Spam Filters and Internet Privacy

Bulk email sending is an effective way to reach a wide audience of potential customers, but is also one that is fraught with risk. If your emails are only going to end up in the spam folder, it is a waste of time and effort, but that is only the start of it.

The way modern spam filtering works, particularly through the likes of Gmail, is that once you are flagged as a spam risk, it will be increasingly difficult to get subsequent messages to arrive in inboxes instead of spam folders. Becoming known as a spammer can also create wider reputation damage to you and your business, and can even result in Google suspending your Gmail account.

There’s more to spam filters than Gmail

Granted, Gmail is the most popular email provider in the world, with more than a billion users, but it is important to remember that a huge proportion of these are personal accounts. Most businesses use something more sophisticated for spam filtering than the inbuilt freeware provided by Google, such as the solutions provided by everycloudtech.com. These use far more advanced technology and boast an accuracy rate of 99.99 percent. This means that if your mail is something that the recipient genuinely wants, you have nothing to worry about. It also means that if there is the slightest hint of spam about your message, there is really nowhere to hide.

So how can you keep on the right side of both Google and the more sophisticated filters? Here are some essential points to keep in mind.

Start slowly with the bulk sends

If you open up a new Gmail account and the first thing you do is send a bulk communication to 500 recipients, it is almost guaranteed that Google will step in and block your account. Start slow, keep it to less than 20 to start with. This is known as warming up your Gmail account. It also gives you the opportunity to monitor feedback and fine tune your campaign before you get in too deep.

Use double opt in

If your communication is arriving with people who don’t want it, it is of no benefit to anybody. The best way of keeping on the right side of spam filters is to send email to people who will be interested in what you have to say. Double opt-in is when a party explicitly indicates that they want to receive information from you and then clicks on a link to activate their account.

Give recipients a way out

As well as opting in, there needs to be an explicit way to opt out. Make sure every communication has a clearly marked unsubscribe link, and double check that you have a rigorous process for ensuring that any unsubscribe requests are honored.

Be on-brand

Any marketing communication has to be brand-consistent. As well as making sound marketing sense to enhance brand image and recognition, it reduces the likelihood of recipients becoming suspicious of your communications or your motives.

 

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