discuss Outbounding Domains -- How to avoid having email being blacklisted as spam?

[LoveCatchyDomains]

In the process outbounding and sending those emails, what is the threshhold where you could end up having your email blacklisted?

If even only sending perhaps 1-2 emails to a potential prospect, and doing that to hundreds of different potential leads, could you still potentially earn the "blacklist" designation. What is the threshhold to be thrown into this "bad boy designation?"

Do any of you create a separate new email, in order to do the outbound without worries about getting this notorious designation? Or do you not worry about it, since (hopefully) you know that you are not sending the large volumes of emails that could trigger the ban?

 

[Ostrados]

Simple .. you can avoid spam blacklisting by not spamming

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

There presumably is a threshhold for this. Technically, sending any unsolicited, unwanted email to an individual could be considered spam. Certainly, that entity has a right to go to their email account, and declare that email spam.

Someone doing outbounding is likely to have at least some of the emails blocked and sent to spam folders. Having the spam reported by Gmail users is apparently one factor that can lead to blacklisting. But are we talking dozens of such reports, or hundreds, or thousands of them before this designation is applied?

And, if the threshold is low for the designation, are there other strategies to use to avoid getting into this situation?

 

[NickB]

You have to set your email up so it does not get flagged as spam in the first place.....

Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
Use a professional email address - not personal
Include a Text only version
Don't use spammy words or words associated with phishing - which is tricky as "sale" can be considered one of these

There's probably a few other things you can do......

 

[Ostrados]

Don't send emails in bulk send them sparingly, and personalize reach email.

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

You have to set your email up so it does not get flagged as spam in the first place.....

Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Thank you for the thorough response. Right now, focusing learning about the very first line of your suggestions. There is some anti-spam guidelines from Google about their new requirements:

Important: Starting November 2022, new senders who send email to personal Gmail accounts must set up either SPF or DKIM. Google performs random checks on new sender messages to personal Gmail accounts to verify they’re authenticated. Messages without at least one of these authentication methods will be rejected or marked as spam. This requirement doesn’t apply to you if you’re an existing sender. However, we recommend you always set up SPF and DKIM to protect your organization’s email and to support future authentication requirements.

Thank you!

 

[biggie]

In the process outbounding

Hi

the word "outbounding" was made-up term, to make the act of spamming sound legitimate.

and there is no threshold, as it could only take a single unsolicited email from you.

imo...

 

[JB Lions]

Hi

the word "outbounding" was made-up term, to make the act of spamming sound legitimate.

and there is no threshold, as it could only take a single unsolicited email from you.

imo...

It depends how it's done. Reaching out to businesses is legitimate.

If I sold pizza boxes and went into a pizza place to talk to the owner pointing out my pizza boxes are cheaper, sturdier, keep the pizzas warmer longer and I can do custom branding, at prices below what he's paying now, they would probably appreciate that and go with me. Legit business.

If I owned tennislessons.com and contacted the owners of tennis-lessons.com, tennislessons.info, tennislessonsbyjennifergardiner.com and said I have tennislessons.com for sale for xxxx, it's an upgrade to what they have now etc. there is nothing wrong with that.

vs.

mass mailing random email accounts

 

[biggie]

It depends how it's done. Reaching out to businesses is legitimate.

If I sold pizza boxes

If I owned tennislessons.com

vs.

mass mailing random email accounts

Hi

both of those examples are Big IF's
in that the probability of someone here owning either is very low.

still, IF you owned tennislessons.com,
then i doubt you would have to solicit buyers, vs responding to the amount of incoming offers you might receive for it.

how it's done and the quality of the name it's done with... are often far apart in the generalizations of explaining it.
so, the legitimacy gets lost because the sender feels like there is nothing wrong with doing it.

here's a related thread on the subject started years ago
https://www.namepros.com/threads/emails-from-domainers-selling-crap-names.742232/

do you think much has changed since then?

imo...

 

[Ostrados]

Every unsolicited email is technically a spam, but under that broad definition even emails from potential buyers to buy your domains are spam.

So we can define 2 levels of unsolicited outbound:

1. Spam: irrelevant to user's interest + Bulk.
2. Tolerable spam: personalized and strongly relevant to the target user.

If you insist to do outbound then go with #2 at least you will less likely get reported.

Personally I hate outbound and almost never do it, but in rare occasions were I sent outbound emails I sold 1 domain and the buyer was almost grateful that I contaced him. It works but you must send only a quality name and the name must be very interesting to the potential buyers.

