In some ways, we can consider email to be revolutionary. It even predates the internet’s ancestor, ARPANET. In 1965, the first version of e-mail was found on computers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a program called “MAILBOX.” In just over ten years, people saw the potential of email marketing, but as such a method did not exist at this time, Gary Thuerk ended up pioneering the first spam message when he sent the same email to 400 people in 1978.
Today we know that there is a clear distinction between spam and email marketing. But usually when people think of spam, the first thing that comes to mind is messages telling them that there is a million dollars waiting and that all they have to do is click the button. By this standard, almost anyone can identify which messages are considered spam.
Since no one falls in love with it anymore, spammers have become more cultured with their techniques. And sometimes this means that even your techniques can get lost in spammy strategies. So if you are building your own email marketing campaign strategy, here are some tips to help you distinguish legitimate email marketing from spam.
Spam is sent without permission, ask email marketing
If you notice, legitimate campaigns start with a sign-up form on the websites. As entrepreneurs, you must respect your customers enough to allow them to decide if they want to receive weekly email updates from you.
Spam messages are intrusive and there is hardly ever a way to exclude yourself from their mailing list. But one takeaway from spam is that they offer their readers something (it’s not real, but it’s the thought that counts). Mention what you can offer your readers, such as a free trial or a free PDF, to let them know what they can get from subscribing to your emails.
Spam gets into deceptive subjects, email marketing sends targeted messages
Spam messages generally promise something great in their subject lines. But even legitimate email marketers are swayed by subject lines like “Your invitation from us” or “Your gift is waiting.” Studies show that the click-through rate for emails with deceptive subject lines is almost zero. Why even bother?
Everyone knows this tactic too. He admitted it; you would never open an email that says “your gift is waiting for you”.
At this point, one of the best methods to get users to open your emails is to use open loops or incomplete ideas. For example, you could use “The only thing I’d like to learn about college is …” to get your audience to want to know more.
Spam makes it impossible for users to opt out of mailing lists, email marketing respects exclusions
As email marketers, you need to make sure that you give your recipients options to opt out of receiving your emails. Along with this, good email marketing not only allows users to opt out, but also presents clear and concise explanations on how users can opt out. Also be sure to give your recipients a return email address.
It is worth noting that some email marketers continue to act intrusively and continue to send certain types of emails to people who have already opted out. You must respect recipients who ask to be excluded from all commercial messages. Remember, in essence, spam is a lot of unsolicited messages.
When you follow email marketing guidelines and respect your customers, you know that your campaign can and will be successful. It all comes down to your strategy. With the help of some email campaign management experts, your business can deliver the best email campaign without bordering on spam.
