|
|
|
Get on the Tip List! |
I
periodically publish tips on creating effective marketing
materials.
To receive an e-mail when new tips are added, just click
here to send me an e-mail.
If you have ideas and requests for future Tips, please e-mail
them to me.
Privacy Policy: I respect your privacy. I never share
your name, e-mail address, or any other personal information
with anyone. |
|
Today's
Tip: How to Evade Spam Filters (For Non-Spammers Only!)
Let
me say up front that I'm against spamming. More than just being a nuisance,
it's the proverbial bad apple that's spoiling the fun — and opportunities
— for the rest of us, i.e., the legitimate and ethical email marketers.
In addition to prompting anti-spam legislation (which could effectively
scare off even users of opt-in lists), the sheer volume of spam has
led all major email services, such as YAHOO!, AOL, Earthlink, and MSN,
to use filters that try to seperate personal and legitimate mass email
from pure, unadulterated spam. And individuals can easily set up their
own filter programs to do the same.
But why is that important to you, a non-spammer?
Because even if you are just mailing to the list of people who signed
up on your own website, if your message contains the red flags that
set off the filters, your message will get deleted or sent to
the "Bulk Mail" folder, the email equivalent of a Siberian
gulag.
Therefore, it is vital that you learn how to write and design your emails
in a way that won't set off the alarms.
Is it hard? Actually, no. It's pretty easy.
I've listed a few common red flags below, but the easiest way I've seen
to get up to speed on this is through a great — and free —
spam testing service offered by AssociatePrograms.com.
Before you send your direct marketing email en masse, you send it to
them and their program evaluates it from the perspective of a filter
and gives you a spam ranking. It even tells you exactly what words or
design issues triggered your score, which makes it very easy to fix.
You can use their program by clicking on the link below:
Common Red Flags
(1) Using "FREE", "70% OFF", "TODAY ONLY",
and other common spam words in your subject line and in the body of
the email.
(2) Making all or some of the words in your subject line all CAPS.
(3) Making your email one big image, with no text.
(4) Using HTML rather than text format.
You might be able to get through the filters even if you have one or
two of these red flags. But the more instances you have, the greater
the chance your message will be sent to Never-Never Land — Never
Received, Never Read.
Good luck! (And no spamming!)
Click Here
to join the Tips List, and get an email when I publish a new Tip.
Click Here for a past
Tip on improving your search engine ranking
|
Recommended
Books on Copywriting & Marketing
|
Each of these
books is an established classic — a must-read reference for
both aspiring and experienced copywriters and marketers. Even
if you don't intend to write copy yourself, these books provide
exceptional insight into what does and doesn't work...and why.
It's especially useful info if you are a marketing manager looking
to more effectively guide and critique the copywriters you work
with.
- The
Copywriter's Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Copy
That Sells
—Robert
W. Bly | more
info |
- Advertising
Secrets of the Written Word: The Ultimate Resource on How
to Write Powerful Advertising Copy from One of America's
Top Copywriters and Mail Order Entrepreneurs
—Joseph
Sugarman | more
info |
- My
Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising
—Claude C. Hopkins | more
info |
- The
22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
—Al
Ries | more
info |
|
|
back
to top
©2001
- 2008 Matthew Galgani. All Rights Reserved. All logos and copyrighted materials
are the property of their respective owners.
|
|
|
|
