Many of the complaints are caused by the fact that the subscriber doesn’t recognize the sender and automatically assume that the email is spam. So be sure to  identify yourself in your email messages. And add clear that identifies you and your company in the beginning of your message, and reminds your subscribers of who you are and what they signed up for.

Contests very often prove to be a good way to generate traffic and buzz for your business. Create a contest and put a form on your site or in a pop-up box.  The entry “fee” is their email address.

Word to the Wise:  Not all the people who sign up for your contest are good prospects.  Many are just contest “junkies” -people who are only looking for freebies and have no intention of
buying a product or service.

Warning to the Wise:  If your prizes are cash or large-ticket items, you should be sure to check with local agencies to make sure you`re not violating any contest laws.

When you do this, make sure that you don’t say “This email is NOT spam” - people will assume it is. Instead, you could try something like:

“Hi Joe,
You have signed up for my free email course
“How to make your parrots talk” a week ago
at my site: http://Make-Your-Parrot-Talk.com
I was wondering… have you had a chance to
review the first lesson and give it a shot?”

By identifying yourself clearly to your subscribers you are significantly reducing the chance that they will unsubscribe, complain or click on “This is Spam” button.

Another important aspect is to include your company name and address towards the end of your message.

This is necessary to comply with the CAN SPAM legislation, but at the same time it provides an important information to your subscriber and may result in lower complaints.