How do you stop emails from landing in the spam folder? This question is more relevant for email marketers than ever.
Both businesses and individuals want their message seen and heard. But as spam filters get more and more sophisticated, getting your email out of the spam category will be getting harder and harder.
Taking the time to study spam filters and email best practices are what can make a big difference.
How to Avoid Spam Filters
Understanding how spam filters work is the first step.
Think of spam filters as gatekeepers. They use increasingly sophisticated algorithms to sift through incoming emails and separate what they consider legitimate messages from unsolicited spam.
If you understand how spam filters work and know what criteria they use, you can use this information to adjust your email strategy and, hopefully, your very special email will
Definition and purpose
At their core, spam filters are designed with a straightforward goal. They protect email users from unwanted, irrelevant, or potentially harmful emails.
Spam filters are a barrier. The purpose of this barrier is keeping the user’s email box free of clutter and online threats. And this is a good thing. This protective feature substantially improves on user experience and makes users feel safe. Then again, it presents a challenge for email marketers, as a lot of legitimate emails may end up in the spam folder.
How they work
Spam filters operate by analyzing emails based on a multitude of criteria, including but not limited to:
- Email content: They scan for certain words or phrases that are commonly associated with spam. A good example of these are aggressive sales language or misleading claims.
- Header information: Filters examine the email’s technical data, including the sender’s information, to identify any discrepancies or signs of spoofing.
- Sender reputation: This involves the history and credibility of the IP address and domain from which the email is sent. A history of sending spam can tarnish a sender’s reputation, leading to their emails being more likely to be filtered out.
- Engagement metrics: Email providers monitor how recipients interact with emails from a particular sender. High engagement rates can improve a sender’s reputation, while a pattern of unopened emails may signal that the sender’s messages are not valued, increasing their spam risk.
Improving sender reputation
One effective workaround for spam filters is improving your reputation as a sender. And there are two crucial aspects that you have to consider in the first place:
Dedicated IP use: For high-volume senders, a dedicated IP is a must. It’s also essential that you keep your IP address “clean”: this means avoiding ANY behavior that could flag your emails as spam.
Domain health: Regularly check and maintain the health of your domain. Make sure your domain is not listed on any blacklists and implement email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Email verification: Use an email checker to remove invalid or inactive addresses; this will reduce bounce rates, and ensure that emails are sent to engaged and legitimate recipients.
Email Authentication: The First Line of Defense
Email authentication verifies that the sender is who they claim to be. It prevents email spoofing and phishing attacks.
To boost your reputation as a sender, consider implementing these standards:
1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework): SPF is a protocol that allows domain owners to specify which IP addresses are authorized to send emails on their behalf. When an email is received, the receiving server checks the SPF record in the domain’s DNS to verify the email was sent from an authorized server. This helps to prevent sender address forgery.
2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM adds an encrypted signature to the headers of an email. This signature is unique to your domain and validates that the email content has not been altered in transit. Receiving servers use the public key, published in your DNS records, to decrypt the signature and verify the email’s integrity.
3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): DMARC leverages SPF and DKIM, providing additional instructions to receiving servers on how to handle emails that fail these checks. It also sends reports back to the sender about the emails that pass or fail these authentication methods, offering insights into potential issues and attempts to abuse your domain.
Crafting Your Content With Care
Next, look into the emails themselves. The way you write your emails plays a very big role in how spam filters will react to your communications.
- Avoid spam trigger words: Phrases like “Buy now,” “Free offer,” and excessive use of caps or exclamation marks often triggers spam filters. It’s best to communicate your message clearly and professionally, without relying on salesy tactics.
- Use a clear subject line: Misleading or vague subject lines can frustrate recipients and lead to spam complaints. Keep your subject lines honest and direct, accurately reflecting the email’s content.
- Personalize the email: Personalization goes beyond addressing the recipient by name. Tailoring the content to their interests, past interactions, and preferences shows that you value their engagement and are more likely to keep their attention. This approach not only improves open rates but also reduces the likelihood of being marked as spam.
Engage Your Audience
A successful email strategy keeps an audience engaged. Here are a few tips for doing that:
- Permission-based email lists: The cornerstone of any email marketing campaign is consent. You need to make sure that your email list consists of people who have explicitly opted in to receive emails from you. The first thing this will do is keep you in line with legal requirements. But on top of that, it will male sure that the people on the other side of your email marketing strategy actually want to hear from you.
- Maintain your email list: Once you have your email list, it’s very important that you regularly maintain it. Remove subscribers who have not engaged with your emails for a while and correct invalid email addresses.
- Encourage interaction: Your emails should be a two-way street. A big step in the right direction is encouraging your readers to add your email address to their contact list. This seemingly simple action will substantially reduce the risk of your emails being marked as spam.
Monitor Your Activities and Comply With Email Laws
Once everything is set up, keep an eye on your email campaign’s performance. This way, you will be able to take timely action to improve email deliverability. This, in turn, will let you maintain a positive relationship with readers.
1. Use email analytics: Leverage analytics tools to track open rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints. These metrics deliver valuable insights into the overall health of your email campaigns. Armed with this information, you can easily highlight areas for improvement.
2. Test before sending: Before you launch your campaign, try running your emails through major spam filters. This preemptive step can help you make necessary adjustments to avoid the spam folder.
3. Feedback loops: Setting up feedback loops with major internet service providers (ISPs) can be very beneficial. Once you’ve set this up, you will be notified each time a user marks your email as spam. This will give you a proper push to adjust strategy or clean your list.
4. Adhere to laws: Compliance with email laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the USA, GDPR in Europe, and other local regulations is non-negotiable. These laws outline requirements for providing clear unsubscribe options, maintaining transparent sender information, and obtaining consent before sending emails.
To Sum Up
Keeping your emails out of the spam folder is a battle – and an ongoing one. To win, you need to follow a number of key email marketing best practices and keep your eye on the details.
Ethical email communication is key.
Take some time to understand how spam filters work and what you can do to improve sender reputation. Authenticate emails and create engaging content.
With each carefully researched and thought-through step, you will be improving deliverability.