Eight Steps to Ward Off Spam Complaints

Anti-spam firm Brightmail has found that about 50% of all emails are unsolicited junk mail. Spam complaints are on the rise, and (according to a report from Nucleus Research) it is costing employers millions and millions of dollars.

Because of the increase in spam, many legitimate companies and organizations unwarrantedly get slapped with the “spammer” label. An organization or company may offer its Web site's visitors registration to an email list or newsletter. Inadvertently, visitors forget that they registered for the service and report the email as spam.

Here are a number ways email list managers can avoid spam complaints:

1. Never (ever!) purchase, trade or borrow an email list. This is the cardinal rule of email listing. Almost all of the organizations and groups that sell lists for purchase DO NOT have permission from those on the lists. Even if these organizations have represented to you that sending to their lists is not spam, do not be fooled. Sending emails to those who have not registered specifically for your mailings, or who are not your members, is almost always regarded as spam. This can not only cause problems with your list management service provider but also damage your reputation by labeling you as a spammer. It might even get you blacklisted by spam watchdog groups. Reputable list management companies have strict policies against the use of purchased or traded lists and will terminate your account if you violate those policies.

2. Always send a welcome email to members when they have signed up, but be careful. The longer you wait between the date and time they opted-in (registered) and the date and time you first contact them by email, the higher your chances of getting spam complaints. In your welcome note, include a description of what they will receive and how frequently they will receive it. If you are moving your list from another service, notify your subscribers that you have switched providers; and if you have made any formatting changes, tell them that as well. This will help keep some of your subscribers from confusing your new format with spam or thinking that you have sold their email addresses to someone else.

3. Keep records of those who have signed up. If you get a spam complaint from someone who has forgotten that he or she subscribed to your list, that person can request his or her sign-up information from you. Keeping subscription records, including the Web site address from which each person has signed up, each person's membership information and the date each person has registered for the mailing, will enable you to justify yourself so that your account is not canceled for violating anti-spam policies.

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Raj Khera is a partner in MailerMailer (www.mailermailer.com).