How to Beat the BACN Designation

A new label is being applied to a specific category of unwanted emails. BACN is the "clever" new acronym that applies to emails that don't quite fall into unsolicited bulk email, or as highly prized and desired email. It falls somewhere in between on the desirability scale. As email marketers it is imperative that you take steps to avoid your messages falling into the BACN designation.

What is BACN?
Unlike SPAM, BACN email is slightly more palatable, but too much of it is not good for you. The email that falls into this category is best described as something you signed up for, but don't really read. However, you don't want to unsubscribe because every so often you might get a golden nugget of information, or a coupon for something you really need. From the email marketer's standpoint, the problem with BACN email is that it is rarely read.

There are three major steps you can take to avoid the BACN designation:

1. Create anticipation. The main reason your email messages may be going unnoticed is that you send them too frequently. You want to generate some anticipation for your next offering so that when your email enters the inbox, the recipient says to him- or herself, "Oh, I haven't heard from them in a long time. I wonder what’s going on?" Limit email sending to enhance the reader's expectation.
2. Add more personalization. Over time, you collect a lot of data on your subscribers: who they are, what they like, how much they spend. Use this data to create engaging, one-on-one communications. Make your subscribers feel that your email message is a one-off message that engages them in a real conversation.
3. Segment unresponsive subscribers. As hard as it may seem, at some point it is best to let unresponsive email addresses go. If you see a drop off in opened emails -- especially in click through results -- the recipient may no longer be interested. This is not to say to get rid of them altogether… but at least put unresponsive addresses in a separate list segment. Eventually you may send them something to see if they are still interested in receiving what you have to offer, or something that directly asks for what subscribers would like to see from you.

While it may not seem like a bad thing to send to people that never read your email, it’s a waste of time to send to people who do not respond. While BACN isn't considered unsolicited bulk email, it does add to people's frustration when it comes to managing their inboxes. It may come to a point where they declare email bankruptcy, and you’ll lose them altogether if not properly managed and cultivated.