Email spam filters are a real problem for small business email marketers. If you’re getting too many of your emails relegated to the spam folder, it’s time to make some changes.
The list of criteria for what qualifies as spam is constantly changing, based in part on what recipients identify as spam with the “mark as spam” button. Here are a few key email best practices that can help you avoid the spam folder:
1. Make it easy for your subscribers to unsubscribe
A well-designed unsubscribe page is a key component to email marketing best practices, see here for some Email Design Inspiration. It’s not only a requirement by CAN-SPAM and GDPR laws but it also gives your subscribers confidence that you value their preferences and privacy. This will help to maintain your sending reputation and create a positive relationship with your customers.
Unsubscribe links or buttons should be visible in the footer of each of your emails. Ideally, they should be just one or two clicks away and not require your recipients to login. Requiring your contacts to log in or go through a complicated process can be a huge turn off and may cause them to just skip the whole email.
Avoid using obscure fonts, colors or text design in your emails. Many email filters take into consideration these features and if they aren’t readable they could get flagged as spam or junk by your recipients.
If you are using a link shortener application, make sure to use a trusted one so that your URL’s aren’t being flagged as spam. Using too many keywords or phrases in your emails can also trigger a spam filter.
Your email sender name is another important factor when it comes to avoiding spam filters. Including your actual business name and a personal signature that includes your full name will help to prevent your emails from being flagged as spam. It’s also important to check your email lists periodically for inactive subscribers and remove them from your list. This will help to ensure that your deliverability rates are as high as possible and reduce the chances of your emails ending up in the SPAM folder.
For those that are choosing to unsubscribe, it’s a good idea to include an optional survey question underneath the unsubscribe functionality asking them why they are leaving. This can give you valuable feedback that will help you improve your future campaigns. It’s also a good idea to use this opportunity to remind your recipients of the benefits of your email marketing campaigns and what they will be missing out on by leaving your list.
2. Avoid overly promotional content
Email spam filters are an essential tool for email providers to help them prevent unwanted or potentially harmful emails from entering their users’ inboxes. These tools are constantly adapting and learning, based on the feedback of subscribers who mark messages as spam or click the “This is Spam” button in their inboxes. This makes keeping up with the latest email marketing best practices challenging for marketers.
The more you rely on promotions, discounts and sales-driven content, the higher your likelihood of being marked as spam. The good news is that avoiding these spam trigger words and using more customer-centric language that aligns with your brand guidelines can help you get back into the inbox.
Another common reason why an email may land in the spam folder is that it contains a lot of images or large files. Email spam filters are not able to scan the contents of an image file or a large HTML section, and this can cause them to flag your message as spam.
Additionally, emails that contain a high amount of text or repetitive phrases can also be flagged as spam. To avoid this, it is important to ensure that the text in your emails is readable, and that you do not over-do it with promotions.
In addition, it is important to have a clean and well-maintained email list. Regularly pruning your email list and removing dormant subscribers will help prevent your messages from being sent to spam.
It is also important to have a consistent schedule for sending your emails. If you send your emails at irregular times, recipients may be suspicious that they are being tricked or harassed by a business. This can cause them to mark your emails as spam, which will negatively impact your deliverability rates.
Spam filters will also look at your sender reputation score, which is a measure of how trustworthy your email address is to email providers. The higher your score, the better your chances of reaching the inbox. There are many different factors that contribute to your sender reputation, including the accuracy of your email list, the frequency of your emails and your overall email engagement. Keeping up with the latest email marketing best practices can help you improve your sender reputation and avoid having your emails sent to the spam folder.
3. Avoid sending too many emails at once
Email overload is the inability to keep up with emails and can be a big problem for your business. Over time, an overburdened inbox can lead to stress, poor work performance, and even health issues. Thankfully, there are some simple ways to resolve this problem and keep your emails organized.
It is important to send your emails at a speed that matches human behavior and avoids overwhelming your audience. This can be achieved by using a warm-up and deliverability booster like lemwarm. This tool will help you optimize your list and improve your deliverability rate.
Another way to avoid spamming your subscribers is to limit the number of emails you send in a day. This will not only prevent your emails from being sent to the spam folder, but it will also increase your email open and click-through rates.
Finally, it is important to avoid using too many spam trigger words in your emails. These are usually the types of words used in spam and phishing emails, and they can cause your email to be sent to the spam folder. These include keywords such as free, money, and lottery.
Avoiding spamming your subscribers is a great way to keep them happy and loyal to your brand. This can be done by sending them emails that are relevant to them and providing valuable content. In addition, by using email segmentation and keeping your email campaigns targeted to specific segments of your audience, you can ensure that the emails you send them add value to their lives and are not considered spam.
CAN-SPAM regulations state that emails must be clearly marked as commercial advertising or promotional material. Make sure your email headers include a valid return address, email authentication, and an SPF and DKIM record. This will prove that you are a legitimate sender and that your emails are not being spammed.
Avoiding spamming your subscribers can be a difficult task, but following these simple best practices can help you avoid the spam folder and reach your subscribers. Just remember to be careful with the subject line, use a warm-up and deliverability boost, avoid using too many spam trigger words, and keep your emails highly relevant to your audience to make sure that they never end up in the spam folder.
4. Avoid sending emails that contain links
The number of links in an email can be a red flag for spam filters. Many spam emails contain a high number of links, attempting to lure unsuspecting recipients to malicious websites. As a result, email service providers may flag your messages as spam if they contain too many links. The best practice for including links in your emails is to balance them with other factors, such as content and domain reputation.
One way to avoid sending too many emails that contain links is by using email previewing. This software allows you to see how your emails will look on a variety of devices and email clients before hitting the send button. This can help you avoid last-minute rendering issues or typos that could cause your message to end up in the spam folder.
It’s also important to avoid sending emails that contain too many images. This can be a sign that your emails aren’t adding value for your subscribers, which is another reason why you should use email previewing. This software can show you how your emails will look on over 90 different devices and email clients before you hit the send button. This can help you avoid emails that look like spam and ensure that your messages are optimized for all of the most popular platforms and email clients.
Additionally, when you do include links in your emails, make sure they’re accompanied by appropriate text. Spam filters often flag messages that contain excessive amounts of text and words such as “100% free,” “cash,” or “make money.” Additionally, be sure to use link shortening services that are reputable to reduce the risk of your emails being mistaken for spam.
Lastly, be sure to check your links regularly for broken links. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including changes to the URL or the deletion of the linked page. It’s also a good idea to regularly monitor your server status to ensure that you don’t have any problems with your servers that could impact the functionality of your links.
By following these tips, you can avoid having your emails sent to the spam folder and maintain a strong connection with your audience. By keeping your subscribers engaged and avoiding spam triggers, you can be sure that your emails will continue to land in their inboxes!