Did you know that SPAM accounts for almost half of all the emails received daily? If you take a look in your SPAM folder, you will most likely find a ton of junk emails compiled, and maybe some even made it into your inbox. You most likely spend time in the mornings sifting through junk email to find the important emails that you need to read. If you do not want to receive SPAM yourself – then make sure you are not creating and distributing SPAM to others.

 

Ask yourself these 5 questions before sending an email out:

1.      Do I Know You? The easiest way to prevent looking like a spammer is to know the contacts you are emailing. Have you met the person before? Had a conversation, or completed business with them? These are good things to consider when sending an email to a contact. If you are purchasing mass lists of people you do not know – chances are you are spamming them.

2.      Do You Know Me? If you have not been in touch with your contacts in a while, send out a reintroduction email. Provide your contacts with a reminder of who you are and what your business does. Also let your prospects or customers know they will be receiving more emails from you, and you care about their approval. State the benefits of remaining on your list to keep contacts!

3.     Is This Subject Line Full of Crap? No-one appreciates an e-mail that reads “free” in the subject line and is anything but. There are ways to sound compelling in the subject line without skewing the truth. Before sending your emails, ask yourself if the subject line accurately conveys the message you are trying to send in the body of the email.

4.      Do Others Think I’m a Spammer? A good way to test whether you are appearing as spam is to send emails to your contacts gradually (50-100 contacts a day). This approach will help decide if your list has interest in hearing from you or not. If you notice you marked as SPAM repeatedly in your tests – you either need to tweak your messaging or revise your contact list.

5.      Would I Read This Email? As a good rule of thumb before sending an email or newsletter ask yourself, would I want to read this email? If your answer is no, then understand that your contacts most likely will not want to read it either. Keep prospects and customers interested by providing with them content that you sincerely find relevant to their needs and interests (and above all, not boring.)