Email marketers: Keep your list clean

Who doesn't love spam email and the companies that spam us? Even those running legitimate email campaigns need to keep their lists clean. But how do you know if it's dirty? Mediapost.com is here to help. Here are some tips on how to spot problems with your list:

· Drab delivery rates. If successful deliveries regularly fall below 85%, your list smacks of mucky muck. It's probably time to open the hood and perform a tune up.

· ISPs flag you. Low deliveries go hand in hand with higher bounce numbers-and eventually ISPs will detect and label this as unsavory behavior and flag you. These flags jeopardize your ability to attain and maintain whitelist status.

· Caught in a spam trap. Of course you don't intend to spam, but dirty lists actually are breeding grounds for spam traps. Without proper bounce management your old outdated lists may contain invalid addresses, which ISPs can covertly reassign as spam traps. Be wary of this-it could cost you.

· You become a "marked domain." Sans whitelist status, ISPs may simply shun your domain. Here are a few pitfalls:

o Your large deliveries end up in the trash or blocked
o Spam traps tag you
o ISP bots restrict your email batch volume
o Before you know it your e-marketing program is in trouble
The gist: 'ouch' in the profits department!