NetSpeak Technologies

Previously I touched on a few common things that SPAM filters look for in all  incoming messages. Understanding how these filters work is the first step in learning how to reach your customers and avoid having your good emails deleted along with the bad. One of he big things that can get an email marked as SPAM is content filtering.

Content filtering is when emails can be named as spam based on the words that are in either the email or the subject line. Check your own personal email junk box and see how many of those emails have the word “viagra” in them. That’s content filtering at its finest.

What about spammers who try using clever ways of spelling things. Luckily these filters over time become smarter and smarter. In the past words like “mortgage” and “refinance” would automatically get you filtered. Now these filters will monitor the emails you send to your junk box and adjust themselve to filter out similar content.

How does this affect someone sending emails? Once you are aware of the pitfalls that go into email marketing you will know exactly what to do to reach your loyal customer base. With YourHost.com on your side you can have succesful email marketing campaigns.

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How do SPAM filters work? Spam filters are ever changing automated programs that use algorithms (or complex rules)  to determine if words are SPAM or not. BTW What does SPAM stand for? -”Stop Pornography and Abusive Marketing Act”. ”

Regarding SPAM the rule is,  ”If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck it’s a duck.”, then it probably is SPAM.

The ultimate goal is to understand the classic SPAM triggers are so we as editors and senders can avoid them getting caught in SPAM or Content Filtered Traps (Content Filtering In part II).  Some of the most common SPAM triggers are and not limited to;  Large Email broadcasts sent from unapproved lists (Opt-In Part III), SPAM Traps, Spam Complaints, sending emails to Unknown email boxes, Subject line words and characters, and Open or incorrect HTML tags (Part III). These are all small pieces to the larger puzzle of inbox delivery, coupled with Content Filtering rules.

Be cautious in changing your quantity of email sending habits known as “Volume Triggers” because you can get BlackListed from this. This is one of the number one important factors to consider when sending newsletters. As the volume of emails grows major ISP’s use volume triggers to keep monitor the senders activities. Even if a sender were to get white listed, if they sent 500 emails one month and then sent 50,000 the following month, the ISP’s filter would be alarmed and your emails might get blocked or throtttled (seriously delayed).

Spammers have developed programs that can electronically crawl the internet and look for exposed email addresses in the HTML content, especially in Forms. As a defense for this  major ISP’s have what they call SPAM traps. Most companies, like Gmail and Hotmail, who offer email addresses require that they be checked on a regular basis. When a subscriber cancels their service or does not log in for an extended period of time the email service provider will take that email address and turn it into a spam trap. Providers will also at times make email addresses for the soul purpose of using it as a spam trap. Sending mail to a spam trap will automaticaly hurt your ability to mail to that particular ISP. You could even get Blacklisted.

Some website have places where the visitor is forced to put in an email address. In these situations more often that not the visitor to that website will protect their information by entering a fake email address. I know this because i do it all the time.  If you send to an email address that is not valid you will receive a permanent bounce. Those are known as unknown users and mail sent to them can get you put on an ISP’s blacklist.

It is very important to keep a clean list. I have spoken about list hygiene in the past. It really can make a huge difference in how your email marketing campaign performs and is something that should always be kept in mind.

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Keeping in communication with both your potential and current customers has been and still is a vital aspect of business. Sending newsletters, notifications, and general letters just to let customers know you care, should be a general practice for all companies.

However those SPAM filters that protectour inboxes from day to day can at times act like a duel edged sword, filtering out some good mail with the bad. “How do I show the ISP’s that I am not a spammer?” you may ask.  The answer is by using best practices to protect your Digital Reputation.

What is a digital reputation?

Your company is represented by what you send. Reputation has more importance on it than content filtering did in the past. Just like you own credit rating can affect your ability to make certain purchases your online reputation will follow you around for a long time and affect what you can and can’t do.

How is reputation built?

Your digital reputation is built and changed each and every time you send and are based on a number of factors such as; Your email system, the server it’s being sent from, links and text within both the email and the header, the ISP’s gateway server, bad email addresses, span complaints, spam traps, the mailing volume, unknown users, blacklists, list management practice, IP authentication and reputation, co-registration, unconfirmed opt-in, unsubscribe rate, and 3rd party redirects.

In Order to be a low risk sender with a good reputation you must continually assess the changing standards and your email marketing standards. A few ISP’s will now actually allow you to access information about how your sending look to them.

In a shared environment you share a reputation with everyone you’re sending with. Would you let someone share you social security number? Of course not! When picking a service to email from I would be wise to take in consideration the standards the company sending company upholds.

About now most people would be thinking “Wow is there anything I can’t do to positively affect my digital reputation?” It does take some time but you can build up a good reputation. All of these standards must be looked at as a protection and not a restriction. With out them each of us would receive so much email each day that you wouldn’t be able to easily find anything of interest to you.

Integrity should be a big part of every business. If that integrity carries over into collecting and sending emails, then with a little help from YourHost.com you can have high deliverability and successful email campaigns.

Happy Sending

Brandon McKinney

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