Is the old-school email being forgotten about? Norm highlights the importance of keeping up to date with the email algorithms and updating your email chains and campaigns. We talk about how eCommerce has changed the world and how to stay out of the dreaded spam folder.
Adrian Savage has been in the field of email marketing for close to 10 years and recently found that lots of people were experiencing the same problem… a lot of emails companies were sending out, were ending up in the ‘spam’ folder. Adrian calls himself a “geeky person” who loves to dive in and did research on why this happens. We’re lucky to have him on the show to teach us how to avoid it!
Between the three providers, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo, who control three-quarters or more of a typical mailing list, these guys want to make the experience for their customers as good as possible, meaning they need to filter out the spam that users don’t want to see. And we have to play by the rules of the ‘Big three’ to show them that we’re one of the ‘good guys’, and let them know that your content is welcomed.
How to become one of the good guys?
Grasp your customer’s attention, keep them reading, and the algorithm will tell the ‘Big three’ that the email is worthy of the inbox.
Each person can filter their emails to suit their needs and interests. They also have an ‘email list’ where users they trust are welcomed into the field of their inbox without being thrown in the trash. Make sure you are providing content they want to receive.
Adrian said, “Keep your reputation healthy!”
How to avoid the spam folder
Keep in mind the RACE method: R- Reputation A-Authentication C-Content E-Engagement
It helps a ton to encourage your engagement from your recipients, add some call to actions and provide relevant content.
If people are opening your emails, clicking the links in your emails, or replying to your emails, it means they are engaging!
Is it worth buying a list?
Consider that the people on the list you wish to buy haven’t given you permission to add them to this list and when these people receive these types of emails, they tend to treat it as a violation of their personal privacy and space.
Be careful, you are only allowed one spam complaint per 1000 emails you send, so an email list can increase the risk of you receiving complaints which would be bad for your reputation and go against you if the ‘Big three’ get a hold of this information.
A spam trap: An email that hasn’t been used for legitimate purposes.
Be sure that the list you are purchasing is legitimate and has been given by real people with a real purpose.
Looks matter
More than anything nowadays, it’s not only about what you say, but how you say it… If it sounds like a promotion, they will pick up that it’s a promotion. If it comes across spam-like, the AI will pick up that it’s spam, so it’s important that you remain authentic in the way you get your message across to fall into the right category.
Listen to the full session above and learn more tricks to avoid landing in the spam folder.