Table of Contents
Introduction
There are approximately 160 billion spam emails sent every day, making up more than 46% of email traffic, so it’s no wonder that spam filters are becoming more and more sophisticated.
To protect users from receiving an endless stream of spam content, systems are in place to filter the emails that are being sent and protect recipients from receiving potentially dangerous material.
For marketers sending out content to a large number of recipients, the prospect of landing in spam folders can be incredibly daunting and risk damaging the reputation of the business.
To help you stay clear of the spam folder, this article discusses some of the most common mistakes that email marketers make so you know what to avoid.
Understanding What Triggers Spam Filters
To protect users from receiving emails that they didn’t ask for, including malicious content, spam filters are implemented to act as a layer of protection. They are automated systems that analyze emails and establish whether they are relevant. If the system considers the email to contain spam tactics or dangerous content, it will send it directly to the recipients’ spam folders.
Every email service provider (ESP) has a slightly different algorithm to determine which emails are permitted, but generally, they follow a similar pattern.
A big factor in determining which content is classified as spam is the domain reputation of the sender and the email tool that you’re using. Choosing a trusted provider that supports proper authentication and complies with deliverability best practices significantly reduces the likelihood that your messages will be flagged as spam.
The other main factor is the way your emails are built. If you use well-structured templates created through an AI email builder that uses clean code and unique content, it significantly reduces the likelihood of the email being flagged as spam.
8 Tips to Help You Stay Clear of Spam Folders
Once you have an idea of why spam filters are used, the next step is to know how to stay clear of them. Let’s discuss some of the main ways that you can ensure your emails arrive straight into your recipients’ inboxes…
Keep an eye on your sender reputation
The ESP you choose to use can significantly impact your legitimacy in the eyes of the algorithm. Opting for a well-established ESP is recommended as it means you are sending emails from a domain with a strong reputation.
As well as the ESP, every individual email address also has a sender reputation which is scored based on factors such as bounce rate, open rate, and spam complaints. The higher the score, the less likely you are to end up in spam folders since you’re considered to be a reputable sender.
Tools like Sender Score can be used to keep track of your current sender reputation and identify if your IP has been flagged due to spam concerns.
Only contact people who have opted in
Your email marketing campaigns will only be successful if you are communicating with people who want to be contacted. If you turn to paid lists to speed up the process, this can not only cause havoc on your statistics, but could quickly trigger spam filters.
Any email data you collect must be collected with the recipients’ consent. Whether you add a sign-up module on your website homepage, add an opt-in tick box to the checkout process, or offer an incentive in exchange for newsletter sign-ups, there are various ways to build up your mailing list organically.
Avoid trigger words
If you use excessively sales-driven language or unnaturally repeat phrases too often throughout an email, this can trigger spam filters.
Some examples of the kinds of phrases that will flag up to algorithms are “100% guaranteed”, “act fast”, and “earn extra cash”. This type of language can be seen as an aggressive sales tactic that overdelivers false promises.
Another common mistake is using capital letters or exclamation marks to grab attention. If your subject lines or headings look something like “SPECIAL OFFER: ACT FAST!!!”, it can instantly look like a spam email. Instead, use natural language that is easy to understand.
Remove non-essential attachments
Nowadays, email attachments are much less common and if you are sending out an email marketing campaign to a large number of people, it can look suspicious to the algorithms. This is due to the amount of malicious malware that gets spread.
As well as looking risky, email attachments can be seen as an outdated strategy. Instead, most email marketers use call-to-action buttons and hyperlinks to direct traffic to website landing pages. This makes the email look much cleaner and means readers know what to expect when they click through.
Segment your campaigns
If you send out the same email to your entire mailing list, it is likely to not be relevant to everyone and lack personalization.
Email segmentation is a powerful strategy that not only helps you avoid triggering spam filters, but also helps increase your engagement rate.
You should segment your mailing list based on demographics, buying behavior, or pre-defined preferences. This way, you can tailor every email you send to grab the attention of the segment you are targeting – increasing the likelihood of it being opened.
Include an easy unsubscribe process
According to the CAN-SPAM Act, businesses sending out marketing emails must give recipients the option to opt out of further communications.
If you fail to provide this option, your recipients are more likely to mark your emails as spam in an attempt to stop future messages. If multiple people are flagging your content, it can leave all of your future emails going straight into spam folders as default.
The unsubscribe link on your emails needs to be easy to find and quick to use. Adding unnecessary steps or making it difficult to unsubscribe can quickly raise frustrations and impact your overall brand reputation.
Don’t overdo the cold emails
Cold emailing is a frequently used marketing strategy, yet if it is not done well, it can quickly harm your sender reputation. When a high volume of emails is sent in a short period of time, it can look like a spam tactic and is often picked up by spam filters.
To make sure that your cold emails follow guidelines, the trick is to make sure that each email is personalized. Only reaching out to specific contacts and doing so with relevant information that is tailored to the recipient shows that your emails are legitimate.
Clean your email list regularly
Not every contact in your mailing list is a viable lead, and it is important that you don’t continue sending them marketing emails.
Whether they are users who signed up to your mailing list a few years back and are no longer interested in your service, users who no longer use the email account that they once signed up with, or users who simply never open the emails you send, these contacts should be removed from your marketing lists completely.
If you continue to send out marketing emails without regularly cleaning up your email list, it will have a notable impact on your bounce rate, open rate, and engagement rate. If your statistics start to decline, this can lead to your emails being considered spam.
Protecting Your Sender Reputation
Once your emails start to get picked up by spam filters, it can be a tricky hole to climb out of. Since this indicates that your content is showing signs of irrelevance or that your metrics are ringing alarm bells, it means changes need to be made if you want to make your email marketing efforts worthwhile.
The top line is that every email you send should be relevant, informative, and most importantly, only sent to recipients who have opted to hear from you. Typically, this is enough to show the algorithms that your content is not a threat, but by being aware of the things that can get emails flagged and staying clear of them, you can make sure your campaigns are well-received.
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