Are You Making These Email Mistakes?

• 

When you send e-mails to your prospect, customer, donor, member, volunteer, or patient list, are you sure you're doing everything you can to ensure they receive your messages? If you're not 100% sure, then you may be making these common email mistakes:

Using Your Own Internet Service Provider's (ISP) Email Address

Big boo-boo. If you're not subscribing to an ESP (email service provider) such as MyNewsletter Builder, Constant Contact, Emma, or another like these, you're losing out.

• People who use their own e-mail accounts run a high risk of getting blackballed as SPAM by ISPs. They're not set up for this purpose and your e-mail campaign or message could end up in your recipients' SPAM folders.

• If you want to know who opened your e-mail and whether they clicked on any of your links, you won't get that important info from your ISP, but you will get it from an ESP.

• ESPs allow you to personalize your communication to help increase open rates. Studies show that using your recipients' names in your salutation and/or body content will increase interest and engagement.

• You can't easily comply with CAN-SPAM regulations (in the U.S.), Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act. (in Canada), or Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (in the UK), using your own ISP, but you can with an ESP.

• You can't send creative emails using your ISP email address, but you can send very creative HTML emails using an email service provider.

Using SPAM Trigger Words

How sure are you that your subject lines aren't triggering a negative response? Do you know which words are more likely to trigger SPAM filters?

Well, thanks to HubSpot, here's a list of the most common SPAM trigger words. Print out a copy and avoid them like the plague to ensure your messages get through. I warn you…it won't be easy – wait until you see the words! It's like playing a game of Taboo.

Got any more e-mail mistakes to share?