Solution for my battle with SPAM filters

Has anyone done this?

[universetoday]

I send out a daily news email to a list of subscribers that contains HTML and pictures. I've had no end of misery dealing with various SPAM filters, and I was thinking of completely changing how I send out the newsletter. Instead of sending out the actual news, I'd maintain the newsletter on my website and send out a simple plain text email to everyone that says the new edition is ready and give the gist of what's in there, and then one link back to my website.

I'm not really happy about doing that, I kind of like getting a self-contained email newsletter that doesn't require me to click to go back to the website. Especially for people who download their mail and then disconnect from the Internet.

Does anyone do this? How do you beat the overenthusiastic SPAM filters?

[rogerd]

I'd test the concept before assuming that it will cure your spam filter problems. E.g., it could be your server settings that are causing your problems, or people who hae flagged you as spam rather than simply unsubscribing.

[Easy_Coder]

I know a site owner who similarly does what you are doing and that person replaced his email strategy with a blog strategy... the beauty of the blog is it's a total opt in environment and doesn't get labeled as spam.

[rogerd]

If you send announcements from the blog, though, they can still get flagged as spam. And if you don't send periodic announcements of updates, you lose the whole idea of reactivating contact with people who haven't visited.

It's very difficult not to get flagged. Even if you aren't a spammer, lazy people will still check the "this is spam" box to make your stuff go away. Some things you can do include making unsubscribing VERY easy and VERY obvious (the first thing the reader sees, even if this is bad sales practice), and staying on top of bounces. AOL will flag you for too high a bounce percentage, among other things.

[bill]

Along the blog lines you also have the alternative of RSS and Atom feeds. This again is a pull medium, not push so you won't run afoul of any spam filters.

[grandpa]

Those feeds sound like an excellent alternative, but... it seems that the less technical minded crowds wouldn't be using a reader. I see RSS all over the web; is there any guess as to the percentage of casual shoppers that might be participating?

[bill]

Opera 7.5 has one built in. (an RSS reader)

The less technical will eventually get it. The buttons are everywhere, and eventually they'll get interested and check it out.