If you’re an email marketer, you know the spam folder is a no man’s land and should be avoided at all cost.
While it may seem impossible to avoid it completely, there are many ways that marketing teams can help fight the good fight and avoid the folder of no return.
While spam folders can be a bother to marketers, they do play an essential role in protecting people from cyberthreats. So, to avoid the spam folder, adhere to all email marketing rules and regulations, including all CAN-SPAM regulations. And, of course, keep reading this step-by-step guide we’ve put together for you.
Before we talk about how to avoid the spam folder and build your sender reputation, it's essential to understand why spam folders are important.
Spam filters work to keep consumers safe from the millions of cyber threats that can easily find their way into their inbox. The spread of malware, ransomware, and the frequency of phishing attacks on email users can be hard to contain.
Thanks to the many spam filters put in place by internet service providers (ISPs), many email messages are searched and filtered into spam long before consumers even realize they’re there.
ISPs utilize a variety of filters to help identify potentially threatening content, including:
Illegitimate sender information
Trigger words
Image-only emails
Poor sender reputation
The good news is that there are not only plenty of best practices to help you avoid the spam folder, but there are also a variety of third-party applications that can help you check your overall sender score and see if spam filters are blocking your content.
Yes, the spam folder helps keep people safe. But these filters sometimes make mistakes, and that means legitimate email messages end up in the wrong place.
What's worse than consumers not receiving your messages? Having your deliverability be negatively affected.
When your email deliverability begins to decline, your sender reputation score also declines. Your email deliverability and sender score are both factors that many ISPs take into consideration when running their spam filters. So, while consumers may be awaiting your content, if these two scores are low, ISPs may automatically block your content as a way of protecting their clients.
Source: Emma
The good news is that there are several ways to monitor your email deliverability rate and help improve your overall sender reputation.
The first step in this process is to carefully look at your email analytics and take note of any negative changes in metrics such as:
Unsubscribes & opt outs
Open rates
Click & click-through rates
Spam & complaint rates
For example, if you’ve noticed an increase in your overall opt outs, unsubscribes, or complaints, then you know something isn't sitting well with your readers. The same can be assumed if you see an unusual decline in your overall open or click-through rates.
Source: Emma
Depending on your email service provider, you may even be able to monitor your email deliverability rate as well.
If you're unable to monitor this particular metric, you can use a third party application designed to help monitor your email sender score. Notable sources include Sender Score by ReturnPath and Talos Intelligence by Cisco.
By monitoring your sender score, deliverability, and other key performance indicators (KPIs), you'll be able to make note of any patterns that could be of concern and take action immediately.
Now that you understand why the spam folder is important, and how to monitor your sender reputation, it's time to talk about the proactive ways to avoid the spam folder. Believe it or not, there are dozens of techniques to help you avoid the spam folder.
Here are six ways to prevent entering no man’s land.
One of the most common reasons email messages land in spam is because the ISP’s filter has marked the message that way. Now, if you’re adhering to email laws and regulations, then you already know you must get a consumer's express approval before sending them any marketing content.
That's why sending an opt-in email confirmation is absolutely vital. Better yet, send double opt-in confirmations (to make sure subscribers aren't entering information only to opt out once they realize they’re on a mailing list). Many double opt-ins use an email verification message, such as the one below.
Source: Really Good Emails
This helps readers know they’re signing up for an account, and part of that requires email communications.
Many brands go a step further and allow subscribers to fill out an email preference center — this helps them dictate the content they want when they want it.
Source: Campaign Monitor
You may know that a winning subject line is key to standing out in a crowded inbox. But did you know that ISPs have a list of spam trigger words for incoming emails?
Avoiding spammy language isn't easy. Sure, while words and phrases like, "be your own boss" and, "money making" can be clear spam words, some aren't so quick to spot, including:
Clearance
Buy direct
While you sleep
Increase sales
Why pay more
Web traffic
Free consultation
Call now
Sign up for free
Not only do you want to be careful of using these words in your email subject lines, but you also want to avoid using them in the body of your emails as well.
Having the right sender information is just as essential as anything we’ve noted above.
Why? Because subscribers want to know who they’re receiving content from. You may think sending from CEO Bill Smith is a good idea, but readers may not know who that is, and that could lead to a spam complaint. The more spam complaints you receive, the more frequently your emails will be filtered through to spam.
Source: Campaign Monitor
Make sure you abide by email best practices and include an easily identifiable unsubscribe option. After all, it's better to have someone opt out of receiving emails than it is to receive a spam complaint.
Source: Walgreens
While you may think shortening links in your email messages is a good idea, it's actually considered a red flag. Spammers of days past frequently used link shorteners to disguise their links.
For example, when someone hovers over an affiliate link, they will see the domain name, like in the example below.
Source: Gmail
Scammers will often include a link to a site that looks oddly familiar, like, "Amaz0n.com."
While most individuals would instantly notice the spoof address, a link shortener could disguise that tell all.
Believe it or not, your send frequency can play a role in whether or not your emails get marked as spam. The problem lies in sending too frequently.
Sending message after message — especially if your subscriber isn't opening them — tips off spam filters. Once they see your readers aren't opening your messages, they assume you’re sending spam.
Now, that doesn't mean you should disappear. Instead, A/B test your campaigns to see what frequency works best. Even better, dedicate a section in your email preference center so readers can tell you how often they'd like to hear from you.
While sometimes it's inevitable to avoid the spam folder, there are many marketing tips and tricks to help you pass through ISPs’ spam filters and make it into subscriber inboxes. A few ways to do so include:
Utilize email opt ins
Avoid spam trigger words
Use accurate and reliable sender information
Avoid the use of link shorteners
Find the right send frequency
Looking for ways to improve your email results? Check out this detailed guide and make well-informed decisions about your next campaign.
Want to engage your audience and grow your brand? Try Emma's robust easy-to-use product today.