• Your email should be focused, easy to read, and easy to understand. An email is not the place for a long, drawn out sales page. Yes, it works great when you are selling your pitch on a web page, but not in an email. An email is a pre-sell, to what you want the individual to go look at.
• Give the reader the benefits.  "What's in it for me" is the question most people want answered in an email. And that comes from showing them the benefits, as well as, how it will make their life easier.
• Personalize the email with "You, I or Us.
• If the reader has to guess what you want-you've lost them.
• And don't forget the link.

1. Don't use graphics, animation or flash presentation- Though it looks nice, it slows load time, and sometimes can clog their email system. Once loaded, the sender may delete it out of anger.
2. Don't use IM chat language (IMHO, LOL, etc). It's a great strike against you for professionalism.
3. Don't use attachments. Attachments are or should be an immediate jerk reflex to delete the email to avoid viruses.
4. Do not use flashy color or font styles, this indicates inexperience.

Avoiding the Email Spam Filter

You thought you sent a professional email, but...it entered the spam filter. Why? There may be triggers within your email or even your newsletter that flagged the spam filter to label your email as spam.  There are certain things that may help you to avoid the spam filter, as well as, the recipient from deleting your email.

1. Do you allow ads from third parties? If you do, be sure to research the webmaster/url. If the individual used an url that is considered spam within their ad, you will instantly hit the spam filter.
2. Some hot button words that will see the spam filter are: Mortgages,  make money, medication, or pornography. 
3. Images, use sparing-or that could hit the spam filter. 
4. No CAPS or exclamations like this (!!!!) at the end of each paragraph  - It will hit the spam filter.

You've Hit the Email Blacklist

If you find your emails being returned with a message that states that you have been charged with spamming. It means that any email that you send from that email address/IP address will hit the spam filter and will not be allowed to go through. I'll give you some quick reasons why this happens, and ways to try and prevent being blacklisted.

• You have an opt-in option but still hit the email blacklist. Within your email, indicate to your customer that they are receiving this email because they have opted into your newsletter when they purchased a product or service or visited your site.
• You need an opt-out option in your email. The opt-out option is an easy and quick way for customers to opt-out of the newsletter. Note: You noticed that I said a quick and easy method to unsubscribe. If you do not make it quick and easy to unsubscribe, you run the risk of being labeled as a spammer. No one wants to just through hoops to get out of something.
• Your email should contain something of value. If your email is of value, people will be more apt to read the email. In the end, you will have to get some input from your list as to how often they want information emails to hit their email box.
• You're sending to many emails to your list. If you are inundating for list with promotional messages, expect your email to hit the spam file.

Opt-out Email Rule

When you receive an email address-it should belong to your list alone. Per the FEC it is "illegal for you to sell or transfer the email addresses of people who choose not to receive your email, even in the form of a mailing list, unless you transfer the addresses so another entity can comply with the law."