How to Avoid Email Abuse Complaints When Starting a Newsletter

📅 June 9, 2016 - Starting a newsletter is a great way to build your brand especially for small business owners. The only drawback to this new marketing strategy is that you could end up with email newsletter complaints. Complaints typically involve email abuse complaints and reports of spam. The last thing you want as you launch a new newsletter to your clientele is complaints of abuse when you were simply trying to grow your business and gain brand recognition.

You could end up getting your business in some legal trouble if it's bad enough, and potentially gain a negative reputation which is a disaster for a small business or one that's trying to get their name out there. If you learn about the ways to avoid email abuse complaints and reports of spam than you can make sure you are properly starting your newsletter and finding success with it. Take a look at a few tips from the pros.

Make sure you have a double opt-in process

Sometimes people accidentally sign up for email newsletters which makes them mad when they feel that they may have been duped into it. Having a double opt-in process makes it easier for you to avoid making anyone mad and encourages your customers to make sure they were really serious about their intention to sign up for the newsletter.

Double opt-in means that after someone signs up through your website that they will also have to confirm by email that they wanted the subscription. If a customer gets an email confirming their intention when they really didn't sign up for your newsletter, it will be easy to delete the email and avoid opting in the final time.

This prevents angry customers from reporting you for spam. If they did mean to sign up, then you can ensure that your email list is full of subscribers that really want to be there rather than having customers that feel duped.

Make sure your emails are good

If you are going to offer an email newsletter from your business, make sure the emails offer quality and aren't a waste of time. People get enough emails these days and if you were lucky enough to get people to want your emails, you better make sure they have good information.

Don't let people find themselves disappointed by your emails and make sure your emails are the best they can be. Make them interesting, useful, and avoiding sales pitches. Making them enjoyable may cause them to share them with friends and that could help you build your list.

Collecting email addresses directly

Sometimes people will try to sell you email addresses to start your newsletter list, but these emails were likely gathered illegally or unethically. Rather than making people want to report you for scamming your way to their email address, instead make sure you are only collecting email addresses directly from your subscribers. You can promote your newsletter on your website or social media to encourage folks to sign up with their email.

Make it clear who you are and avoid spamming

Make sure your newsletters make it rally clear who you are since occasionally the “sent” field has a confusing name that won't be recognized. Try to make your company name the new “sent” name and make the subject easier to recognize.

You'll also want to avoid spamming anyone by sending only one email per day or a few per week. If you send too many you will appear spammy. Your customers will thank you if you give them the option for newsletter frequency and the ability to unsubscribe easily if they are not happy with your newsletter.

An email newsletter may be a great way to enhance your business this year. Just make sure you are doing it right and not encouraging people to report you for email abuse.