Earlier this year, internet security provider Tumbleweed Communications issued a press release stating among other things, "The spam problem will continue to grow and be increasingly profit-driven. Spammers will continue to exploit new ways to circumvent spam filters, such as using video and audio files to avoid detection."

Spam has affected everything from mobile phones to web search engines but nothing compares to the damage it has done to online email marketing. It's tough enough getting people to open your email considering they are bombarded constantly with some form of advertising online or off .But spam has created such a stigma, that many people view nearly any advertisement in their email box as spam.

You can't blame them but you still have to do business online and marketing by email is a powerful tool that should be a major part of your internet business. Therefore you need to structure your email marketing campaign so as to avoid any accusations of spamming but still be able to advertise your product or service to potential customers. Here are some tips to help you accomplish this:

1. What's it worth.

When you offer something of value in your email marketing campaign such as a well written article filled with useful content, the chances increase that people will check it out. Make references to your product without letting your email turn into one long sale letter. Focus on providing quality information.

2. Watch your language.

We've all seen those "do nothing and earn a million dollars" emails. If you ever want to trigger an anti spam filter, this is the way to do it. Stay away from using lingo that makes outrageous claims. Any over the top descriptions concerning a specific product or service will likely be considered brazen promotion. Even if it manages to survive the anti spam filter, email recipients will probably wind up deleting it anyway. No matter how good or excited you are about your product, your email marketing campaign must sound believable.

3. Know Your Audience

The best way to do this is to only send your email out to people you know would be interested. Even if you have been very careful to avoid blatant advertising and structured your email so it provides quality information, it can still irritate email recipients who have no use for your product. This is where a little research can help your email marketing strategy. If you can personalize your email so it reflects common interest between you and your audience so much the better.

4. Quiet Please

By this I mean don't place your website link in every paragraph. This practice can strike email recipients as a "hard sell" which is just another phrase for blatant advertising. Focus on keeping your web links to the least amount possible. Integrate them smoothly into your copy. Make it so that it entices people to learn more about your offer. "To get more information check out (your) web link" is a lot better than "Buy the product now by clicking this link."

Spam is not going away anytime soon therefore you must take it into consideration when doing business online. But this doesn't mean you should let it stop you from implementing an email marketing system. Just provide quality information in a believable manner that gets your target market curious to learn more. When you do this, people won't mind spending time checking out what you have to say.