Be very careful with whom you work and especially with partners who send e-mail that looks like it comes from you. Your brand reputation is on the line, and the last thing you want is for anyone receiving your e-mails to feel that they are being spammed. That’s why it is critical that all potential partners are vetted, or thoroughly examined, to insure that their business practices mirror your own.
To make things clear and simple, use this checklist for evaluating data partners:
Check Web sites’ registration source for:
*A clear opt-in process
*High e-mail verification/permission level
*Strict adherence to privacy policy
*Working unsubscribe methods or pages
*Proper use of collected e-mail addresses
Check the reputation of sites by
*Asking for references
*Conducting an IP search via SpamCop
*Scanning Google Groups for complaints
*Checking DNS Stuff for blacklist, IP info and abuse.net use
When renting lists, also
*Check deliverability at key ISPs
*Monitor for spam-trap address inclusion
*Verify Can Spam compliance of e-mails sent
*Quarantine e-mails collected until tested and conduct periodic reputation audits
Matt Blumberg is the driving force behind Return Path, an e-mail performance company. Collaborating with him on this project are his colleagues, e-mail strategists Stephanie A. Miller and Tami Monahan Forman. This article was excerpted from their new book, “Sign Me Up! A Marketer’s Guide to Creating E-mail Newsletters That Build Relationships and Boost Sales (iUniverse Inc., 2005) © 2005 Return Path, Inc. All rights reserved.
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