One of the most common questions we get asked is how to improve email deliverability and avoid the spam Box. Email marketing is an essential part of any digital marketing campaign, but it can be challenging to ensure that your emails reach their intended recipients. It is incredibly frustrating for a genuine subscriber to not receive an email they signed up to receive.
Spam filters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and they can be a significant obstacle to effective email marketing. For the past 19 years I have had a close eye on the extensive list of spam trigger words and year after year it just gets longer and longer!
In this article, I will cover the following topics:
- Understanding Spam Filters
- Best Practices for Email Marketing
- Creating Effective Email Content
- Testing and Optimization
Understanding Spam Filters
Spam filters are programs designed to detect and block unsolicited email, or spam. They use a variety of techniques to identify and filter out unwanted messages, including content analysis, sender reputation, and recipient behaviour.
To avoid having your emails flagged as spam, it’s important to understand how spam filters work and what triggers them.
We have an exhaustive list of spam trigger words that we compiled here but some common triggers that should be avoided include:
- Using certain words or phrases commonly associated with spam, such as “get rich quick” or “free money”
- Including too many links or images in your emails
- Using a large font or all caps in your subject line or body copy
- Sending emails to a large number of recipients at once
- Having a low sender reputation score
Best Practices for Email Marketing
Some further ways that you can avoid having your emails being caught in spam filters is to follow some recognised best practices in email marketing. These include:
- Build a Quality Email List: Ensure that you have a quality email list that includes only people who have opted-in to receive your emails. Avoid purchasing email lists or adding people without their permission.
- Personalize Your Emails: Personalization can go a long way in making your emails more relevant and engaging to your subscribers. Use your subscriber’s name in the subject line or greeting, and segment your list based on their interests or behaviours.
- Use a Clear and Compelling Subject Line: Your subject line is the first thing your subscribers will see, so it’s essential to make it clear and compelling. Avoid using spammy language, and make sure your subject line accurately reflects the content of your email.
- Optimize Your Email Content: Your email content should be well-written, visually appealing, and optimized for mobile devices. Use a clear call-to-action (CTA), and avoid using too many links or images.
Creating Effective Email Content
In addition to following best practices, it’s also essential to create effective email content that engages with your subscriber. The aim is to have your subscriber open your email, read and click. The more this happens during your campaign, the higher your reputation increases with the spam police and will encourage future emails to get to the inbox. Here are some tips for creating content that resonates with your subscribers:
- Provide Value: Your emails should provide value to your subscribers, whether it’s in the form of helpful information, exclusive offers, or entertaining content.
- Be Clear and Concise: Your email content should be clear, concise, and easy to read. Use short paragraphs and bullet points to break up your text, and avoid using jargon or technical language.
- Use Visuals: Visuals can help make your emails more engaging and memorable. Use high-quality images or videos to illustrate your message, and make sure they are optimized for email.
- Be friendly and prove your connection: Every email should make the reader feel as if the copy is a one on one friendly conversation between you and themselves.
- Personalize the content not just the name: Generic emails sent to everyone just don’t work! Segment your email to include your contacts traits and habits and only send relevant emails that they will find interesting.
Testing and Optimization
Finally, it’s essential to test and optimize your email campaigns continually. This will help you increase your open and click through rate thus once again increasing your reputation. Here are some tips for testing and optimization:
- A/B Test Your Emails: A/B testing allows you to test different versions of your emails to see which performs better. Test different subject lines, content, CTAs, and visuals to see what resonates with your subscribers.
- Monitor Your Metrics: Keep an eye on your email metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Monitoring your email metrics will help you identify areas where you can improve your email campaigns and increase your ROI.
- Make Adjustments: Based on your test results and metrics, make adjustments to your email campaigns to improve their performance. For example, if you notice that your open rates are low, try testing different subject lines or sending your emails at a different time of day.
Reputation is Key!
When it comes to email marketing, building a positive reputation is essential. Why? Because your sender reputation directly impacts your email deliverability rates. If your reputation is poor, your emails are more likely to end up in spam folders or get blocked altogether, which can seriously hinder the success of your email campaigns.
So, how do you build a good reputation as an email marketer? There are a few key things you can do:
- Use a reputable email service provider (ESP): Choose a reliable ESP that adheres to best practices and has a good reputation themselves. This will help ensure your emails are sent from a trusted source. Naturally our weapon of choice since 2004 has always been Mailchimp!
- Get permission: Only send emails to subscribers who have given you explicit permission to contact them. This will help prevent complaints and improve engagement rates.
- Keep your list clean: Regularly remove inactive or invalid email addresses from your list to avoid bounces and complaints. This will also lower your monthly Mailchimp bill!
- Monitor your metrics: Keep an eye on your email open rates, click-through rates, and complaint rates to identify any potential issues and take action to address them.
By following these tips and consistently sending relevant, engaging emails to your subscribers, you can establish a positive reputation as an email marketer and improve your chances of success. Remember, reputation is key!
In conclusion, email marketing is a powerful tool for reaching and engaging with your audience, but it’s essential to follow best practices to avoid having your emails caught in spam filters. By understanding how spam filters work, following best practices for email marketing, creating effective email content, and testing and optimizing your campaigns, you can ensure that your emails reach their intended recipients and drive results for your business.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to us. We will happily give you a free “Chimp Check-UP”
