New data privacy laws in Tennessee, Indiana, Montana, and Iowa put these states on par with Connecticut, Colorado, Virginia, Utah and Texas; all of them have new data privacy laws which, among other things, require affirmative opt-in and consent before you can use someone’s email address, such as adding it to a mailing list or using it for targeted advertising. It’s important to understand that this doesn’t just apply to businesses which are headquartered in those states; most of these state laws also apply to anyone doing business with someone in that state. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/iowa-montana-indiana-tennessee-join-ranks-of-states-with-email-opt-in-law/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Texas has passed their HB 4, joining a growing list of states which have passed their own data privacy laws, laws which impact email and email marketing, among other things. The new Texas law has a very short fuse: it goes into effect on July 1, 2024, and affects any business which either is in Texas, or which does business with individuals who reside within Texas. It is also very strict on email address collection, email use, and email marketing, and among other things it requires consent before you do nearly anything non-transactional with someone’s email address. We break it down for you here. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/new-texas-data-privacy-law-and-email/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Just when you thought it was safe to turn your back on political email skirmishes, Ready for Ron (a/k/a RFR and R4R) challenges the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in Federal court over not being allowed to give a list chock full of email addresses to a candidate. Here's the outcome, explained in plain English. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/the-value-of-a-political-email-list-ready-for-ron-rfr-versus-the-fec/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Here’s a random question that we were asked “We just got an email with an unsubscribe link going to kmail-lists.com; who is behind kmail-lists?” It turns out that it’s pretty hard for at least the average person to figure out who is responsible for the kmail-lists.com domain; the ESP behind kmail-lists.com is Klaviyo, who is an ESP for primarily B2C businesses, in fact they are a primary competitor to Shopify, who used to dominate the B2C (‘business to consumer’) and D2C (‘direct to consumer’) ESP space. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/kmail-lists-who-is/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

So you want to be (or are) an SMS Marketer. As you navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, it’s crucial to understand the SMS marketing legal landscape and SMS marketing laws and best practices. One key thing that SMS marketers in the U.S. often overlook, but which actually requires your attention, is the Federal Do Not Call (DNC) list. The thing is, checking the DNC list is not only essential (in fact required by law), but it can actually increase your ROI, and benefit your customers and your business! Here’s how. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/get-a-great-return-on-sms-marketing-while-following-sms-marketing-laws-and-best-practices/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Not confirming email addresses can put your customer in physical danger, and can cause you legal liability if they are harmed. We’ve written before about how not confirming email addresses can potentially create real-world, real legal liability, because in certain settings, and particulately in ecommerce, it can actually lead to your customer suffering physical harm; maybe even death. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/how-not-confirming-email-addresses-can-create-liability-if-your-customer-is-injured-as-a-result/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Microsoft will start honoring p=reject DMARC policies for incoming email which does not pass a DMARC check when the associated DMARC record designates a policy of p=reject. This affects inbound messages at Microsoft Outlook email addresses, Microsoft Hotmail email addresses, Microsoft Live email addresses, and MSN email addresses. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/microsoft-inbox-properties-to-start-honoring-p-reject-dmarc/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Spam trigger words, do they exist, or don’t they? And if spam trigger words exist, what are they? Ask 5 different email marketing or email deliverability experts whether there is really such a thing as spam trigger words, and you’ll get seven different answers. Even highly respected deliverability sources will say something like “There is no such thing as spam trigger words… except..” or “Spam trigger words don’t exist, but…”. Because you see, spam trigger words do exist. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/spam-trigger-words/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Google is ending a pilot program that allowed political campaigns to bypass the spam filter, and they have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit that the RNC filed against them. Note that Google is not ‘restarting’ spam filtering in Gmail for political campaigns, as claimed by some, and that’s because they never stopped. Confused? You won’t be, read on. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/google-spam-filtering-political-campaigns/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

