Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Sure Fire Ways To Prevent Being Called A Spammer

E-mail marketing has emerged as the best and most cost-effective method to build and maintain relationships with customers. But most people dread using it because they fear being called a spammer. These fears can now be put to rest, because this article will tell you how to conduct an e-mail campaign the right way. The Opt-In Method One of the basic ways to gather subscribers for your e-mail marketing list is the opt-in method. Opt in lists may also be called permission based e-mail lists. There are two kinds of opt-in lists: the single opt-in, wherein a person has to provide his e-mail address only once, and he’s included on your list. Then there’s the double opt-in. In this method, after providing an e-mail address, a prospective client has to click on a link in the e-mail sent by you or your autoresponder. Only then is he able to receive an e-mail from you. Both methods of sign up work fine, but it’s a usually a good idea to go in for a double opt-in method. Though one might lose a few clients who don’t bother to click on link in the e-mail sent by you, it keeps your business safe from spam attacks. The Privacy Policy Keep assuring your clients and customers that your relationship with them is sacred and personal, and any information they share with you won’t be disclosed to any third par
ty. Using statements like "We respect your privacy," or "Your information will remain confidential," or "We’ll never disclose your e-mail address" are great ways to instill a feeling of trust among customers. The Unsubscribe Link All customers have to be given the right to opt out of your e-mail marketing list. An unsubscribe link is required for this. This link is usually placed at the bottom of all the e-mail communications you send out. Giving customers this option makes them realize that you respect them, which in turn, translates into your gaining their confidence. More confidence means you get more business from them. Avoid Words That Might Trigger Spam Filters Words like ’free,’ ’guaranteed,’ ’cash,’ or ’$$$’ often set off spam filters. Sometimes too many punctuation marks in an e-mail might also result in your e-mail being labeled as spam. Keep your language simple, and avoid often repeated spam words, and you should be alright. Play By The Rules Learn the rules of your service provider. This is important because not knowing them could get you banned from the server, if you fall into a spam trap. These were just a few simple ways to prevent being called a spammer. Now that you know them, you can implement them and perform e-mail marketing with confidence.

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