Spam-Free Email Marketing

Email Marketing is probably the best and definitely the cheapest way to build a relationship with your current and future customers. But is the fear of being called a spammer keeping you from actively using Email Marketing? Your worries should be over now. There are ways to do email marketing and keep your good image. Everyone makes business mistakes; but yours don't have to be in email marketing!

Ways To Prevent Being Called A Spammer

Use The Opt-In Method
There are various ways to get your email marketing subscribers list. The best way is to get them to sign up for, or opt-in to your mailing list. Opt-in lists are also known as "permission based" email lists. The addresses in the list are given by people who have opted or chosen to receive emails from you. So, they shouldn't get irritated when receiving your emails or mark them as spam. They are actually waiting for your emails! However, some people might forget that they joined your email marketing list, so it's generally a good idea to remind them when and where they signed up.

This brings up the decision of whether you should choose single or double opt-in lists for your email marketing campaigns. This depends on the email marketing list or responder service being used in your business. Let's look at what single and double opt-ins are and how they differ.

With single opt-in, a person gives you their address only once and they are included in your email marketing list. This option increases the chance of people forgetting they signed up or changing their minds about wanting to be on your list. With the double opt-in, which is also called confirmation opt-in, a person gives you their address and they get an automated response sent from your email marketing responder service. In this first contact email, the receiver is requested to go to a particular URL to confirm that they really want to be included in your email marketing list. Only if they click on the URL will they be included in your list. In other words, they are given a second chance to say "yes" to receiving emails from you.

So the question now is, which way to go when setting up your email marketing campaign? It's your choice, but, for your primary email marketing list, it's better to choose the double opt-in. Although you may lose a few clients who are too lazy to click and confirm their subscription, you will be safer from the spam attacks. This is quickly becoming the most widely accepted method among email marketing pros. And is generally proving to be the best way to avoid having your emails listed as spam.

Include Your Privacy Policy
Using statements such as, "We will never share your email address", "Your information is confidential" or "We respect your privacy" are good. They instill a feeling of trust and safety in the subscribers. It's a good idea to include these statements on both the form requesting the e-mail address and in each email itself. An email marketing campaign devoid of any privacy policy looks suspiciously like spam.

Be Sure To Include An "Unsubscribe" Link
You should always give the choice to your subscribers to discontinue receiving your emails. The "unsubscribe" link is usually added at the bottom of every message. In case somebody decides they no longer want to receive your mailings. If they choose to unsubscribe, they can simply click the link. Be sure it works. By giving your readers this option, it shows your respect for them and increases their confidence in you. And building confidence is one of the main objectives of any good email marketing campaign.

Stay Away From Words That Set Off Spam Filters
Many of today's email programs actively look for spam. Words like "free", "guarantee", "increase income" and even "cash" can cause your mail to raise spam flags. Sometimes even phrases like "click here" and the excessive use of punctuation marks or symbols is an open invitation for trouble. There are infinite words in the English language to choose from. Brush up on your vocabulary and use your creativity while writing the content for your email marketing.

Learn The Rules
Each ISP has a certain set of rules for email marketing. Research them. Know them. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. It could cost you many potential customers if you should happen to get banned by a particular ISP for spamming. Even worse, your ISP could prohibit access to your site if it gets complaints on you. And this could be devastating to your business.

So, there you go. Now that you know what to do and what not to do, you should be confident to take advantage of email marketing.

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