The following tips will help keep your complaints to a minimum :

• Make sure that you have explicit permission to send email to your contacts.
  
  
• Make sure your sign-up form comes with an explicit permission statement.
  This statement should indicate the type of content in your emails as well as your sending frequency (for example, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly).
  
  
• Make complete use of your welcome email so users know that they have been subscribed.We recommend that you also include a statement of what type of content you will send, as well as how frequently.
  
  
• Make sure the From Address and all subject lines of your emails clearly identify you and your organization.
  Many contacts will report your email as spam before opening it if they do not recognize the sender.
  
  
• Consider using the confirmation-request process for your contact lists.
  Confirmation-request means that anyone who signs up using your sign-up form will be sent a confirmation-request email. They must click a link in that confirmation-request email to be officially added. This not only reminds your users that they signed up for your newsletter, but also provides evidence that your list is entirely permission-based in the event you receive complaints.
  
  
• If you use contact addition methods other than an online sign-up form, make sure you still send a confirmation-request email to each new contact.
  If you collect contacts offline, you should still send a confirmation-request email. This helps you avoid adding bad addresses and also confirms that the contact wishes to receive future emails from you or your organization.