Remember when you were at school you were always scared of getting your name into the teacher's bad book?

 

Well, bad books still exist and even more so in email marketing in the form of 'Blacklists'

 

A Blacklist is basically a list containing the IP address and domain names of flagged off spammers and potential spam email senders. This happens when a receiver or a group of receivers mark emails from a certain IP address or domain as spam. The viability of such a list is high as major internet service providers and mail box service providers take it seriously. They either block emails from a listed IP address or a domain or they mark them as spam. 

 

Being an email marketer you run a chance to end up in this list with even the minute error. To help you always follow the ethical route here are five tips to guide you through the tempest. 

 

1) Double Opt-in - Not only does double opt-in increase your relevance and familiarity among the contacts but it also lessens your chances of falling prey to spam traps. Your bounce rates and unsubscribes can also be checked with the double opt-in method. 

 

2) Scrutinization of email id - Many a times you must have manually accumulated email ids from contacts to put in your lists. This is great but not free from causing prefix and domain typos. Always check every email id properly and send mails to only those who pass your validation test. 

 

3) Follow CAN-SPAM regulations - Never fail to comply with the regulations put forward by CAN-SPAM. Follow every regulation as a rule of thumb to safeguard your reputation as an email marketer. To know more about CAN-SPAM press on the link, 

 

4) Go for email blast but only for opt-in contacts - Send bulk emails only to them who are familiar with you and expect your email. An unfamiliar person might flag your email as spam if the content is found inappropriate. 

 

5) Domain authentication - Beyond the necessary steps of SPK and DKIM always opt for a DMARC policy to create your own boundary. This will allow you to follow the rules set by you. A strong DMARC policy is the sign of an honest email marketer.