Jill Kurtz, Owner, Kurtz Digital Strategy

You spend a lot of time composing email marketing. It’s painful when people unsubscribe and even more so when they flag your messages as spam. If that happens too often, you may not be able to send any messages to anyone. That would kill your email marketing strategy.

You need to avoid doing things that can lead you to being labeled as a spammer. Here are some common mistakes that can result in your emails being marked as spam:

Mistake 1: Not asking for permission to add people to your list

No one wants to be added to email lists without their permission. You need to ask people if you can add them to your list. You can do this at the time you get their email, or send an invitation email that lets them make the choice.

Mistake 2: Taking control away from subscribers

You want to keep people on your list, but you can’t hold subscribers hostage. You need to make it easy for them to change subscription preferences and even opt-out completely. People who feel trapped will lash out by reporting your messages as unwanted spam.

Mistake 3: Sending irrelevant content

Make every message valuable to the reader! That’s perhaps the most critical part of keeping your subscribers happy. Great content makes people want more.

Mistake 4: Breaking promises

Make sure you respect the rules you create for your list. Did you promise to only send messages once a month? Then don’t send more. Did you promise not to share emails with others? Then don’t. Set expectations and stick to them.

Mistake 5: Overwhelming your audience

Don’t jam your subscribers’ inboxes. We all struggle to keep up with email messages. If turning off your messages will make a big dent, people will likely unsubscribe. Be judicious in what you sent and make every message valuable to recipients. Be sure all messages are targeted to the right portion of your audience.