Don’t Even Smell Like SPAM

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Don't Even Smell Like SPAM

Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. Best to presume they all are. This means that if you click on a link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission. There is no additional cost to you.

The subject of this post relates to spam, namely avoiding looking like a spammer or “smelling like spam” as I phrased it in the subject.

It’s important to avoid spam complaints so you don’t lose things like your autoresponder account, or maybe your JVZoo or PayPal account. If you try sending email from your home internet account to your list, your ISP could cut you off.  Some hosting companies have shut down sites and closed accounts in response to spam complaints.

One way to get spam complaints is to have people sign up for your list, ignore them for weeks or months, then email them out of the blue. In a situation like this, people may forget they subscribed. They may forget who you are. And when they receive your message, they won’t remember why and they may claim you are spamming them. No good!

You should do everything you can to avoid getting labeled as a spammer. It can ruin your reputation and your marketing career.

So how do you avoid being called a spammer? Let’s look at some considerations.

First of all, make sure you have a record of when people subscribed. Your autoresponder services record that information and most have a way to include that information in your messages, like the date they signed up, in your footer or signature. Something like “You’ve been a subscriber since May 3, 1999”. You can usually include information like what their IP address was when they subscribed or what website they were visiting when they subscribed. Showing this information to pacify readers is usually done with a code that you put into your message. That code tells the autoresponder system what information to show in that part of your email message.

Don’t be afraid to use double opt-in. It’s not always appropriate. Sometimes you’ll be dealing with paid traffic situations, where your ROI is critical. In a case like that, you probably would not want to use double opt-in, but in situations where you don’t think it would hurt your sign-up rate, go ahead and use it.

Now, outside the realm of the obvious, remember that people judge you based on the quality and credibility of the information you provide them. It could be a video you link to in one of your autoresponder messages or an infographic. Or it could just be text, like this message. Since the materials you offer are generally the only contact you will have with your subscribers, it’s up to you to check their reliability. Don’t steer your subscribers wrong or you will quickly end up with no subscribers.

You should always be trying to build trust with your subscribers. And every time you connect with them, no matter what form of communication you happen to be using at the time, that’s you. They hear your voice when they read your words (or imagine what your voice sounds like). They picture your face when they listen to your audio file and imagine what you look like). And when they see you in a video, they may focus intently on your every expression. Trying to tell if you are being truthful in every respect.

So when you are writing, recording, designing, or speaking, think about what you are projecting to your subscribers and customers before you publish or post. Always double-check. Read your emails and posts a second time or even a third time. Try to shoot for the best quality you can in all the marketing elements that you have control of. And when you affiliate with someone else, be sure that they are reliable and focused on quality. What’s the old saying –  “you are judged by the company you keep”? Sounds heavy!

‘Til next time,

This is Dave

Dave

Dave Hodges
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