Nowadays, spam is so common that it has almost become synonymous with email. Most of us probably have more unsolicited or unwanted mail than we can actually read. This viral epidemic is rearing its ugly head across multiple industries, but some have it worse than others.

According to a study recently published by security vendor Symantec, the automotive industry is leading the way with the most recipients reporting their messages as spam. In the month of February, 84.3% of its messages were reported as spam. Coming at number two was the education field with 82.6%. The chemical and pharmaceutical sector was third with 81.4%. These numbers are pretty alarming when considering that the global rating for spam as a whole is 81.3%.

It is safe to say that not all the apples in the bunch are bad, but it is also clear to see that these industries have a problem. Here is what they can start doing to clean things up:

It is bad practices that continue to keep spam alive. Senders have been abusing the email system since day one, but industries can avoid this plague by following the legal protocols and policies of email marketing. Doing things such as including a privacy policy, designing a comprehensive unsubscribe process and keeping a clean list can go a long way in keeping spam at bay.

These days, spam is not solely defined as an unsolicited message sent without permission. It can also be a message that misleads the recipient. This is something you want to avoid no matter what area you specialize in. Subject lines should never try to trick the recipient into opening a message. The content you discuss at signup should be exactly as you described when it arrives. You must deliver what you say you will and when you say you’ll deliver it. Not all blacklisted senders are bonafide spammers. Perception has a lot to do with the fate they were handed.

The automotive business and other industries suffering from unbelievably high spam rates can improve dramatically by simply committing to opt-in marketing. This means building a list, staying away from leased and purchased lists, getting permission and providing recipients with an easy way to opt out. Opt-in email marketing is all about doing what it takes to stay out of the spam folder and off the infamous blacklist.

It appears that the automotive sector has developed a rough rep, but spam is bad all across the board. Symantec’s survey shows that spam accounts for 80% of the email in retail, marketing, financial and various other industries. This goes to show that just about every major arena could be do a little more to clean up their act. Spam may never die but it can be contained if senders stop giving it strength.