Nothing strikes fear in the heart of an email marketer like the thought of a recipient hitting the spam button. All that time spent on creating content, sending and reviewing test messages, only to have someone completely reject the message as "Junk." It truly is a cold, hard world.

But what is a recipient to do? Hit delete? That's like shoeing away a fly with the back of the hand - it will be back. Or even worse, use an unsubscribe link? That might let the sender know that they have reached a valid email address.

Do not blame the recipient! They know the definition of spam - "unsolicited commercial or bulk e-mail." And guess what? Your opinion does not count! If the recipient believes the message is unwanted or unknown, the big bad button on the top of the email client is going to be pushed.

Since you can only control what happens before you hit the send button, try these steps:

Follow the golden rule of email marketing: never send to anyone who did not give you explicit consent to email them. As I mentioned above, recipients are now conditioned to use the Spam button as a way of disposing of unwanted and unknown email messages.

Do not send to old addresses that have been sitting idle in some database. This is like going up to an adult on the street and telling them you were their preschool teacher and asking if they remember you.

Send regularly. Do not wait too long between messages, but do not send too frequently. Remember, the key here is to have the recipient recognize and appreciate your message.

Clearly identify yourself in the from field. Using your company or brand will get your message recognized, and hopefully opened.

The subject line needs to truly represent the message content, and should not try to trick the recipient into opening the message. Use the subject line in tandem with the from field to build brand awareness and highlight the value of the message content.

Add a couple of sentences to the top of your content to let the recipient know why they are receiving your message, and where the unsubscribe link is. The "click here if you have trouble viewing this message", and the "please add our from address to your address book" is great for people who know why they are receiving your message and want to receive it. But what about those who do not?

Make sure the message content looks professional, is engaging, offers value, and is not too long.

The unsubscribe link needs to be easy to find and easy to use - two click max!

Move the unsubscribe link to the top of your content. This works well in reducing complaints, especially when you are sending to new list members.

And lastly, honor all unsubscribe requests. Nothing will get you a complaint faster than sending to someone how has previously unsubscribed from one of your lists.