Dear Tayllor,

In the world of email, there is a battle going on everyday. It's the battle for the inbox. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are working hard to let legitimate email through and keep unsolicited email out. And Email Service Providers (ESPs), like Constant Contact®, are fighting on your behalf to get your email marketing communications delivered to the inbox. But it's not entirely up to these providers. There are things that you can do to increase your emails' chances of delivery.

This month, we offer you two articles. The first gives you 6 steps you can take to strengthen your deliverability; the second is a behind the scenes view of email delivery that shows you how email is filtered, and what ISPs look at to determine whether it is legitimate or spam.

In this issue:

• Gail Goodman's Article, Making it to the Inbox
• The September Success Story, featuring BoardWalk Consulting
• Speak Your Mind, where Gail answers a question about asking new customers to join your email list

1. Use a recognizable "from" name - Most people open or delete emails based on the "from" name. Use a name that those on your list will recognize. Often, this is your company name.



2. Use a clear subject line - A subject line that represents who you are and what your email is about will help your recipients recognize your email as legitimate.



3. Make it relevant - While content is just one of many factors ISPs look at, it is the main concern for people on your list. If you are sending them irrelevant communications, even if they signed up for your list, they may click the "This is spam" button the next time they receive an email from you. Take the time to know your audience and only send information that is helpful and useful to them.



4. Keep a clean list - Get rid of the nonexistent addresses you are sending emails to every month. The ISPs notice when you don't. By removing defunct email addresses, you will improve your deliverability. If you use an Email Service Provider (ESP) like Constant Contact to send your email, you should have the option to easily delete nonexistent email addresses.



5. Authenticate - This is similar to "registering" your domain name with the ISPs so they can begin to give it a reputation. If you are a Constant Contact customer, I encourage you to turn authentication on in your account. This will help your deliverability and will help position you for future success as well. For more information on authentication, read the article below.



6. Offer confirmed opt-in - Also known as double opt-in, this is a surefire way to know that the people on your list really want to be there. When a person signs up through your website or other avenues, they will automatically receive an email from you asking them to confirm their subscription. This approach is seen as a best practice. It's important to tell new subscribers that if they do not respond to your confirmation email, they won't be added to your list.

BoardWalk Consulting
Firm delights subscribers with e-newsletter

Constant Contact Customer Since: March 2004
List size: 2,939
Open rate: 39%
Favorite Feature: Custom templates
Website: www.BoardWalkConsulting.com

To understand Atlanta-based BoardWalk Consulting's mission you need only read their tagline: "Building strong foundations for nonprofits"®. Founder Sam Pettway and his team accomplish this by providing executive searches, board member training, and strategic planning to clients throughout the United States. BoardWalk also serves the larger nonprofit community by sharing their expertise in a free, monthly e-newsletter sent through Constant Contact®.

Constant Contact's SpeakUp!^SM Email Marketing product was the obvious choice for Sam, who says it is, "the single most cost-effective tool we have in our communications kit." He adds, "Constant Contact provides so much service at such little cost!"

Boardwalk's e-newsletter is fittingly named smorgasBoard® because it contains a wide variety of relevant articles and resources, including tips and tools for nonprofit leaders, and the latest information on the firm's clients and their causes.

It's clear that smorgasBoard subscribers value the newsletter's content from the positive reviews they give and their open rate of 40 percent. smorgasBoard isn't just a nice offering; it's an important part of the value that BoardWalk offers their clients and an influential tool that helps them accomplish their mission.

Do you have a question about email marketing best practices? We want to hear from you! Please send us your questions, feedback, and ideas. Contact us now!

Gail Goodman, the CEO of Constant Contact, is a dynamic speaker and author, as well as an expert in small business and marketing. She has been featured in numerous online and offline publications including Fortune Small Business, Entrepreneur, Small Business Technology Magazine, Inc. Magazine, CNN, and the Boston Business Journal.