5:13 pm admin

This is another topic we have covered before, but is always a good refresher!

Complaints are one of the biggest problems people have with their email programs and can cause some of the most damage, short and long term.

There are a couple of kinds of "complaints":
1. Subscriber unsubscribes and tells your ESP that your email is unwanted (aka spam) <-- This is the least damaging to your overall reputation but can get you put on warning or canceled from your service provider if you have too many.

2. Subscriber hits the spam button in your email. This tells the recipients email provider to stop letting your messages through to them. These types of complaints are often what causes email providers to determine that you're sending a lot of spam.

3. Subscriber manually reports you to a 3rd party service.

It's important to note that just because someone has opted in to your list (or for an individual report, video, product, etc.) that they want 101 emails a month from you or your company.

Why Do People Complain?
There are a handful of reasons people mark your message as spam. These include:

* You purchased, rented or borrowed a list and they did not give you permission to email them at all.

* You didn't set clear expectations for subscribers when they opted into your list. In other words, they signed up for a free video and you are sending them affiliate promos every other ay now.

* They forgot they signed up for your list.

* They are no longer interested in you, your products or your services.

Regardless of WHY they complain, it's important to make sure you're handling complaints properly and addressing the source of the complaints promptly to minimize any long term damage.

A Few Pointers to Reduce Complaints:

* NEVER buy, rent or borrow a list. PERIOD. You can essentially guarantee that you're going to have poor results out of the gate and it's going to be difficult to restore your reputation.

* Be clear when they sign up what they're signing up for. If they think they're getting a single email with a link to a video, then don't start sending all of your emails. As them for permission to send a weekly newsletter, occasional offers, etc. You can do this at the time of sign up OR when you send out the video. Consider offering them a link to click that lets them automatically sign up for XYZ (this is a simple one click option in the new email software ;-)

* Watch for when engagement drops off. Pay attention to your metrics and offer special incentives around the average time people seem to disconnect and stop opening your messages.

* Provide a preference center that allows users to decide what types of messages they get from you and how often (This is also a feature in the new mail client)

* Send consistently (assuming you have permission to do so). If you take months, even weeks off from mailing, people may forget you! This is one reason why it's super important to make sure you go through an indoctrination process upon signing up for your newsletter. That way, if you take some time off, they'll still remember you when you do send to them again.

NOTE: Any time you take a break in sending, you'll see an uptick in complaints thereafter.

* Automate re-engagement campaigns. You can determine the time frame, but we recommend starting somewhere between 60-90 days.

For over a decade Heather Seitz used email marketing to build successful companies and had to solve the biggest barrier to consistent profitability: deliverability. Today she is the Co-Founder and CEO of Email Delivered.

For more information on how complaints affect deliverability, click here http://www.emaildelivered.com/deliverability-reminders-complaints/. Remember to sign up for the FREE Email Delivered Pulse newsletter for articles, tips, and recommended resources for email marketers.

November 15, 2017