There are legitimate practices in email marketing. By sticking within these practices, you're sure not to alarm the spam police. At the same time, you are able to reach out to your target audience consistently.
Opt In, Opt Out
When users sign up for your email/ newsletter, they are opting in and requesting to hear more from you. While you'd want them to always be part of your mailing list, you should give them the choice of opting out. It is required that you include a visible opt out link on your emails. The opt out link is usually placed at the end of the email, alongside legal fine print about the email and signing up for it.
Choose A "Clean" Email Server
Like legitimate email marketers, spammers need the services of email servers. Stay away from the servers/ IPs used by these spammers! There is an active movement online that reports the IP addresses used for spamming. This updates the filters of several email applications, including free email services like Google Mail and Yahoo Mail. You are likely to be associated with spammers if you use the same IP as they do.
How Often Should I Send Emails?
The golden rule here is; if you wouldn't want to receive it, don't send it! Often business owners ask "How many times is too much, how many times is too little". It all comes down to value. If you have something a subscriber would be genuinely happy to receive because it adds value to them, send it. The more regular, the better.
Keep Your Emails Interesting
It is important to keep your mail recipients engaged with interesting content through your email. This makes them look forward to your email, instead of looking at it as a nuisance. This is the point of email campaigns anyway. You want to remain in the consciousness of your target audience. You want a continuing conversation with people interested in what you offer. You can only do this is you remain interesting to them. Use your emails to update your audience, tell them about tips and tricks in your trade, ask their opinions through polls, among others.
Use Your Emails to Lead Your Audience Back To Your Website
Online, you do business through your website. This is where you generate leads. This is where you sell. When you develop an email campaign, keep this in mind. The ultimate measure of a successful email campaign is not how much you grow your mailing list or how many of your recipients you get to retain. The ultimate measure is how many you get to convert into qualified leads and actual sales. You begin to do this through interesting email content that encourages your audience to click on your link and check out your website again.
If you have a website that works, then surely, the traffic you generate through your emails will take action and buy.