Think You Know What Spam Is?

You probably think you know what spam is. But you may be surprised to learn how two of the largest email destinations now define it:

Operationally we define spam as whatever consumers don't want in their inbox. - Miles Libbey, Yahoo!

It is really about what the consumer wants. Even if they asked to receive the email, if they do not find value in it, then it is not a good email. We want to make sure that our customers are happy. - Charles Stiles, AOL

Let's make it crystal-clear:

Spam is no longer just any email message that arrives uninvited in your inbox. The definition now has been broadened to include any email message your recipient doesn't want anymore, even the ones they asked to receive. Even possibly yours.

Here's how the rules have changed: Email-marketing success, at least where deliverability and the customer relationship are concerned, now requires three building blocks, in ascending order of importance:

1. Permission: This used to be the hallmark of a successful email program, but today it's just the most basic requirement.
   
   
2. Relevance: Does your subscriber see the value in your email? Does it speak to their needs? Is it what they signed up for - content, format and frequency?
   
   
3. Recognition: This is a new concept in email marketing, but it actually trumps both relevance and permission. If someone doesn't recall actively signing up with you, doesn't recognize you or remember why he is getting the email, often he will simply treat the message as spam.
   

How might this recognition occur?

• Recipients can recognize you from your e-mail address.
  
  
• Recipients can recognize from the subject line that the message contains information they want to read.
  
  
• Recipients can recognize from the message content that they requested to receive this type of information from you.

5 Strategies to Boost Recognition

Your goal with boosting recognition is to reduce the chance that your recipients won't recognize your mailings and use the spam button to make them disappear.

• Set solid expectations at registration that tell the subscriber what kinds of email they requested. Use a dedicated subscription page that spells out the benefits of your email and requires just a little effort to join; it makes the subscription memorable before the first message appears. Provide content, format and frequency options that allow subscribers to tailor the program that works best for them.
  
  
• Show examples of past mailings. A picture is worth a thousand words. If you allow new subscribers to preview the types of messaging before signing up, they are much more likely to recognize your message when it shows up in their inboxes.
  
  
• Design a welcome program that engages newcomers immediately with confirmation and welcome messages that recap their own expectations and choices. Use a message format that makes your identity clear in the from and subject lines as well as in the message body, whether or not the recipient can immediately view images. Be sure to encourage new subscribers to add you to their address books to ensure future delivery to their inboxes.
  
  
• Deliver on those expectations with relevant, identifiable mailings. Leverage your brand name in both text and images. Don't rely solely on images to reinforce who the message is from.
  

If you can incorporate these strategies to boost recognition, your payoff will be a more stable and satisfied readership whose members are less likely to reach for the spam button.

If you would like more information on creating or improving your own email campaigns, please contact Laura Kasman at 215-702-8155 or lkasman@kastechco.com.