Marketing to your existing customers is one of the easiest ways to get your email or texting shut down if you don't follow the rules that providers and carriers enforce.
You need proof of opt-in
If you send emails or texts, you need to be able to demonstrate proof of consent if someone disputes it. Email SMTP providers enforce this, and carriers enforce it for texting through TCR (The Campaign Registry).
- Keep a record of how and when the customer opted in.
- Store the source (form, checkbox, paper agreement, etc.) and the wording.
Don't send image-only messages
Don't just drop an image of a flyer and hit send. You'll almost always want real text in the message too (what it is, why it matters, and what to do next). Image-only campaigns tend to perform worse and are more likely to trigger filtering.
If you text customers, plan for “STOP”
For SMS, if someone replies STOP, that opt-out in Watertight will block the specific number you texted from. That may be a problem for delivering operational messages, so if you market heavily, use a separate phone number for marketing texts. On the other hand, if you have a low volume of marketing texts, your customers may end up trusting it more if it comes from the same number as everything else.
Too many spam complaints can disable your email SMTP account
If you get too many spam complaints or bounce-backs, your SMTP account may be disabled. It's a sign you need to be careful about frequency and how aggressive your targeting is.
- Send to cleaner customer groups first (recent customers, engaged customers).
- Remove hard bounces quickly and avoid repeatedly mailing invalid addresses.
- Send in smaller batches first to warm up if you're increasing send frequency.
Use unsubscribe links!
Add unsubscribe links in the footer of your emails. This makes it easy for customers to opt out without marking you as spam, which helps protect your sender reputation.
We at Watertight will normally do that automatically for you, but you are always free to customize the content and design of the footer.
Want to market to your customers without deliverability headaches? Get in touch and we’ll help you set up the right guardrails.