1.) Do reach out to inactive subscribers to see if they still want to be included on your list; doing so decreases the likelihood that they will flag you as spam and keeps your list current clean.
2.) Do ask for feedback from your inactive or infrequently active subscribers to see if you can re-engage them.
3.) Do use double opt-in. This means after someone subscribes, you should send them an email with a confirmation link ensuring they want to receive email communications from you.
4.) Do ask your subscribers to white list you. Spam filters are more aggressive than ever, and sometimes email people value still end up in spam boxes. By asking your subscribers to add you to their address book, it tells spam filters to back off.
5.) Do include a clear unsubscribe link and a physical mailing address in your email footer.
6.) Do use a familiar sender name to decrease the likelihood recipients won’t recognize you in their inbox.
7.) Do include your recipient’s name in the ‘To’: field so spam filters know that you do, indeed know your recipient.
8.) Do offer both an HTML and a plain text version of your emails; it is not only an indicator of legitimacy to ISPs, but it also makes your emails more reader friendly.
9.) Do keep emails short; too much copy is another red flag for spam filters.
10.) Do include the date somewhere in the body of your email to show your message is current.
11.) Do test emails you send with the email clients your subscribers use to ensure they deliver successfully to all of them.
12.) Do get email sender accreditation from a third party so ISPs know you are a trusted sender.
13.) Do monitor your sender reputation. DNSstuff.com lets you check on whether you are a blacklisted sender, something many unlucky email marketers are not even aware.
14.) Do honor unsubscribed; it is not only good for you as a self-scrubbing mechanism, but it is also illegal.
15.) Do stay up to date on changes in email sending laws, ISP behavior, and spam filter technology. Email marketing is constantly evolving, and staying aware helps to ensure you are always following best practices (and the law!).