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Assurance Systems estimates that 5% of emails are blocked by spam filters and it is likely that the use of spam filters will increase. Spam filters work by penalizing an email based on its spam attributes. It works on a penalty point system whereby the more points an email gets, the more likely it is that it will be blocked.
We don’t recommend anyone send spam emails as we find them as annoying as the next person. However, genuine e-mail marketers are not spammers. They don’t just send out emails to a random mass of addresses. Genuine email marketers study their target audience carefully and tailor their email communications accordingly.
So, for all you honest email marketers out there, here are some strategies that will help you avoid the traps of spam filters.
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Tip 1: Avoid email servers and listservers used by SPAMMERS
Avoid using email listserver programs that have a bad reputation for being used by spammers. Also avoid using email desktop software that’s popular with spammers. To be very safe, use software that is relatively unknown. Otherwise you may be penalized.
Tip 2:Watch your capital letters
Capital letters shout spam. Definitely avoid using capital letters in your subject heading or newsletter headline. Use capital letters sparingly.
Tip 3: Keep your HTML simple
Highly stylized message formats will attract greater penalties. For example, the following attributes will attract a penalty:
- HTML table with a thick border
- Javascript in the message
- A HTML form
- Overly complicated code
Keep your message code simple.
Tip 4: Use colours carefully
Fancy artistic formats attract higher penalties. Black is the safest choice. All other colours will attract penalties, with green, cyan, yellow, magenta and unknown colours incurring the largest penalties. Also, try to avoid colours for your message background as this will get you penalized. Stick to white where possible.
Tip 5: Use large fonts and characters carefully
Font sizes that are 2+ or 3 will cost you. If you want to use a larger font, do so by using html headers such as h1, h2, h3 rather than increasing the font size through font tags.
Tip 6: Careful with your subject line
Spam filters are very interested in subject lines. There are some characters, words and phrases that you should stay away from. These include:
- The word "free"
- Dollar amounts
- The word “guarantee”
- The word “hello”
- The username at beginning of the subject line
- Exclamation and question marks
- Lots of white space
- Lots of capital letters
- The word “savings”
- The phrase “lose pounds” or similar
- Similarly, an empty subject line will be penalized too.
Tip 7: Use a signature
Most spam messages don’t include signatures. As a result, spam filters appreciate signatures and credit points to them when they are used (e.g. they are awarded a negative penalty point).
The best signature to use is one that is long, without empty lines.
Tip 8: Present like a newsletter
Spam filters also credit emails that look like newsletters. In order to do so, play around with your subject heading so it contains words such as:
- List
- News
- In review
- The date or month
Tip 9: Keep your message size between 20k to 40k
Most spam filters penalize messages under 20k and over 40k. However, messages in between tend to be credited with points.
Tip 10: Use spam checkers to test your emails
There are many programs that will test the spam attributes on a given email. Use these before sending them out to your prospects. Some of these programs include:
Assurance Systems - www.assurancesys.com
Sitesell SpamCheck Report – send you test emails to sales-spamcheck@sitesell.net. Put the word TEST as the first word in the subject and ensure it is in capitals. Add your subject line after the word TEST.
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