I got banned from ALL newsletter providers without sending spam

One of my clients got banned from Mailchimp without sending spammy email! Here’s how my client got banned and how you can prevent getting banned too…

I get it, you’re starting up, collecting email addresses like crazy because EVERYBODY tells you the money is in the newsletter list, right?! You’re not making any or enough money yet, so you have one or two Mailchimp accounts up to 2000 subs (free!) and you think you’re running a professional business. Now, let’s check, are you flagged (yet?!)

Are you flagged?

Your domain can be flagged as a spam account. So, no matter where you host your newsletter, you will always be flagged as spam. How horrible, if this is your business name or OWN name, which it probably is so this is seriously my biggest nightmare. This is hurtful for your business in so many ways… just because you’re just trying to inform your people!

Sending out your press message

I know a lot of small business owners think sending out a press release via Gmail or Mailchimp is a good idea. Let me tell you, it is not. Gmail has a 24-hour max. limit, so you can only send up to 150 – 500 emails every 24 hours. Well, a press list of ≠2000 email addresses is quite normal, so adding all the addresses in the BCC is not an option because Gmail will block you hard. You can divide the list into pieces and send out a press release every day of the week to cover your list. This is actually what my client did before she switched to the free Mailchimp plan. But if you hit that Gmail limit once, you can be flagged!

What to do instead

So, we all know you need a press list and a newsletter list, but where do you email them from? I suggest you switch to Convertkit or Infusionsoft to avoid to have your own domain flagged.

In Master the Media, I talk about sending out to large lists, building your list and all the free options you have in one whole module. So if you want to read more on this topic and learn so much more on how to promote yourself without feeling spammy, enroll now! I’ll skip the press release talk here, and let’s focus how you can avoid getting banned with your newsletters!

Build your domain trust by:

• Always use the double opt-in. Have people always verify that they signed in by sending the confirmation out. I know, I know, I always find this super annoying, but it’s the best way to build a genuine list.
• Be clear upfront what your newsletter is all about. This will avoid that people ‘hate’ your newsletter and mark it was spam, or trash is right away without reading. Skip the ‘sign up for the newsletter pop-up’. This is too vague. Be clear like ‘sign-up and receive a weekly inspiration of xx or this awesome freebie’. Value is the key.
• Be consistent. If you only email people every year (been there before, back in 2010!) people will forget about you and think you’re spam. In my case, that wasn’t the case, but I had set up a list once, and forgot all about it until I discovered a few thousand people had signed up haha! Now, to avoid this with your list, I’ll try to send out a weekly super useful newsletter (practice what you preach right?!). You can easily avoid this by letting people know how often and when you will email them.
• Never, ever build an entire list with cold emails, OR, buy a list. Pretty obvious why I hope!
• Automate your newsletter strategy, and set up automated sequences in Convertkit or Infusionsoft for new subscribers. This way you’ll be super active sending out emails… while you’re actually enjoying life outside your computer. Win for everyone! When people sign up to your list, they’re still super eager to consume everything you have to tell, so make use of that.
• If you import your (large) list to Convertkit or Infusionsoft to go pro, make sure you double opt people in… yep. Again. This will lower your ‘abuse rate’. Haha, this is a thing! Your abuse rate should be no more than 0.1%. Because this means, that 1 out of 1000 recipients complain about your message being spam. Iek! Maybe people opted in a few years or months back, and if you have been as neglecting with your newsletter as I once was, they probably don’t remember you.
• Stop importing general email addresses. The more ‘mail@, submission@ or admin@’ email addresses you import, the more likely you will be flagged straight away. This is why it’s important to build your list, and learn about the art of cold pitching.
• Only fill in your REAL information and never email using a VPN.

Want to learn about how to handle your press list? Click here!

Actionable steps you can take today:

• Double check your domain here, to see if you have been flagged or not.
  
• Create an editorial calendar and set up a newsletter schedule.
  
• Skip Gmail, move to Convertkit or Infusionsoft, affordable newsletter marketing for small businesses.
  
• Keep your list warm, before you import it from one excel sheet or Mailchimp to a professional email marketing company. This way, people know who you are.
  
• Enroll in Master the Media and become a press release beast or accept the $5k in 21 days challenge, because I have found a few awesome ways to ‘gather’ email addresses!