Useful for protecting Internet users from spammers, spam traps do not remain a real obstacle in the context of an email marketing campaign. The consequences can even be extremely unfortunate for the sender who gets caught up in it. Between email verification services and organic list building, here are the practices to put in place to avoid these famous spam traps.
Small reminder about spamtraps
Spamtraps are email addresses set up by ISPs and anti-spam organizations, whose purpose is to trap spammers. Seemingly completely normal, these addresses do not in fact belong to any user and will act like bait. If an email is sent to it, it is automatically detected and then reported, or even placed on a blacklist.
There are three main types of spam traps: the pristine spam trap, the recycled spam trap, and the email address containing typos.
Spam trap: a trap to avoid for email marketers
This system, which is very effective in combating the growing rise of spam, unfortunately also traps many legitimate senders who are tricked into keeping this type of address in their mailing list. Others may also have their email spoofed by spammers. In any case, once trapped, you will have very little chance of seeing your communications arrive in the recipient’s inbox. You also risk being blocked by ISPs.
4 essential practices to guard against spam traps
- It is absolutely necessary to regularly check and clean your mailing lists using Captain Verify the email validation service. This will both identify suspicious addresses and delete them.
- Your emails should only be sent to people who have given their prior permission to do so.
- Forget about purchased or rented lists, as these usually contain spam traps.
- Always remember to include a clearly visible unsubscribe link in your emails.
How to avoid Spam Traps without going through a dedicated online service?
If you prefer to do it yourself, here are some tips that will help you build a healthy mailing list free of spam traps:
- Take the time to build your mailing list in an organic and respectful way, including using double opt-in for new subscribers, and including a sign-up form on strategic pages of your site.
- Be sure to send emails that meet the expectations of your audience, offer them real added value, to make them want to open your communications.
- For inactive subscribers, first try to understand why they no longer interact with you, through a follow-up email for example. If they don’t respond or if they are no longer interested, then you can remove them from the list.
- For people who unsubscribed on their own, try a reactivation campaign, with an exclusive offer or content. In attention, it is not a question of insisting heavily, but of trying to recover these old subscribers. If that doesn’t work, then you can also permanently remove them from your list here.
For these last two situations, in the event that people definitively refuse any communication, you can send a last email to say goodbye and thank them for following you. A way to close the relationship by staying on a good image.
In summary, it is highly recommended to use an email verification service to avoid spam traps, especially when dealing with very large lists. However, the work is also done on your end, building a healthy list that you can then add to as you go. Avoiding these pitfalls is crucial for the success of your campaign as well as your reputation as a sender.
