a la mode
news & tips — posted June 8,
2005
Sorting it all out: How e-mail spam
filters work
More and more
of your clients and prospects are using spam filters as a way to deal with the volume
of unwanted e-mail they receive each day. There are several different
kinds of filters
—
all of which can affect the deliverability of your e-mail marketing
and, as a result, the ability to get new leads to your XSite. Here's how
some of the most common filters work:
User defined
filters. Available in most e-mail clients, this type of filter
allows your clients to forward e-mail to different mailboxes depending on
headers or contents. For example, they would filter e-mail from
specific coworkers into a mailbox named after them. That way, they
don't lose an important e-mail because it's buried among spam.
They can
also use this filter to forward any e-mail that look suspicious
directly to their trash. To do this they examine the spam e-mails
they receive and take note of their characteristics and the words used
in the subject line, etc. (See "The
Do's and Don'ts of the e-mail subject line," below)
Permission
filters. This filter will block all e-mail that does not come from
an authorized source. A client or prospect is using this method
if you receive an auto response when you e-mail him or her for the
first time explaining that you must visit a web
page to validate your e-mail address before your e-mail will be
delivered.
Header filters.
This filter examines the headers of e-mails to determine
whether they're legitimate. In addition to the sender, receiver and
subject line, e-mail headers also contain information about the server
used to deliver that e-mail. Because most spammers do not want to be
traced, they'll often put false information in the e-mail headers to
prevent people from contacting them directly. A header filter can
detect forged headers and prevent the e-mail from going into your
client's
inbox.
Content filters.
This filter
denies any e-mail containing elements that the filter doesn't like
from entering your client's inbox. It may filter e-mails containing certain
words or e-mails with certain formatting such as all capital letters
or non-standard colors. Unfortunately, this filter may filter bulk e-mail such as newsletters
that might appear to be spam. If you send out regular
newsletters to your clients, you can ensure they get to your clients
by asking them to "subscribe" by adding your e-mail to their address
book.
Language
filters. This filter simply removes any e-mail that is not in the
language your client speaks. Because it only filters out foreign language spam,
a client may use this filter if they don't expect to get any e-mails in
a language other than their own. If you regularly market to
Spanish buyers and sellers or have clients that speak another
language, you may want to ask which language they prefer you to
communicate.
The do's and don'ts of the e-mail subject line
As you know, a good
subject line is what encourages people to open your e-mail
—
whether it's a marketing ad or a simple note to a client
— but you
need to be careful when creating your subject headings to prevent them
from being filtered into the spam folder (see "How spam filters
work" above). Here are some subject line "don'ts"
to consider when writing e-mails to clients and prospects:
Don't use
the "F" word. By that we mean the word "free" used alone or in
combination with words like "trial," "money," "quote," "access," etc.
Don't use
words and phrases from the following list. They're common terms
associated with the real estate business that are likely to be zapped
by most spam filters:
Don't use
capital letters. When you use all capital letters, there is no
differentiation in your words and that makes them harder to read. It
also comes across like you're shouting, which increases the likelihood
that it will be considered spam.
Don't use
excessive punctuation or symbols. One question mark is okay, three or
more may send your e-mail to the spam folder. Also, avoid using
exclamation points and symbols such as $ or % as they're often counted
as spam.
Don't give
commands. Filters often consider words like "Open now,"
"Download," "Buy," and "Save" as "aggressive" subject line language. Save your calls to action for the body of your message.
So what can
you do to ensure your e-mail gets to the recipient's inbox? Here are some
things you can do to your subject line to improve deliverability:
Do brand
your subject line. Place your name or company name at the very
beginning of the subject line so your message is easy to identify (e.g.
"Walker Real Estate: Another possible listing in Oakland"). Branding your subject line also gives the recipient an easy keyword to
add to their filters' white or "permitted" list, ensuring that your
messages are sent to their Inbox.
Do be as
specific as possible. Some spammers try to trick filters by using
common work-related phrases such as "The document you requested" to
get through. So, whether you're sending them a marketing ad or a
reminder of your meeting next Tuesday, try to be as specific as
possible in your subject line (e.g. "Listing planning meeting June
10").
Do ask their
permission. It's always easier to get e-mail through if you have
permission first, so encourage your clients to add your e-mail address
in their address book, trusted sender list or approved sender list
(whatever the name may be in their e-mail client).
Once you've got
subject writing down, the rest of your e-mail marketing is a piece of
cake if you're using the XSellerate marketing system. XSellerate's e-mail and print library
consists of ads designed around your marketing needs that you can edit
any way you like. Or, create your own ads that will boost your sales
to the next level. Don't have XSellerate yet?
Get it
today.
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