Note: this blogpost was originally published on January 5 2009.
We know you’ve already planned to lose weight, quit smoking, and start exercising to improve your quality of life. And we don’t want to overwhelm you with MORE resolutions but simply having better email marketing practices can diminish your complaint rate and improve your deliverability, lowering your stress level and making your life in general better! Aren’t we thoughtful? 
- Emails are nothing without the appropriate permissions. Go for double opt-in.
- Should we really tell you once more to NOT buy lists?
- Keep your lists as up-to-date as possible. Delete all problem addresses and react quickly to unsubscribe requests.
- Avoid using lists you haven’t used for more than a year. If you’ve stopped using a list for several months, it’s a good idea to send a request to subscribers, reconfirming their subscription prior to any other sending.
- In the subscription process clearly explain what your users will receive and when. And allow your subscribers to unsubscribe easily.
- Email subjects must be as clear as possible. Don’t take the chance of getting mixed up with spam. And picking an attractive subject line will make your readers eager to open your email.
- In your emails have a clear sender name and address, and always use the same ones.
- Ask your subscribers to add your email address to their contact list so you won’t end up in their spam box.
- Respect your users and the rules you agreed to when they subscribed to your email. Go further than the rules set up by the CAN-SPAM Act, or at least respect them.
- Make good content! No one will complaint about receiving interesting content.
Whitelisting 101 on CakeMail and the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group - MAAWG Senders Communications Practices Guide (PDF download) will help you keep your resolutions.
Have a great, successful and healthy year in 2009!
