Getting past the spam filters
First, keep in mind that just like the search engines, spam filters are constantly and deliberately evolving. Some techniques that work today, may not work next year. And sometimes you just won’t be able to figure out why a specific message isn’t getting through. But the name of the game is to improve your overall performance. These are the basic rules that will help more of your messages reach more of your targets.
1. Carefully word your message and your subject line. Unfortunately, the mortgage industry has a bad reputation in the spam filter community, so a lot of your “essential” words will automatically trigger the filters. Spend a little extra time crafting your message and avoid using any of the following words in the body or in the subject line: Mortgage, free, money, payment, save, refi, refinance, consolidate, prize, debt, and cash. It will be tough, but your messages are more likely to get through if you can avoid those terms.
2. Balance images with content. This is a relatively new technique for us, but we’re seeing more of our messages get through the filters if we limit the graphics in our e-mails and make sure the text-to-image ratio is at least fairly balanced. There’s an extra benefit to limiting graphics in e-mails, also: Many e-mail programs will block images on even those messages that make it through the spam filter. So if your message is image-laden, your recipient isn’t seeing those graphics without downloading them separately inside the message. If text is the primary element in your message, you’re more likely to get through and your recipient is more likely to see the message as you intended.
3. Avoid background images, and use solid colors instead. When you do add graphics to your e-mails, don’t use them as background images in tables or with text on top of the image. Many e-mail programs won’t display the message correctly in this format so it will look less than professional. If you do make it through the filters, don’t let technicalities ruin your impression.
4. Test. Test. Test. If you’re taking the time to send a marketing campaign through e-mail and if you send any kind of automatic e-mails to clients and prospects, it’s worth the extra effort to test them in popular e-mail programs. Open accounts with Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, and Outlook and send yourself the messages to verify they will get through. These accounts are usually free or very inexpensive.
5. Always respect an opt out and have that option in every e-mail. If you’re marketing with e-mail, it’s your responsibility to manage a list and make sure that anyone who has chosen to not receive your e-mails has an easy way to opt-out. Include your opt out process in every message you send, and make sure you have a way to honor their wishes quickly and easily. If you buy e-mail marketing lists, make certain you have an automatic way to delete the e-mail addresses that choose to unsubscribe because handling a flood of manual requests could easily overwhelm you. If you don’t have an easy opt out policy, or if you ignore their request, you’ll run a risk of being flagged as a spammer and your entire domain will be blocked – not just individual messages.
If you don’t have XSellerate, our automatic Mortgage Marketing program, click here to check it out. We’ve just completed an overhaul of the more than 320 pre-built e-mail ads to improve their deliverability. The library is full of mortgage-specific content that really gets results and now it has been optimized to get through the spam filters. XSellerate automates your marketing and takes care of a lot of the technical how-tos for you, so we encourage you to look into it. Good luck with your e-mail marketing efforts and we hope these tips will help your messages get through more often.
