Email Tips To Get Your Message Delivered
by: Karen Scharf, Small Business Marketing
ShareIt doesn’t matter how well your copy is crafted and how beautifully your graphics are presented, if your message gets flagged as spam chances are no one will see it anyway. There are several “mistakes” you might be making right now, without even knowing it, that can get your email marketing message lost forever in the email blackhole.
Some spam triggers include:
- too many blank lines in the message, this technique is often used to “hide” the unsubscribe link way down at the bottom of the page
- “gappy” text to hide what might be considered spam, using special characters, or any other technique that makes it look like you’re trying to “hide” a word
- too many capital letters in your subject line, title case is usually easier to read anyway
- embedded plugins, embedded scripts, embedded video, use a link to your web page instead
- using the “to” address in the subject line – some ESPs will replace the name field with the email address in cases where you do not have your reader’s first name. you might need to code a work around, segment your list into first name/no name groups, or just leave the first name out of the subject line altogether
- using fonts that are too large or too small – extreme fonts might be a good technique for on-line web pages, but they can be dangerous in your email message
- using too many images and not enough text – try to stick with the 60/40 rule: 60% text to 40% (or less) images
- including links from blacklisted URLs – be sure you know who you’re JV partners are!
I’ve put together a handy checklist that outlines the requirements you must follow when sending your email marketing. You can download your complimentary copy of the checklist right here.
You might also be interested in theOutlook 2007 checklist. Find out what features are supported in Outlook and what will end up making your message look like garbbledy-gook.
