You’ve spent time crafting the perfect email marketing campaign, only to find that many of your emails are ending up in your recipients’ spam folders. This can be incredibly frustrating and damaging to your business, as it affects your ability to connect with your audience. Thankfully, there are practical steps you can take to ensure your emails land in the inbox rather than the dreaded spam folder.
In this blog, we'll explore strategies to improve your email deliverability and avoid spam filters, so you can reach your audience effectively.
1. Use a verified email domain
One of the first things you can do to prevent your emails from landing in the spam folder is to use a verified domain to send your emails. Free email providers (like Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are often flagged by spam filters because they are easily abused by spammers. Using your own domain shows email providers that you are a legitimate sender.
How to do it:
- Authenticate your domain: Set up domain authentication by adding DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) and SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records to your domain. This helps email providers verify that your emails are actually coming from your domain.
- Use a custom email address: Instead of sending emails from a generic address like name@gmail.com, send them from your business’s custom domain (e.g., hello@yourbusiness.com).
2. Maintain a clean email list
Sending emails to inactive, invalid, or unengaged subscribers can hurt your sender reputation, making it more likely that your emails will end up in spam. Regularly cleaning your email list helps you avoid this issue and maintain a high level of engagement.
How to do it:
- Remove inactive subscribers: If someone hasn’t opened your emails in a while (typically 3 to 6 months), consider sending a re-engagement campaign. If they don’t respond, remove them from your list.
- Use double opt-in: Implement a double opt-in process where subscribers must confirm their email address after signing up. This ensures your list consists of real people who are genuinely interested in your content.
- Check for bounces: Monitor your email bounce rates and remove any invalid or outdated email addresses. High bounce rates can hurt your sender reputation.
3. Create relevant and engaging content
Spam filters pay attention to how recipients interact with your emails. If subscribers are consistently deleting your emails without reading them, or marking them as spam, it signals that your emails aren’t engaging or relevant. By sending valuable and interesting content, you can increase engagement and avoid being flagged as spam.
How to do it:
- Segment your list: Group subscribers based on their preferences, behaviors, or demographics, and send them targeted, relevant emails.
- Personalize your emails: Use the recipient’s name, recommend products based on their interests, or send offers based on past purchases.
- Avoid overly promotional language: Words like “free,” “limited time offer,” or “urgent” can trigger spam filters. Instead, focus on clear, honest language that delivers value.
4. Be mindful of your email subject lines
Subject lines are one of the first things both recipients and spam filters look at. Overly promotional, misleading, or spammy-sounding subject lines can lead to your emails being flagged. Your subject line should be clear, concise, and reflective of the content inside the email.
How to do it:
- Avoid ALL CAPS: Using all capital letters in your subject line can come across as aggressive and spammy.
- Limit the use of special characters: Overuse of symbols like “!!!” or “$$$” can trigger spam filters. Keep it simple and professional.
- Be honest: Don’t use misleading subject lines just to get people to open your emails. If your email doesn’t deliver on what the subject promises, it can hurt your reputation.
5. Optimize your email's design and code
Poorly designed or coded emails can trigger spam filters, especially if your email is overloaded with images, uses broken links, or has large file sizes. Emails that are too “image-heavy” or contain unbalanced text-to-image ratios may raise red flags with email providers.
How to do it:
- Balance text and images: Ensure your email contains a healthy mix of text and images. Avoid sending emails that are just one large image, as these are often flagged as spam.
- Optimize images: Compress your images so that they load quickly and don’t increase the email’s overall file size. Slow-loading emails can hurt engagement.
- Use clean code: If you’re coding your own email templates, make sure your code is clean, responsive, and free of errors that might cause issues with email providers.
6. Include a clear unsubscribe option
Having a visible and functional unsubscribe link is not only required by law (under regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM), but it also improves your sender reputation. If recipients don’t want to hear from you, it’s better for them to unsubscribe than to mark your email as spam.
How to do it:
- Make your unsubscribe link easy to find: Place it at the bottom of your email, but ensure it’s easy to spot and click.
- Use friendly language: Rather than a cold “Unsubscribe here,” you can phrase it as “We’re sorry to see you go! If you’d like to unsubscribe, click here.”
- Allow list updates: Offer recipients the option to update their email preferences instead of completely unsubscribing. They might prefer fewer emails rather than opting out entirely.
7. Send emails consistently (but not too often)
Inconsistent email sending can harm your deliverability. If you only send emails sporadically, email providers might consider your emails less trustworthy. At the same time, sending too many emails can annoy subscribers, leading them to mark your emails as spam.
How to do it:
- Stick to a schedule: Whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, maintain a regular email schedule so your audience knows what to expect.
- Don’t overwhelm your subscribers: Be mindful of how frequently you’re sending emails. Too many emails in a short period can lead to higher unsubscribe or spam rates.
8. Avoid using spam trigger words
Spam filters scan for certain words and phrases that are commonly used by spammers. Using too many of these in your subject line or email body can increase the likelihood of your email being flagged.
How to do it:
- Limit promotional language: Words like “free,” “guarantee,” “act now,” or “risk-free” can trigger spam filters. Try to avoid these and instead use more neutral language.
- Focus on value: Rather than using exaggerated claims, focus on delivering valuable, helpful content that resonates with your audience.
9. Use a reputable email marketing service
Using a reputable email marketing platform can improve your chances of avoiding spam folders. Platforms like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Constant Contact have built-in deliverability features, as well as guidelines to help you comply with email marketing best practices.
How to do it:
- Choose the right provider: Select a well-known and respected email marketing service that prioritizes deliverability and complies with anti-spam regulations.
- Monitor your sender reputation: Many email marketing platforms provide tools to help you monitor your sender reputation and take action if your score drops.
10. Test your emails before sending
Finally, always test your emails before sending them to your full list. Many email marketing platforms allow you to run tests to see if your emails are likely to land in spam or if any issues need fixing before sending them to your audience.
How to do it:
- Run spam tests: Use your email marketing service’s spam check feature to ensure your email complies with best practices.
- Send test emails: Send a test email to yourself and your team across different email clients (like Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to ensure the email displays correctly and isn’t flagged as spam.
Conclusion: ensure your emails reach the inbox
Avoiding the spam folder is crucial for the success of your email marketing campaigns. By following these best practices—using a verified domain, cleaning your email list, creating relevant content, and avoiding spammy tactics—you can significantly improve your email deliverability and engagement.
Focus on building trust with your audience, sending high-quality content, and maintaining a consistent, honest approach to email marketing. This will not only help keep your emails out of spam but also strengthen your relationship with your subscribers over time.
Need more tips & tricks about decreasing your spam rate?
