Your email campaign (or newsletter) will not work if the recipient’s firewall blocks it or the receiving system sends it directly to the spam folder. Here are some top tips to insure recipients receive your message.
Steps to take when you create your email:
- Use creative and relevant subject lines.
- Place an individual’s name (or company name) in the from field and be consistent, test which works best. Make sure the reply email works.
- Include an “add to address book” at the top of your email. When recipients place your email in their address book, you will avoid the SPAM folder.
- Place your physical address and phone number in the footer (required by the CAN SPAM Act).
- Get more Tips on Creating An Email Newsletter in our Blog.
Steps to take before you send your email:
- Follow standard double opt-in to build your list and give recipients a clear path to unsubscribe.
- Make sure the IP sending your email is not on a blacklist. You can check your sending IP with a variety of tools including MXToolbox.
- Check your sending reputation. SenderScore is a free reputation service that grades the sending IP.
- iContact provides good information on how to insure email deliverability. They think sender authentication is an important in reaching the inbox and use 3 vital authentication keys (SPF, Sender ID,DKIM).
Steps to take after you send
- Make sure you honor any unsubscribe requests quickly. A good ESP should do this automatically for you.
- Watch your stats for bounces, opens and clicks.
- Be ready to respond to replies after you send out. If you are using a call to action, have your response email ready to go.
If you follow these best practices, you are well on your way to building a successful email campaign or email newsletter program.