18 Feb 2008 03:52:16 | Deborah Savadra
No question about it - spam filters are a good thing.
At least when they're protecting your inbox! Often,
though, legitimate email marketing messages can get
caught in the net intended to screen out all of the
junk.
While spam filter avoidance is becoming more complex
every day, here are three tips to help your message
get through:
Limit email size to 50 Kb or less. Virus protection
programs subject large emails to special scrutiny to
avoid malicious payloads like viruses. That means
your perfectly innocent email could be deemed a
threat. Check your message size before sending and
eliminate any unneeded graphics or attachments.
Don't have more than 15 recipients in the "To" line.
If you're using your email program to send out mass
messages, be warned: emails with 15 or more
recipients in the "To" field are often blocked by
recipients' email programs or Internet Service
Providers. Better to use a well-known email
marketing service so that emails are addressed
individually.
Avoid certain "spammy" words and phrases. I'd list
some here, but then I'd probably get caught in your
spam filter myself! You'll often see e-marketers
use carets (^) or asterisks (*) in the middle of
certain words (like fr^e) to avoid capture. However,
spam filters are evolving to catch even this trick.
You can test your message using this online tool:
http://www.lyris.com/contentchecker
It'll tell you what words you're being penalized
for so you can adjust your content accordingly.
So write carefully, test thoroughly, and reap the
benefits of well-targeted email marketing!
About Author :
Deborah Savadra is a freelance business copywriter who helps
small and medium-sized businesses market themselves more
effectively by providing targeted, well-written content for
brochures, websites, and other marketing collateral. Her free
"Marcom Planning & Budgeting Guide" is available for download
on her website at www.savadra.net/marcomguide.html.
