Blacklist spam block mail that originates from IP addresses of known spammers
Blacklisting happens for any number of reasons. Most typically, it occurs when an IP address is suspected of sending spam. Continual blacklisting affects your IP reputation because your IP address is identified as a regular source of spam. Blacklisting is a common challenge in email marketing. If you depend on email marketing, you have probably found your IP address or domain on a blacklist more than one. Show
1. What is an Email Blacklist?An email blacklist is a real time list of IP addresses and domains that are flagged as suspicious of sending spam emails. Internet service providers, email service providers and anti-spam agencies use blacklists to identify and block spammers. Additionally, DNSBL (Domain Name System-based Blackhole List) or RBL Real-time Blackhole List are technical terms for email blacklists. Most businesses end up on email blacklists as a result of poor email list hygiene. This involves sending emails to invalid email addresses with misspellings, typos or just plain fake email addresses. In this article, we will discuss;
2. Understanding Email Blacklists and Blacklisting2.1 What does being blacklisted mean?As mentioned earlier, blacklisting is the process of identifying IP addresses or domains of known/suspected spammers and blocking content from those addresses. When a user sends an email, ISPs check the IP address where the email originated from against blacklists. An IP address is a string of digits that uniquely specify which server the email came from. Once the ISP verifies that the IP address does not belong to any blacklist, the email goes through other filters depending on your provider. When blacklisted, this means that your emails will not reach the intended mailbox. This wreaks havoc on your marketing activities, especially if the sum of it is done through email. Understanding how blacklists work is important as this affects;
If you are looking at email marketing as your main ROI driving marketing strategy, you must understand what can land you in a blacklist and how to avoid them. This knowledge can make or break your email marketing strategies. 2.2 Categories of blacklistingdomain blacklistingThere are two main categories of blacklists based on what indicator identifies the source of spam. They are; i. Internet Protocol (IP) address blacklistThis is a list of email servers that are known sources of spam. ISPs will mark your email server as a source of spam when;
Whenever you send a message via email, it contains a string of digits called the IP address which uniquely specifies the server that the email came from. You can trace the location of an email by referencing the IP address. When an ISP receives an email, it automatically checks the IP address against a blacklist. If the incoming IP address is on the list, the email is discarded. If it is not on the list, it goes through other filters before reaching the intended destination mailbox. In that sense, a blacklist is just one tool that determines whether an email will be received or not. Moreover, IP addresses are identified based on their history of sending good or bad emails. If the IP address usually sends good emails, it is cleared for delivery ii. Domain blacklistsEvery email you send has a domain associated with it. This domain is an email sending domain that is seen in From address, Return address and also on the DKIM signing domain. 3. How You May End up on a BlacklistPoor email list hygiene: Sending lots of emails to inactive addresses or inboxes that have been turned into spam traps is bad for your sender reputation. Many ISPs use harvested emails as pure spam traps and sending lots of emails to these accounts reflects poorly on your company’s email sourcing practices. Hackers: Hackers access your account to send spam messages. Alternatively, hackers could be spoofing your email address, which means they are piggybacking off your IP address to send fraudulent emails. High volume of emails: Spammers send the most emails in the world (remember that 80% figure referenced earlier?), so if an IP address has a much higher email volume than other IP addresses, it is likely a sign of a spammer. Increased email volume: If an ISP notices a sudden spike in email traffic coming from your IP address, it can take that as a sign of spam content. Legitimate organizations usually build their email list slowly over an extended time and sudden spikes look very suspicious. Spam complaints: Every company will receive some complaints about their email marketing. In itself, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. However, if the number of complaints goes above an accepted threshold, an ISP might put you on the blacklist. Bad email content: Several ISP filter emails by keywords found in the body of the text. Words like “free”, “money-back guarantee”, CAPS LOCK, colored fonts, and lots of exclamation marks (!!!!) are all red flag content that can get you on a blacklist. Poor list management; if you frequently do not honor email opt-ins or allow uses to unsubscribe, you are much more likely to land on an email blacklist. 4. Spam trapsspam trap emailsISPs build blacklists by luring spammers using spam traps or spam trap emails. These spam traps target individuals who;
There are different types of spam traps that can be your one way ticket to a blacklist.
While it may seem annoying to have the emails you’re carefully crafting rejected before they even reach your subscribers, blacklists are actually quite helpful. Nearly 85% of emails send daily are spam. Blacklists exist to keep a large amount of unwanted messages out of people’s inboxes. Very large ISPs have their own internal blacklists. However, many use publicly available ones run by companies that specialize in this field. 5. How to know find out whether you’re on an email blacklistIf receiving email service providers reject or send your emails to junk folders, it may be time to check if you’re on an email blacklist. You can start by checking popular blacklists available;
Other than checking available blacklists, you can look out for the following signs of blacklisting such as seriously dropping delivery rates and email bounces. 6. What do you when you realize you’re on a blacklistIt’s simple. Clean up your act and get in the ISP’s good books. Most ISPs give businesses the opportunity to appeal but not without effort. You should;
If you have an email service provider, they are responsible for getting you delisted. 7. ConclusionBlacklisting is an inevitable part of running a business. It may seem annoying but it is essential in reducing spam emails from untrusted sources. There are many ways which businesses can prevent ending up on a blacklist. The best way to do so is to maintain good email hygiene. Other ways include protecting your email server and using commendable email service providers. Blacklisting is not permanent but continued blacklisting will hurt your reputation in the long run. What is used as a first line of defense against thieves and data snoops?such as passwords, PINs, and fingerprint scanners, are the fist line of defense against data thieves and snoopers.
What is a deceptive practice that exploits human psychology by inducing victims to interact with a digital device in a way that is not in their best interest?Social engineering is a deceptive practice that exploits human psychology by inducing victims to interact with a digital device in a way that is not in their best interest.
Is a word number or phrase that must be known to encrypt or decrypt data?– A cryptographic key (usually just called a key) is a word, number, or phrase that must be known to encrypt or decrypt data. There are various encryption methods, and some are more secure than others; AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is the encryption standard currently used worldwide.
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