I’ve written several posts talking about email and its use as a marketing tool.  If used correctly, email marketing can be a valuable addition to your efforts, if it isn’t already.  Keep in mind, however, that many “companies” aren’t as honest with their email as you are.  Spam fighting has become an industry all its own and the tools to combat unsolicited bulk email are growing every day.  In fact, some companies use what’s called a “blacklist” to keep email from known spammers out of their inboxes.

Derek Harding has a good overview of just what to do should your company or organization mistakenly end up on a blacklist.

Step One:  Understand the List

According to Harding, the first step in resolving an accidental blacklisting is to find out about the list you’ve ended up on.  Is it a computer-generated list?  Is it manually created?  And since some blacklists are very specific in what they filter, finding out what the purpose of the list is can be very helpful.  Finally, find out what the delisting process consists of.  Sometimes it’s automatic.  Sometimes you might have to fill out an online form or make a phone call.  Do your research before you start firing off angry emails or harassing phone calls.

Step Two:  Determine the Impact

Harding’s next step involves finding out just what impact, if any, being blacklisted on a particular list will do to your business.  If the Kangaroo Haters List has blacklisted you, and your business has nothing even remotely to do with kangaroos, it might not be such a big deal.  If one company in the whole world uses a certain blacklist, it might not be worth the trouble to seek delisting.  Harding also has an excellent tip about checking a blacklist’s score on SpamAssassin.  There are also some great tips available on SpamAssassin’s website to help you avoid being blacklisted at all.

Step Three:  Consider the Removal Cost

As Harding points out, sometimes getting delisted isn’t worth what it would take to do so.  He wisely advices to check your equipment and settings to make sure outside spammers can’t use your servers to route spam.  If so, Harding says, fix those problems ASAP.  But if the changes required to get yourself delisted require major monetary investments, huge amounts of resources and time, or cause disruptions to your daily business operations, it might not be worth the effort.

Step Four:  Make the Appropriate Changes

A lot of times the changes required for delisting aren’t that big of a deal.  Email format, link style, or email server settings can all trigger a false-positive, especially with automatic systems.  Harding suggests making the changes and testing them before trying to get delisted.  It might look suspicious if you say you’ve changed things and then don’t (even if it’s accidental).

Step Five:  Follow the Removal Instructions

Harding points out that this step, above all others, is the most important.  And I agree.  If the list requires a form to be filled out, fill it out.  Don’t send harassing emails or make malicious phone calls.  Follow the removal instructions and then wait.  Most list removals are not instantaneous.  They take a little time.  Make your changes, request removal, and then be patient.

You’d be wise to review this information and the tips mentioned above before your first email even goes out.  With a little pre-planning, blacklisting can be avoided altogether.  And listen to your subscribers.  If they request to be removed from your email list, honor that suggestion.

It’s all about openness and honesty.  Spammers often try to be sneaky and hide things.  Put it all out in the open and you’re much more likely to have a successful email marketing campaign.