 

[JB Lions]

Hi

both of those examples are Big IF's
in that the probability of someone here owning either is very low.

still, IF you owned tennislessons.com,
then i doubt you would have to solicit buyers, vs responding to the amount of incoming offers you might receive for it.

how it's done and the quality of the name it's done with... are often far apart in the generalizations of explaining it.
so, the legitimacy gets lost because the sender feels like there is nothing wrong with doing it.

here's a related thread on the subject started years ago
https://www.namepros.com/threads/emails-from-domainers-selling-crap-names.742232/

do you think much has changed since then?

imo...

I think the same thing. B2B is normal stuff. It just seems in domaining it's frowned upon because some people abuse it. If you're doing it legit, like the example I gave, as well as following CAN SPAM, I don't see any issues.

Using my pizza box example above, do you have a problem with it? What if instead of visiting the owner in person, I called or emailed them?

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

Thanks, everyone for the insights and suggestions.
Do you ever use a postal mailing instead of or in addition to sending an email? Might that provide more reassurance that you are legit and less likely to be a spammer or scammer?

 

[Igor Mironyuk]

Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

How? Where exactly?

 

[Ostrados]

How? Where exactly?

In DNS records settings Google it

 

[Igor Mironyuk]

In DNS records settings Google it

I don't have separate domain from where send emails. I send emails from my Gmail, not from Google Workspace. How to setup in Gmail account?

 

[okaydomains]

I don't have separate domain from where send emails. I send emails from my Gmail, not from Google Workspace. How to setup in Gmail account?

None of this is relevant then. DKIM/SPF/etc is something you setup on your own domain.

I haven't tried spamming from a Gmail address before, but I suspect Google will shut you down pretty quickly if you're sending too much outbound email / getting reported by recipients.

If you really want this to work using your own domain, you need to set up said domain properly (with all the aforementioned DNS settings) and then "warm it up" for a while (months) by sending legit emails to your friends and family, and having them respond to you at that address. You need to create a positive history for the email account.

Here's a good write-up that will help:

https://woodpecker.co/blog/domain-reputation/

 

[NickB]

How? Where exactly?

This should cover SPF.....

https://support.google.com/a/answer...5383-3148375234&rd=1&src=supportwidget0&hl=en

I think for the other 2 it's the same process for Gmail and Workspace - unless I'm missing something.....

 

[biggie]

Using my pizza box example above, do you have a problem with it?

Hi

i don't have problem when you're willing to do the leg work.


but for this pizza place...

is it a pick-up/delivery store or an eat-in restaurant?
let's say it's the first one.
(we're going to assume they use boxes instead of paper bags)

now, how long have they been in business?
and how long have they been buying their boxes from the same place and at what price per box?

so, here you come with your boxes.
how are you going to convince them to change vendors, especially if none of their customers are complaining about the packaging the pizza's come in now?

just throwing that out there

imo...

 

[JB Lions]

Hi

i don't have problem when you're willing to do the leg work.


but for this pizza place...

is it a pick-up/delivery store or an eat-in restaurant?
let's say it's the first one.
(we're going to assume they use boxes instead of paper bags)

now, how long have they been in business?
and how long have they been buying their boxes from the same place and at what price per box?

so, here you come with your boxes.
how are you going to convince them to change vendors, especially if none of their customers are complaining about the packaging the pizza's come in now?

just throwing that out there

imo...

The main reason, money

"at prices below what he's paying now"

--------------
Point is businesses reaching out to other businesses, B2B, is normal. I'm sure most of it is unsolicited. We seem tho, especially here in this forum to throw it all together and say it's bad, spam etc. Anytime threads like this get started, I expect somebody to come in and call the person a spammer. Part of the definition of email spam is bulk.

I personally have not done much of this at all but I want to do more and get better at it. I did just 1 this year but plan to reach out for 1 domain a day. The one I did this year, I sent an email to 3 people, that's all there was, targetted, upgrade for all of them. Even tho it was unsolicited (like most B2B initial contacts) I don't consider it spam. And of course I follow all the CAN-SPAM requirements.

 

[Igor Mironyuk]

The main reason, money

"at prices below what he's paying now"

--------------
Point is businesses reaching out to other businesses, B2B, is normal. I'm sure most of it is unsolicited. We seem tho, especially here in this forum to throw it all together and say it's bad, spam etc. Anytime threads like this get started, I expect somebody to come in and call the person a spammer. Part of the definition of email spam is bulk.

I personally have not done much of this at all but I want to do more and get better at it. I did just 1 this year but plan to reach out for 1 domain a day. The one I did this year, I sent an email to 3 people, that's all there was, targetted, upgrade for all of them. Even tho it was unsolicited (like most B2B initial contacts) I don't consider it spam. And of course I follow all the CAN-SPAM requirements.

I do outbounding for my domains but get nothing.