question about sending mass emails

[pabu_boy]

Sorry if i am not posting this in the correct area..

My employer is tossing around the idea of sending out a mass email to potential customers. My question is how do spam filters determine what is or is not spam.
I have read that the emails header is reviewed and I have found a list of words that will raise the spam count. Is there any thing else aside from attachments i should be aware of? The only attachment will be a small image file (coupon).

Any advice would be great.
Thanks

[JPnyc]

Forgive me, but it sounds as though you're asking us to assist in spamming. If that's the case, we couldn't assist. Spam filters exist for a reason, and the people that use them don't want them gotten around.

[pabu_boy]

Forgive me, but it sounds as though you're asking us to assist in spamming. If that's the case, we couldn't assist. Spam filters exist for a reason, and the people that use them don't want them gotten around.

Technically maybe it is spamming.?.. The emails were provided by our local chamber of commerce.. The email address was an optional feild, and many of the people on the list opted not to give out an address. All the recipiants are home buyers in our town, and were part of our towns "greeter program" We are not trying to just send emails to totally random people and the emails are legit.
Its kind of a "welcome to our town" aswell as a coupon to our store

I do understand what you are saying and if you can't help i totally understand why!

[gore]

How about instead of possibly annoying people with something they may not want, and, if they do, have to print out, which, if they have no printer would be useless anyway, you could have some of these "coupons" printed out, and just hand them out at the door.

This prevents annoyances, and also, you hand them to people actually there. If they're all locals as you say, then it shouldn't be a problem to have them printed and then handed out at the door like most places do.

[westin]

How about instead of possibly annoying people with something they may not want, and, if they do, have to print out, which, if they have no printer would be useless anyway, you could have some of these "coupons" printed out, and just hand them out at the door.

This prevents annoyances, and also, you hand them to people actually there. If they're all locals as you say, then it shouldn't be a problem to have them printed and then handed out at the door like most places do.

gore's idea sounds much better than sending out a mass email. I would be pretty ticked if I found out the CoC in my town was handing out email lists. Granted, I usually don't provide my email address unless it is absolutely necessary, and even then I give out my 'junk' email address.

[pabu_boy]

How about instead of possibly annoying people with something they may not want, and, if they do, have to print out, which, if they have no printer would be useless anyway, you could have some of these "coupons" printed out, and just hand them out at the door.

This prevents annoyances, and also, you hand them to people actually there. If they're all locals as you say, then it shouldn't be a problem to have them printed and then handed out at the door like most places do.

Not a bad idea, but one of our problems currently is that we do not have alot of customers coming through the door, that is what is prompting some new ways to advertise locally.

we also thought the coupon would be a good way to determine how well the emails worked.

I don't think i would be annoyed if i got an email from a legit local business although i would wonder where they got my email address.

Like i stated in the first post, we are just tossing the idea around. All the input is greatly appreciated!

[gore]

If you're trying to boost sales, or get new customers at least in the door, your best bet, is still to print the coupon yourself, but then add a number to it to identify that coupon, and then, when someone uses it, ask for the name. If you're worried they won't give it, say that everyone using the coupon is being entered into a drawing for something free, or for a 10% discount card on their next purchase. People love free crap, and so you'd be surprised how well that would work.

The reason for an ID number and name, would be basically, that way, you can simply send them out in snail mail. You could also have a sign made (The crap kids use for school projects can work if you have someone good enough at drawing) and stick it in with window of the store, or, put some on plywood and make a sign yourself.

Whatever you do don't light the thing up or make it flash, that's a sign of desperation in business.

You could also take out a small add in the local paper. They usually charge based on word count, so you should be able to get "Huge sale at this place" for pretty cheap.

Also, call your cable company. Here at least, the cable company gives discounts for ads on TV to local business people, so you can use that route too.

You also can hang up signs on Telephone Poles.

Another way to get this working is to get your local area council to create a Bulletin Board. Think of it as an analogue forum


An old grocery store in my old neighborhood actually still has one. It's basically a big display where local business people advertise free, and people can offer services too.

The community I live in for example, has a big one where girls advertise baby sitting and other things to make money. When I checked the mail today they were offering free kittens.

Also, don't forget the power of cheap. When my Uncle was trying to get rid of these HUGE display Beepers (He owned a Beeper and Cell Phone shop) and didn't want to pay to ship them back to the company who in turn didn't even want them...

He made a sign saying "free" and left them out in the entry way. NO ONE looked at them.

I asked if he'd like my help and he said yea... I changed the sign from "free" to "$5.00" and in an hour someone stole them all. Got rid of them, and it's not like anyone took them when they were free.

Literally these damn balloons were sitting out there for 4 hours with free on them and no one even touched them. As soon as I put a price on them, a half hour later someone stole them.

It seems dumb I know, but exploiting human stupidity for fun or profit.... Well, no laws against that. If there was, used car salesmen would be in prison.



EDIT:

By the way....What do you sell anyway? If I knew what you were trying to get people to buy, I could probably give you better suggestions. I'm pretty good at this and the fact that I don't have a great paying job does in fact surprise me.

[JPnyc]

Well in that case, I would say the most important factors are the e-mail domain you send from, you need to make sure it's not already on some spam list, and second would be the email subject. I would avoid phrases such as " free coupon for you!". That would most likely get flagged. I'm sure somebody else here will have some more insights to add.

It's also worth noting that most people also do check their spam folders to be sure that no legitimate mail was routed there by mistake, so even if it is flagged it's not guaranteed that they won't see it.

[ByTeWrangler]

http://www.google.co.in/search?clien...utf-8&oe=utf-8


Off topic:
Client = OPERA (RULES !)

[nihil]

Hmmmm..............."to spam or not to spam, that is the question................"

I guess it is a matter of personal opinion as to the dividing line between spam and legitimate advertising? Personally I see no difference between an e-mail and something stuffed through my letter box.

You certainly need to be very wary of what you put in the e-mail header, and avoid anything that sounds in the least bit "commercial"

I would go for "Welcome as a new resident of xyzville" or whatever

I would also can the idea of a coupon attachment...............give them a code to quote in the body of the e-mail ................. hell you just want to get them in the store right? That gets round the no printer/ run out of ink issue?