A new  report by Return Path shows that email deliverability rates have dropped about 5% in the second half of 2011, reaching a 76.5% rate, after keeping steady at over 80% for years. While ISPs have done their best to keep their customers spam-clear, their improved email security is not the only cause for the drop. It is actually consumers themselves, who are unclear on opt-out policies and end up damaging email marketers’ and brands’ reputations.

Although people willingly subscribe to newsletters, daily deals sent by emails and other types of content delivered periodically over email, the amount of such messages is extremely high, and somehow ends up annoying the intended recipient. Instead of opting out, they are more likely to mark the email as spam and flag the sender as a spammer.

“People are suffering from inbox overload and receiving email they don’t want to receive, even though they have opted into it. As a result, we’re seeing subscribers reporting it as spam,” Tom Sather, senior director of email research at Return Path. “They don’t realize that by doing that, it’s affecting all of that marketer’s emails. Every time someone reports an email as spam, it does hurt the sender’s reputation.”

Email recipients often click the spam button because it’s easier and faster than looking for an obscure unsubscribe link. And if that was not enough, ISPs added changes in volume to their filtering algorithm. For example, if a large number of emails about Easter promotions are sent at the same time, they will trigger a response in the ISP’s spam filtering mechanism.

What can you do to diminish the impact a “spam” label would have on your brand? A good idea would be to place the unsubscribe link at the top of your newsletter. A quick text stating your subscribers receive their email because they have signed up might be a welcome reminder. Also, pay attention to your subject lines and email texts. Try not to make them sound as a blatant advertising campaign. However, this second advice only works if it is not a deals email. If customers expect fresh deals and interesting promotions, you have to give them what they expect.

Have you been reported as a spammer by opt-in subscribers? How has it affected you?

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