Spam Protection Ate My Newsletter! - Optimizing your Newsletter
(Page 2 of 5 )
When an email server receives an inbound message, in most cases it will run a spam check on it. A program scans your message for certain details and keywords. Your mail starts with a score of zero. For each negative detail or keyword, the program adds points to your score. If the score reaches a certain level (specific for the program’s settings), it will not be delivered.
On-page optimization is critical because if performed properly, it can keep this score low. One of the best things you can optimize is your mail’s subject line. As an example, let’s take a look at the subject line of a recent Developer Shed newsletter:
Developer Shed Weekly Update for 2005-07-19
This subject makes it completely transparent what the message is going to be. Use a word to indicate the mail is a newsletter, such as “news” or “newsletter” or “Update.” Include the date or issue number in the subject. It also doesn’t hurt to include the publishing frequency, “weekly” in this case.
Also keep your subject clear of anything that would make somebody scanning think it was spam. Words like “XXX,” “free,” “penis,” “loan,” “deals,” etc. can quickly rack up points on spam filters. That’s why spammers intentionally misspell words or use other characters (like *) in the middle of words. These tricks should always be avoided, as they downright say “this message is junk.” What fools spam filters today will be penalized harshly tomorrow. Don't use any tricks.
On the same note, if you distribute a legitimate newsletter with a title like, “Weekly Guide to Cheap Real Estate,” rename it. Your subscribers may want it, but it could look quite bad to a filtering program.
Your content is also key here. Not only does real substance help pass through spam filters, but it helps make your readers value your newsletter. If they enjoy your newsletter updates and for whatever reason fail to receive one, hopefully your subscribers will complain about it so you can troubleshoot.
This should be painfully obvious to anyone, but do not type anything in all caps. Your subject line should be mixed case. Your content should also be mixed case. Follow proper grammar rules in this sense. Emails that are all caps are often junk mail.
This is quite important. Always provide an opt-out link or directions within the newsletter. This is both a matter of legality and sensibility. Use words like “unsubscribe” and “opt out” in this part of the email. Spam often uses the word “remove,” so it may actually hurt you more than help depending on the filtering program. Make sure that when a person sends an unsubscribe request it is handled quickly.
Under no circumstances should your newsletter have an attachment. This puts up red flags for readers and web servers. It looks suspicious for any mass mail to be sending a package. It also eats up valuable inbox space and takes extra time for you to send. If you need to include images or a file, host them on your webpage server and link to them.
To get through spam filters, you should also send from a reputable email domain and never dupe the ‘from’ address. Especially with technology like Sender ID coming, do not get caught with a forged email header. Sending from your website’s own domain is always the best option.
Next: Check Your Work With an Optimization Tool >>
More Website Marketing Articles
More By Developer Shed
