The solution for mass emailing is to use SchoolMessenger.  Our regular email system is not a mass emailing tool (We do not recommend the use of SchoolWires eAlerts, because we cannot manage the email database/undeliverables and we have not promoted it during the Back to School Registration process).   SchoolMessenger is a proven tool and put controls in place to help prevent spam folders.  There are people that have intentionally marked our  SchoolMesenger communications spam, which all other emails will be treated that way, and there is not a way to prevent that.   Even with SchoolMessenger, there are things to avoid in the message that could cause a higher spam score.  For important communications, use SchoolMessenger email and follow up phone call.  Also, any mass emailing must include an unsubscribe link (SchoolMessenger automatically puts that in).  

 

If our messages constantly cannot deliver (with any method)  to certain email addresses and we do not fix those email addresses, our spam score will NOT go down.  We need to remove those email addresses that consistently are undeliverable and follow up with the parents for the correct email address (at least start with deleting the bad email addresses from Focus).  With SchoolMessenger or any system, if we keep getting the same undeliverables, it is red-flagged as potential spam to some systems.  Every email gets a spam score in all the various provider's systems and there is no consistency, so we just need to use best practices.

 

 

1.  The email address, the From, and Reply to need to be consistent in the email message.  Also, we should be using the same email address for ALL mass messaging.  

For example:

 

From: [email protected]

Reply-To: [email protected]

 

Use ONE email address for the messaging.  The From name needs to be the same From that matches up to the email address name.  If you want to create a new account for this, let me know. 

 

2.  Avoid any links to social media in the email, no links to Facebook, Twitter, etc. These are scored as potential advertisements. 

 

3.  End of sentence punctuation needs to include a period only.  Avoid exclamation marks and multiple end of sentence punctuation, like !!!

 

4. Avoid using all CAPS in any words.  Avoid ALL CAPS in the Subject header.

 

5.  Avoid using the word Click or Click here. 

 

6. Avoid using the word Survey or Form

 

7.  Avoid using the phrase "Sign up" 

 

8.  Do not embed videos or pictures.  They need to be linked to our website somewhere, but not embedded. 

 

9 . If possible, avoid attachments

 

10. Avoid Irregular font colors and sizes and invisible text (ex: white font on the white background).

 

11.  Keep the links in the message at a minimum.  Too many links increase the spam score.  Consider using one link to a webpage that has the other links.  

 

12.  Avoid using any email address that has the word "noreply" in it.  

 

13.  If possible, use plain text or HTML.  

 

14.  Do not overuse capital letters, bold letters, and highlighting

 

15.  Timing.  If someone sends a message at 10:00 am, and High School Counseling sends one at 10:05, and then Baker sends one at 10:15, then, there is a high risk that our email can get a higher spam score.  They need to be spaced out more. 

 

16.  The physical postal address must be included in a mass email.  

 

17.  Address (fix) ALL of the undeliverable messages. If you email people who have bounced repeatedly, we have a higher risk of being marked as spam.