Aweber Spam Complaint Rate

[jamawebinc]

I use aweber as many people do. I sometimes get an unacceptable complaint rate
(which for aweber is over .10%) It is in the "yellow" area to bring it to your attention that your spam complaint rate is too high.

There are times when I have gotten over a .10% complaint rate for around 6 straight broadcasts. Numbers like .16, .21, .13, .12, .17 and then it can all of a sudden drop to .04, .05, .03 for the next 3 broadcasts.

Aweber makes you turn on confirmed opt-in, but frankly I have not seen that much of a difference from using confirmed opt-in.

My theory is that certain markets are more apt to click the "spam" button in their email programs. Especially older, less tech savvy people.

I was watching a video by a marketer and they showed their aweber account and on the page that was viewable they never had a spam complaint rate over .04%

And we all know how the content that is in many emails from internet marketers.

I'd like to know if anyone else has had problems with this.

And I don't think it is a case of...Give them content only related to what they signed up for. I recently sent an email announcing a new 2 part free video. I didn't mention anything to buy at all, just told of a great 2 part free video filled with content. And my spam complaint rate was something like .17%

Comments?

[DougBarger]

I haven't had a problem.

There have been a few times when the number was like 0.1
but many, many more times when it was 0.0% (which I aim for).

That number there you listed (.17%) is nothing to be alarmed about.

Now, if it was consistently over .20, there would be cause to want
to do as much as you could to cut it down.

I remember before the switch to the new software here which tracks referrals,
sending a recommendation to my internet marketing list to join the forum,
and even then a higher than usual percentage would be there.

The numbers will fluctuate but as long as you know you are covering all your bases
and focusing on providing relevant, value, I believe you will be okay. (which you probably already know anyway, but just for someone else to share you're not alone in your findings.)

[Adrian Cooper]

Originally Posted by jamawebinc

I use aweber as many people do. I sometimes get an unacceptable complaint rate
(which for aweber is over .10%) It is in the "yellow" area to bring it to your attention that your spam complaint rate is too high.

There are times when I have gotten over a .10% complaint rate for around 6 straight broadcasts. Numbers like .16, .21, .13, .12, .17 and then it can all of a sudden drop to .04, .05, .03 for the next 3 broadcasts.

Aweber makes you turn on confirmed opt-in, but frankly I have not seen that much of a difference from using confirmed opt-in.

My theory is that certain markets are more apt to click the "spam" button in their email programs. Especially older, less tech savvy people.

I was watching a video by a marketer and they showed their aweber account and on the page that was viewable they never had a spam complaint rate over .04%

And we all know how the content that is in many emails from internet marketers.

I'd like to know if anyone else has had problems with this.

And I don't think it is a case of...Give them content only related to what they signed up for. I recently sent an email announcing a new 2 part free video. I didn't mention anything to buy at all, just told of a great 2 part free video filled with content. And my spam complaint rate was something like .17%

Comments?

My complaint rate from a large list is abut 0.01% on average.

I send out high quality, original newsletters and weave any offers in with the subject, but I don't make too many offers.

You need to make sure that you send quality info and make sure that whatever you send them matches the reason they subscribed.

A list isn't somewhere to tout products to, it is to build a long-term relationship with your subscribers.

If my newsletter is just 1 hour late, I start getting hundreds of emails asking me where it is - they have been sitting at their PC's refreshing their email waiting for it

That's where you need to be.

[morgansmom]

I don't think I've had a number higher than .14%, and that's only been in about 1 out of 10 messages. The times when I did see a complaint number was when I had not sent out a newsletter in awhile. I'm assuming they forgot I existed by the time I sent out the next newsletter and figured I was a spammer. I also think some people are too lazy or just don't know how to press the "delete" button instead of "spam". I ALSO think that the "spam" or "junk" button shouldn't be right beside the "delete" button in email programs!

[jamawebinc]

Originally Posted by apc01

My complaint rate from a large list is abut 0.01% on average.

I send out high quality, original newsletters and weave any offers in with the subject, but I don't make too many offers.

You need to make sure that you send quality info and make sure that whatever you send them matches the reason they subscribed.

A list isn't somewhere to tout products to, it is to build a long-term relationship with your subscribers.

If my newsletter is just 1 hour late, I start getting hundreds of emails asking me where it is - they have been sitting at their PC's refreshing their email waiting for it

That's where you need to be.

What is the URL to join your list? You give an impressive statement about people complaining if it is 1 hour late. I'd like to see a sample for myself.

I'm curious as to the market too, as I think different markets have different types of subscribers.

Also, you said a list isn't somewhere to tout products...Um, have you been on many internet marketers lists? Some do nothing but tout products.

[morgansmom]

Originally Posted by jamawebinc

What is the URL to join your list? You give an impressive statement about people complaining if it is 1 hour late. I'd like to see a sample for myself.

I'm curious as to the market too, as I think different markets have different types of subscribers.

Also, you said a list isn't somewhere to tout products...Um, have you been on many internet marketers lists? Some do nothing but tout products.

I second that. Seeing is believing! Otherwise, I call a bit of BS...

