Microsoft Outlook 2003

In response to anti-spam legislation and excessive spam complaint rates, nearly all Internet Service Providers (ISP's) are implementing protective standards and measures in order to stem the tide of spam flowing into their users' email inboxes. As a legitimate email marketer, you need to adapt to these changes in order to remain successful in communicating with your customers.

Microsoft Outlook 2003 has features designed to place spam control in the hands of recipients and to protect them from unwanted visual images. Here's what you need to know in order to successfully communicate with your valued Outlook 2003 customers going forward.

What Features in Outlook 2003 Do I Need to Know About?

1. Image and link default change - this means that in Outlook 2003's automatic default setting, all images are blocked and links are disabled. In other words, your subscribers who use Outlook 2003 must click to load images and links in your email campaigns.

   Your HTML layout will appear, but images will not be visible and links will not be clickable unless (1) you are on your subscriber's contact list as a Safe Sender/Safe Recipient, or (2) your subscriber has changed the default email settings to receive emails with images and links.

2. "Safe Senders" and "Safe Recipients" designation - this means that Outlook 2003 users will now have the ability to designate "Safe Senders" and "Safe Recipients." Safe Senders are the email addresses of senders from which the Outlook user consents to receive full graphic messages. Safe Recipients are mailing lists or other subscription domain names that the Outlook user belongs to and wants to receive messages from.

Why are these changes important? Your images and logo are a valuable part of your branding. In addition, one of Constant Contact 's most valuable features is the tracking and reporting information you receive when your subscriber clicks on a link. This is an important tool for measuring the results of your campaigns. Therefore, you want to be designated as a Safe Sender or Safe Recipient since messages from Safe Senders or Safe Recipients are automatically delivered with visible images and working links, making your reporting results available.

What Will My HTML Email Campaign Look Like?

When your subscriber receives an email campaign from you, they will see a blank area where your image would normally appear. Your links will appear, but they will not be clickable. At the top of their screen, they will see a message with instructions on how to view their email with links and images. The message starts with the statement: "Right click here to download pictures."

If your subscriber designates you as a Safe Sender or Safe Recipient, then all future campaigns from you will automatically be delivered with visible images and working links, and your reporting results will be available.

What Should I Do to Adapt to These Changes?

Understanding the changes and being able to tell your subscribers what they need to do will be helpful. Approving email messages will be easy for your subscribers. All they need to do is right-click the "Junk E-mail" options tab and select from a list of options to approve your "From Address" or your email domain.

Here are some helpful tips to assist with adapting to the Outlook 2003 changes:

1. Add text at the top of your campaigns asking your subscribers to add your "From Address" to their address book as a "Safe Sender."
2. Use a consistent "From Address."
3. Remind your Outlook 2003 subscribers that they can enable links and images by clicking on the download pictures link.
4. Add text at the top of your campaigns reminding your subscribers how or where they opted-in to receive your emails.

Here's an example of the text that you should add:

"Please click the download pictures link to view the images and links in this campaign. To view all future communications from us with images and links intact, please approve abc@abccompany.com as a "Safe Sender."

If your subscriber approves you as a "Safe Sender," then all future campaigns from you will automatically be delivered with visible images and working links, and your reporting results will be available.

In Closing

Marketing Live is dedicated to providing you with the best service possible and we are committed to successfully delivering Marketing Live communications to your Outlook 2003 subscribers.

We hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our customer support team for assistance.