So I thought it might be nice to post a few items that I have been
discussing in my new company and to others when it comes to successful
delivery (point of the blog). These suggestions come from Messaging
Anti-Abuse Working Group’s (MAAWG) own Sender SIG group.
The Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group is a global organization
focusing on preserving electronic messaging from online exploits and
abuse with the goal of enhancing user trust and confidence, while
ensuring the deliverability of legitimate messages. With a broad base
of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and network operators representing
almost one billion mailboxes, key technology providers and senders,
MAAWG works to address messaging abuse by focusing on technology,
industry collaboration and public policy initiatives.
This group created one of MANY documents in the MAAWG organization to
set forth Best Communications Practices (BCP) as part of the mission of
MAAWG to reduce message abuse. The Sender’s BCP creates a greater
transparency between senders of bulk mail and the receiving operators.
This transparency helps distinguish legitimate mailers from spammers
and the BCP also advocate technologies and practices that help to make
email a more secure and reliable communication channel. http://www.maawg.org/about/publishedDocuments
List
Maintenance
- Just say NO to purchased lists
- No true permission from target. Ends up causing you
higher complaint ratios’. Will put you in breach of contract with your
SaaS provider if they or you get blocked. If you must buy, be sure to
obtain permission first by sending a separate email and only keeping
those who respond positively. - Just say not to pre-checked boxes
- It is not permission-based email per the courts. If you
must use pre-checked boxes then it becomes unsolicited and your might
want to protect yourselves by saying it is an advertisement when
sending email - Quality of quantity
- Try to change the way you see your lists. A lot of people
think that large lists are a measurement of success when in reality you
may have a large dirty list. Better to focus on small lists of people
who WANT your email. - Senders should actively attempt to identify and account for
any addresses that have not received email for a lengthy period of
time. When identified, senders are encouraged to ensure the maintained
accuracy and behavioral response interest-level with these legacy
addresses as some Internet Access or Email Providers may re-use these
addresses for other customers or with their anti-spam recognition
efforts.
Consent
Conspicuous Consent
- Provide clear and conspicuous notice to users at the point
of email address collection and make that consent notice obvious and
readily available for online reference at any time by any party. - The notice should clearly state the specific type of
list(s) in which users are subscribing and consider noting the
potential frequency, type, and approximate interval of communications
that will be received. - Whenever a sender collects an email address, it should
follow up with a message sent to that address in order to determine the
validity of the supplied address as well as address within the content
of the message the recipient’s granting of consent to receive messages
from the sender.
Unsubscriptions
Enable Clear,
Conspicuous, and Easy to Use Unsubscription Options
- Senders should make the unsubscription process as clear and
easy to use as reasonably possible. - Senders should process unsubscription requests as quickly
as reasonably possible and with the recipient in mind, - Senders are reminded that unsubscription requests may be
regulated and subject to laws of varying jurisdictions. - Immediately honor any and all abuse-related complaint
received regarding an email list subscription as if it were an
unsubscribe request.
Content
- When requesting users to add a sender’s ‘From’ address to a
recipients’ addressbook, senders should point out to recipients that an
entry in the addressbook does not ensure message receipt, but rather,
may improve the likelihood of delivery to the recipients’ Inboxes
and/or delivery of images and URL enablement. - Minimize the use of large image files and messages composed
of a single image. - Refrain from uses of special coding scripts and embedded
forms. - Refrain from attaching files to messages
- Senders should refrain from using only images to present
the substance of the message, unsubscribe instructions and
identification on who the sender is or who the message is being sent on
behalf of. In other words, the substance of the message, unsubscribe
instructions and identification should be in the message and displayed
as regular text or text with HTML markup rather than an image or web
linked image. - Refrain from leading email content to open with an image.
-Dennis
Eloqua
Last 5 posts by Dennis Dayman
- European Data Protection "Upgrades" - January 30th, 2012
- Return Path acquires OtherInbox - January 10th, 2012
- How NOT to react to spam complaints - January 9th, 2012
- Care2 breach is something to care about - January 3rd, 2012
- The passing of a great mind and great friend - November 17th, 2011