The one-click unsubscribe law (sometimes referred to as the “one-step unsubscribe rule”) is part of CAN-SPAM. The CAN-SPAM unsubscribe rules include that a recipient be able to effectuate their opt-out with a one-click unsubscribe, whether that is by replying to the email or by visiting a single web page. The one-click unsubscribe law is part of our Federal law, and so applies to any and all mailing lists and mailing list email.  In this episode we walk you through the requirements, and how to not be in violation of this very clear law. Prefer to read it? You can do that here! The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Did you know that certain popular buzzwords can actually hurt your deliverability when used in your email subject line? No, we’re not talking about so-called ‘spam trigger words’, although those are still a thing despite what some may say. And did you know that personalization in your email subject line (and even in your opening salutation) can also hurt your deliverability? Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/personalization-words-in-subject-hurt-deliverability/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Here’s a fun “what if” game, play along with us: What if the boss gave you $10,000 to improve your brand’s email marketing ROI? How would you spend it? What would you do? Well, for us that was a no-brainer. But before we tell you how we would spend that $10k, and why, let’s cover some basics. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/is-your-email-marketing-roi-suffering-from-hidden-costs/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

If you send email, especially email marketing or other bulk email, then there are the two things that your business contracts must contain, even in the U.S., to be not just GDPR compliant, but GDPR-proofed. GDPR (the EU General Data Protection Regulation) requires, among many other things, that there be a contract between any data controller and data processor that covers “the subject-matter and duration of the processing, the nature and purpose of the processing, the type of personal data and categories of data subjects and the obligations and rights of the controller.” (Here is our explanation of who is a data controller and who is a data processor. If you are a business, you are at least one, and quite possibly both.) Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/what-your-contracts-must-contain-to-be-gdpr-compliant-and-gdpr-proof/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

It’s hard to believe as we are closing in on 2023 that there are still email marketers and other bulk email senders who don’t immediately remove people who unsubscribe from their list, but it’s true. So this article is for those people who need to understand that you really really need to remove the email addresses of people who want to opt-out from your mailing lists as soon as humanly possible. Even though CAN-SPAM gives you 10 days to do it. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/why-you-should-process-unsubscribes-immediately-even-though-can-spam-gives-you-10-days/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

With the UK adopting their own UK GDPR following Brexit, it’s important to understand that you can’t just block from your website people coming in from the EU or the UK. As we have mentioned in other articles on GDPR compliance, GDPR specifically prohibits the automated profiling of individuals, including of their online identifiers or locations, which means that it is a violation of GDPR to note, in an automated fashion, from what region in the world they are surfing over to your website. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/why-you-cant-just-block-eu-visitors-eu-customers-or-any-eu-traffic-under-gdpr/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

GDPR, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, went into effect on May 25, 2018. The UK adopted their own UK GDPR after Brexit, which closely tracks the original EU GDPR. GDPR applies to any business that collects any personal information data about individuals. This personal data, or ‘personally identifiable information’ (PII) includes things from which identity can be derived, such as, for example, a street address, a telephone number, an email address, and even an IP address. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/why-u-s-companies-must-comply-with-gdpr-and-how-to-do-it/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Despite that GDPR is coming up on its fifth anniversary, people are still asking questions like “What is a ‘data controller’ or a ‘data processor’ under GDPR?” And “How is a GDPR data processor different from a GDPR data controller?” And even “Can a company be both a data processor and a data controller at the same time under the EU General Data Protection Regulation?” And the ever important question: “Do we have to comply with GDPR if we are in the U.S.?” Here are the answers. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/gdpr-data-controller-and-gdpr-data-processor-explained/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

We talk about the CAN-SPAM Act often, and you may even hear about it from time to time when email spam makes the news, or when looking at your own email marketing policies, or, even, when dealing with spam complaints. But what exactly is CAN-SPAM and which parts of it are most applicable to you? Here are the 10 things that you need to know about CAN-SPAM. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/ten-things-you-should-know-about-can-spam/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Did you know that your mailing list’s MR is way more important than LS (List Size)? In fact, MR is one of the most important, if not the most important, metric of all, and yet it is often the most overlooked metric! Not familiar with ‘MR’? Read on! Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/mailing-list-mr-most-important-metric-of-all/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com

Here’s something that often comes up in discussions with email senders. You really really need to remove the email addresses of people who want to opt-out – that is, to unsubscribe – from your mailings lists as soon as humanly possible. Even though CAN-SPAM gives you ten days to do it. Prefer to read it instead of listen to it?  Do that here: https://www.isipp.com/blog/why-you-should-process-unsubscribes-immediately-even-though-can-spam-gives-you-10-days/ The Everything Email Marketing blogcast is provided by Get to the Inbox by ISIPP SuretyMail, the founder of the email deliverability industry. For more information about how we can help you get to the inbox go to GetToTheInbox.com