Start a newsletter basic guidelines

Steps for going ok

[silverbytes]

I want to start a newsletter with users that suscribed trough a form in my site.
However I want to minimize the risk of being acused of spam.

What are the basic guidelines?
Should I send using my site's domain adress or another? Should I use an email server of my own or trough my isp?

Any help for this newsletter newbie?
Thanks!

[eWhisper]

Double opt in method to subscribe. One click to unsubscribe.

Don't send mail to people that unsubscribe (I know it sounds odd - but I get emails two weeks later from some legit companies with the obligitory 'we miss you' and it's just annoying.

I like seeing newsletters that are from the senders domain, or at least have it from yourdomain.newsletterhosting.com or something as it looks more legit - but I don't think it's completely necessary - just looks more professional.

[Mardi_Gras]

>I like seeing newsletters that are from the senders domain, or at least have it from yourdomain.newsletterhosting.com

I agree - but remember that is the domain that is going to get blacklisted when somebody forgets that they subscribed to your newsletter and complains to SpamCop...

[mep00]

Don't send mail to people that unsubscribe

What about a conformation email sent immediatly saying they have been unsubscribed and to only respond if there has been an error?

[hannamyluv]

Don't mail, period, if they have unsubscribed.

Address of business on the email is a new requirement.

[NeedScripts]

Don't mail, period, if they have unsubscribed.

So what you saying is.. "anyone can unsubscribe" anyone" right?

NS

[zestor]

Just don't mail period, if they subscribe or not :)

There are way too many newsletters in this world as it is.

[mep00]

Just don't mail period, if they subscribe or not

Ah, I get it, you give them the choise to either view the newsletter at your site, or give them the convenience to subscribe and then come to your site to read it. Brilliant! I wish I thought of that. :)

[hannamyluv]

There are way too many newsletters in this world as it is.

The same could be said for websites, so why don't we all stop making them now and make the internet a little less cluttered. ;)

As long as you can get subscribers, newsletters are a good thing. I have several that I read religiously that I would never visit the site without the email newsletter reminder.

[silverbytes]

Double opt in method to subscribe

Does that means i must send them an email saying "are you sure you want to suscribe? Please confirm replying that email! or something?

In the other hand I see the risks are too high, if someone complains or something is annoying you are screwed up with the entire domain...

So how to avoid that situation?

[onlineleben]

>>but remember that is the domain that is going to get blacklisted when somebody forgets that they subscribed to your newsletter and complains to SpamCop... <<

Put something like:
You receive this newsletter because you subscribed with [put email here] on [date/time] from IP-Address[IP] from our page [webpage name]

at the end of each mailout.

[mep00]

Put something like:
You receive this newsletter because you subscribed with [put email here] on [date/time] from IP-Address[IP] from our page [webpage name]
at the end of each mailout.

Good advise, but if someone can't tell your newsletter from spam, you probibly have bigger problems than a false report to the spamcops.

Then again, there are some pretty dumb users out there. And in which case you probibly shouldn't put the IP address there--they may think it's a phone number! ;)