[jamawebinc]

Originally Posted by morgansmom

I don't think I've had a number higher than .14%, and that's only been in about 1 out of 10 messages. The times when I did see a complaint number was when I had not sent out a newsletter in awhile. I'm assuming they forgot I existed by the time I sent out the next newsletter and figured I was a spammer. I also think some people are too lazy or just don't know how to press the "delete" button instead of "spam". I ALSO think that the "spam" or "junk" button shouldn't be right beside the "delete" button in email programs!

Yes, I agree that a certain segment just hit spam like the delate key. This market I am talking about is a lot of older, less sophisticated computer people.

In fact, I started putting a not on the top of my broadcasts stating ...IMPORTANT: You are receiving this email because you signed up for a free article, video, etc, to remove yourself just click the link at the bottom of this email...

Wouldn't you know, I received a reply to this broadcast email within 10 minutes from someone stating "Please remove me from your list"

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how many precautions you take.

[morgansmom]

Originally Posted by jamawebinc

Yes, I agree that a certain segment just hit spam like the delate key. This market I am talking about is a lot of older, less sophisticated computer people.

In fact, I started putting a not on the top of my broadcasts stating ...IMPORTANT: You are receiving this email because you signed up for a free article, video, etc, to remove yourself just click the link at the bottom of this email...

Wouldn't you know, I received a reply to this broadcast email within 10 minutes from someone stating "Please remove me from your list"

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how many precautions you take.

I've done that as well. I've also included their email address and date they signed up which helps people understand that they really did sign up, even if they forgot. My spam complaints AND unsubscribe rates went down after doing that.

My subscribers are also not very savvy when it comes to the interwebs so I find it helps to be much safer than sorry. In one of my lists, I've even explained why the links in emails look so funny since I use the Aweber click tracking and some people tend to think those links aren't safe to click.

[Adrian Cooper]

Originally Posted by jamawebinc

What is the URL to join your list? You give an impressive statement about people complaining if it is 1 hour late. I'd like to see a sample for myself.

I'm curious as to the market too, as I think different markets have different types of subscribers.

Also, you said a list isn't somewhere to tout products...Um, have you been on many internet marketers lists? Some do nothing but tout products.

My niche is very broadly self improvement.

Over the last 12 years I have been on more marketers lists than most know even existed I have cut it down to about 30 now just to see what they are up to. Most of the time I just feel sorry for the people they will suck in on their latest offer

There are some good lists. Frank Kern for example - very funny guy and brilliant marketer. I have known is cousin to some extent - he promoted my products once or twice - he is really good too.

IM's could learn a lot from Frank just from his list.

[polymorphinc]

I think people are beginning to hit the spam button even when they know they have opted in to a list and you have a 'relationship' with them. Spam to some people now also means too many emails, or too 'junky' an email, not just unsolicitated emails

[tradermike2008]

One thing as the size of your list grows you can get more people hitting that button - as the size grows the open rate drops and you'll have more people who just tuned out then months later hit the spam button - no matter how good your content is there will be a certain number that just tune out.

[mr2monster]

Personally, I hate the % rule with Aweber.


1% is 1 complaint of a list of 100, which puts you WAY over the threshold.


Another thing you neglected to mention was: How large is your list? If you have 1000 people on it, it's going to be much easier to get to .14 than if you had 25000.

My account has numerous lists in the .40-.60 range, but the lists are between 180 and 400 people, so that's easy.

I figure that a lot of the time I get complaints because I don't touch my lists often enough and people forget about me, and I don't remind them that they signed up for it.


The first sentence in almost every one of Steve Wagenheim's emails is something like, "You are being sent this email because you signed up for it, if you want to unsubscribe please do so at the bottom of this message"

I think I may start doing that.

[Alex Williams]

From my experience, complaint rates depend on the niche. I am getting over 1% in a few niches, and where the field is more technical/business, I get zeros.

[jasonl70]

I use single opt-in with aweber, and my rates are usually the .10 - .18 range, and aweber hasn't forced my to go to double opt-in (I've been using them for around 18 months).

For the record: you can send out pure content with no ads or links, and still get complaints. I think some people don't even bother opening the email and just do a bulk 'spam button' on everything they don't immediately recognize.

[Nathan Segal]

I've had higher complaint rates even when my mailings were on target for my lists and I cannot understand why. It seems that some people like to complain, that's all. Getting bent out of shape about it doesn't help.

[jamawebinc]

The market you are in, I think, plays a large role.

A market where the people are not as sophisticated internet users will have a higher complaint rate.

Also, the definition of spam is very broad. Some people define spam in the following ways:

a) The email has an offer to buy something
b) They don't like the content
c) They think the emails come too often
d) They don't remember signing up
e) they get frustrated at the amount of email they get and group all they don't want into a "spam" group

I've even placed the "You are receiving this email because....to remove yourself, just click the link at the bottom of the email" paragraph at the beginning of the email.

After sending out a broadcast, sometimes, within 5 minutes, I'll get a reply that says "Please remove me from your list"

You just have to laugh at it.

Some people just do not read anything in the email. That's just the nature of people.

Aweber has been very good about it.

[johnbro]

It is a good idea to have a portion maybe at the bottom of your every mail, where you provide a brief detail where and how your subscribers opted in. This reminds subscribers that they themselves had opted in. This would reduce complaints.

I have seen very experienced marketers doing this too.