for each recipient.
3 comments October 20, 2008
