Recommended rules for sending emails to lists of users
Rules for bulk emailing, such as newsletters and email marketing campaigns.
Before sending bulk e-mails, such as direct mail marketing (DEM) or newsletter, it is essential to have taken the following actions:
- Ensure that the email addresses are correct and that the owners have agreed to receive the communication. The correct way to ensure this is to collect the addresses using the Double Opt-in, mechanism, which means that the address is only stored after explicit registration with a confirmation message. The use of unverified lists and/or email addresses collected without explicit permission from the owners may result in the service being blocked;
- include in the message, clearly visible, the link to unsubscribe from the list. This must be a link that allows cancellation with a single clickt must not be an email address to reply to. The lack of such link or its inefficacy may result in the service being blocked;
- use an existing, account that is capable of receiving a large number of messages as a return for bounces (undelivered messages). The use of a non-existent account may result in the service being blocked.
It is also recommended:
- clearly define the subject of the messages you send;
- avoid attachments and, when necessary, keep their size to a minimum;
- avoid sending test messages to the entire list;
- distribute mailings over the longest possible time period;
- set an SPF record in the DNS zone of the sender's domain;
- set a DKIM record in the DNS zone of the sender's domain, in which case the DKIM key must be set on the server;
- It is highly recommended to analyse undelivered messages (bounces) after each mailing in order to eliminate invalid addresses and full (presumably abandoned) accounts and identify any anomalies.