Techniques to help your message avoid getting filtered or deleted

Spam chokes everyone’s inbox. Filters fight to keep pace with shifty spammers. New laws struggle to regulate it. Recipients delete unrecognized messages without reading them. The Internet has made communications easier and harder at the same time.

E-marketing offers efficient and valuable ways to broadcast your message, but you have to compete with spam to make sure your target audience notices. Follow these simple rules and you’ll avoid spamming and deliver what your audience wants to see.

Obey the CAN-SPAM law

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) took effect Jan. 1, 2004. The act aims to stem the tide of spam by penalizing spammers with fines up to $2 million for a number of common spamming practices.

The act requires unsolicited commercial e-mail messages:

• Be labeled as a commercial message in a “clear and conspicuous” manner (though not by a standard method), unless the recipient has given you prior permission to receive the message.
• Include instructions to opt-out, or cancel, future e-mails. You should process these requests within 10 days.
  Contain your physical address.
• Have a functioning return e-mail address or other Internet-based mechanism that is clearly displayed.
• Not use deceptive subject lines and false headers.
  In addition, CAN-SPAM preempts state and local anti-spam laws, except where they prohibit falsity and deception such as misleading origins information, headers, sender identity, transmission information, subject lines and falsely registered IP addresses.

Get recipients to opt-in

People want their inboxes reserved for conversations with people they know. This is why opt-in is so important. By opting-in, recipients give you permission to send to them.

According to the law, you can send once to your customers and prospects without consent if you follow the rules outlined in the law. This is known as the “one free shot” approach. Using this “free shot,” and using an e-mail marketing service that offers an automated system, you send recipients an opt-in e-mail inviting them to join your mailing list. If they want to join, they click on the confirmation link and are added to your list. If they don’t want to join, they do nothing and are not added. To entice recipients to join, your invitation should communicate the benefits they’ll get by receiving your messages — exclusive offers, information not found anywhere else, great ideas to grow their business, etc.

Double opt-in is even better. When meeting prospects, ask if they mind joining your mailing list. Other prospects might sign up at your Web site. This is the first opt-in. Once they agree or sign up, send them the confirmation e-mail. That’s the second opt-in. This will ensure you have adequate permission.

Construct your message to move your audience

Once you’ve gotten them to opt-in, remember to follow some important rules for building and sending your e-mail message:

• Make your “from” line accurately and clearly identify you.
• List your offer in your subject line or make it relevant to your benefit.
• Match the contents of the message body with the subject line.
• Personalize the message by using the recipient’s name, preferences, tastes, etc. Five to 10 personalized elements will triple your chances of getting a response.
• Understand your audience’s needs for mailing frequency — mailing too often will annoy them and not mailing often enough will make them forget about you.

Deliver relevant content

In addition to obeying the letter of the CAN-SPAM law, you need to obey the spirit of the law by giving your audience interesting, relevant information. If you don’t keep content relevant, they will delete it or unsubscribe.

Match your offer to your audience. Don’t just talk about your product. Think of other things that are important to them. For example, if you sell displays to retailers, include stories on topics such as the latest holiday sales predictions or tips on how to reduce shoplifting. There are many inexpensive subscription services that provide stories relevant to the topic you need.

Use the right vehicle

Your e-mail marketing can take several forms:

• Newsletters — Use these to offer news, both about your products and about related topics.
• Announcements — Show new products, preview upcoming products or communicate special offers or events such as trade shows.
• Discussion forums — Invite recipients to comment on your product, service or a topic related to your industry. It’s a great way to gain customer feedback.
• Event triggers — Use birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc. to give customers discount coupons, make them special offers or just wish them well and stay on their radar screens.

Need better results? E-mail marketing is just one business communications solution we’ve provided over the past 25 years. To explore some innovative ways to reach your specific e-marketing goals, e-mail or call Matt Harlow at 800-800-9547.

Ideas are our product. We work to analyze your markets, isolate your key brand benefits and send clear, focused messages right to your target audience. Messages that build your brand image and achieve what you’re really looking for … measurable results. We call it Communication with insight.^sm