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

Senders Must Obtain Clear and 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