Hey there!

So when I logged onto Twitter today I saw this tweet from marketer extraordinaire Noah Kagan:

Noah’s touching on something pretty important here folks: the definition of SPAM has changed and the way people are reacting to things they now consider SPAM-my is changing too.

In the early days of the net, unwanted emails were flooding people’s inboxes and it reminded someone of this Monty Python skit where the word “SPAM” is used constantly, interrupting conversations and just being friggin’ annoying. So “SPAM” began being used as a term for unsolicited marketing emails. But in the last ten years or so, that definition has evolved.

From “I didn’t sign up” to “I don’t like”

It used to be easier to stay out of the SPAM bin. Don’t send people emails if they didn’t sign up for, don’t use spammy language, don’t cram your email with images, etc. But a funny thing started happening. Instead of purely unsolicited messages, people began to mark emails they didn’t like or weren’t relevant to them as SPAM too, whether they had voluntarily signed up to receive those emails or not. And not only has their definition changed, but so has their behavior. People no longer just ignore, delete, or unsubscribe from emails they aren’t interested in. They’re using the “Mark as Spam” button much more frequently and for more and more reasons. This has caused a ton of new headaches for email marketers.

SPAM is the mortal enemy of anyone involved with email marketing or email development. It kills email deliverability and our reputation, even preventing people that want to see our emails from receiving them. Savvy emailers need to adapt to this change in attitude or suffer the consequences.

The links below provided some great insights on how you can avoid the SPAM bin and keep your messages in the inbox, as well as shed light on some other behaviors and changes that are keeping your emails from your users:

Follow These Basic Best Practices

This oldie but goodie from SIlverpop has some great basic tips to stay out of the SPAM bin.

http://www.silverpop.com/downloads/white-papers/Silverpop-Spam-Study.pdf Get familiar with the CAN-SPAM act

The CAN-SPAM Act, a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have you stop emailing them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business Litmus Has Real Strategies That Work

Always up on the latest email trends, our friends at Litmus put out an awesome eBook filled with tactics and strategies for dealing with the changing definition of SPAM.

https://litmus.com/lp/spam-complaints Yes, You Should Be Afraid of iOS 10’s Unsubscribe Option

iOS 10 made it easier for people to unsubscribe from email lists and people are using it, but there is a silver lining.

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/marketers-anxious-over-ios-10s-easy-unsubscribe-option-this-report-says-youre-right-to-be/ Stuck in Gmail’s ‘Promotions’ Tab? It’s Not Thaaaat Bad

More and more marketers are seeing their emails put under the Promotions tab in Gmail instead of the main inbox. The goods news is that people still check to see what’s in there.

http://www.zettasphere.com/gmail-promotions-tab-inbox-delivery-stats/

SPAM is less of a technical issue and much more of a content one. People are tired of clueless marketing messages that don’t speak to them or offer anything of substance, and they are taking action. Successful emails deliver valuable and relevant content. If you choose to disregard how your readers feel, they will make their voice heard (and probably use that “Mark as Spam” button). Getting more of your team involved in the creation and design of your emails can help ensure you’re staying true to your users. That’s why we developed Foundation for Emails in the first place, to get more people involved in the conversation and take your companies’ email strategy farther. If you’d like to get everyone up to speed, we have a comprehensive responsive email masterclass that will turn your whole team into Radical Email Geek Wizards.

Learn more about ZURB MASTER CLASS: Responsive Email

So what’s your take? How do you define “spam”? How have you been able to keep your messages out of the spam bin?

Until next month, see you in the inbox!

This article was original published in the February edition of the Inky Insider . Inky Insider is ZURB’s email magazine about email design, development and strategy. Get the latest issues

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