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E-News:
E-mail Marketing Best Practices
Lisa
Munns, E-News Editor May
31, 2006 |
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 1.
Redesign for the Preview Pane
Issue: Does the email deliver its
message in a space roughly 4 inches wide and two inches deep?
That’s all that shows up in the preview pane--the feature
in many email clients that allows e-mail readers to partially
scan messages without opening them. A recent e-communications
survey found that over half the email users in the United States
now utilize a preview pane. Many read their messages in the
pane while others use the pane to decide whether to open or
discard the message.
Action: Design your template with
a more horizontal format, and pack as much key information at
the top as possible: a link to your website,
a summary of the message content, or a table of contents. Use
text instead of a single image.
2. Redesign for Blocked Images
 Issue:
Many spam filters flag large images as potential spam content
and most email clients, both desktop and web, now block images
by default. Thus, it is a major design error to place message
content into a single large image.
Action: Reduce reliance on images
that link back to your website. Replace navigation images with
text links, or add descriptive “alt”
tags that describe the photo or desired action
if the image doesn’t render. Watch font size because many
filters flag large point sizes (usually 36 points and higher).
3.
Review Broken Code
Issue: Broken
code is a prime spam indicator. Filter programs
such as SpamAssassin specifically look for it. Sometimes the
problem is just forgetting a closing symbol, or you may have
an outdated tag.
Action: Keep it simple by sticking
to plain vanilla HTML formatting. Avoid scripting. Spam filters
are likely to flag any message JavaScript or VB Script as spam
or strip it out. Test your email in the various web-based clients
including Yahoo, AOL and Hotmail and utilize an HTML validator
to highlight code problems.
4.
Tone Down Your Message Content
Issue: Aggressive language, punctuation
and capitalization are among the fastest ways to get a messaged
filtered or blocked. Some markets such as financial services,
gaming and pharmaceuticals are particularly spam-sensitive.
 Action:
Place your more aggressive selling language in an image instead
of in text copy or links and reduce the number of “click
here” commands. Using the spam content checker will help
identify and filter questionable words and phrases.
5. Locate Email Message Essential Elements
in One Consistent Place
Issue: To be fully spam compliant
all of your email messages should have three mandatory elements
– a working “opt out” link, the school name
with a physical address and a working “contact us”
link and/or phone number.
Action: Group these elements in one
place on your message, preferably at the bottom of the message.
This makes it easier for respondents to unsubscribe or contact
you, which can keep them from going for the “report spam”
button.
Once you have incorporated some or all of these tips into your
message template design, make sure to compare the before and
after delivery rates. If you have indeed fixed your troublesome
message elements, you should see a measurable increase in your
delivery rates. If you continue to experience high spam complaints
and bounces, you will need to go back to the drawing board and
see where you are still falling short.
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student
horizons, inc.
4903 auburn avenue
bethesda, md 20814
301/951-7101 - phone
301/951-7104 - fax |
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