An Email Marketing Glossary For Beginners And Experts Alike Part 19

May 28, 2010

An email sender’s reputation is built through time by the number of spam complaints they get from their recipients, their email open rates and click through rates and especially by the number of bad email addresses in their database.  Opt-in lists are usually easy to differentiate from spam lists over time.  Opt-in lists get relatively few spam complaints compared to spam lists.  Opt-in lists typically get 30% or better open rates, whereas spam lists often only get 1%-3% open rates.

The biggest difference between opt-in lists and purchased or harvested spam lists is the number of bad email addresses in them.  By bad email addresses I mean no longer existing addresses and spam trap addresses (these will be explained later in this article series).  People who have opt-in, permission based lists typically have a high percentage of currently existing emails in their database (90%-100% good, existing emails).  Spammers often have old purchased lists with upwards of 25%-50% dead emails in their list.  

There is a growing movement in the email industry for the different email providers to share this recipient data amongst each other and especially with Reputation Service Providers (explained next).  If a commercial emailer is consistently getting lots of spam complaints, very low open rates, and is sending to lots of dead email addresses then they are likely to get temporarily blocked by many email providers.  If this same behavior continues then the next step is getting put onto one of the major blacklists out there.

The death knell for a commercial emailer is getting on Spamhaus’ blacklist.  Spamhaus is the world’s most influential blacklist of commercial emailers judged (whether rightly or not) to be sending spam email.  If you get on Spamhaus’ list then about 80%-90% of your emails will be blocked by mail servers and never get seen by recipients.

The best way of avoiding any email blocking or filtering is by practicing what’s known as email list hygiene.  In other words, keep your email database clean!  Always remove all unsubscribes from your mailing list immediately (in fact, you’re required by law to do this within 10 days).  Most people will click the unsubscribe link in your email, but some will reply to your email, asking you to remove them.  Simply scroll down in their reply email to the unsubscribe link and click it and they will be removed.  Email Service Providers automatically purge all unsubscribes from your mailing list.

Filed under: Using Email For Attracting Buyers/Sellers

Tags: Attracting Buyers/Sellers With Email, email inquiries, email newsletter, email prospects, email subject line, email training tips, marketing, prospect, prospecting, qualifying, real estate course, real estate education, real estate educators, real estate email newsletter, real estate internet marketing, real estate internet marketing tips, real estate internet training, real estate seminar, real estate seminars, real estate website, real estate websites, realtor education, realtor email newlsetter, Using Email For Attracting Buyers/Sellers