Emails serve as the lifeline for businesses, brands, and personal communications. Yet, the journey of an email from the sender’s outbox to the recipient’s inbox is fraught with challenges. With the rise of cyber threats and the sheer volume of electronic communications, email providers have had to become increasingly discerning, often at the cost of genuine emails being misdirected to the spam folder.

This article breaks down email deliverability factors, shedding light on the common pitfalls, best practices, and actionable strategies to ensure your messages not only reach their intended destination but also resonate with the recipients. This guide offers insights to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of email communications.

Why Are My Incoming Emails Going To Spam?

Navigating the intricacies of email deliverability can be challenging, especially when legitimate emails are mistakenly flagged as spam. Several common factors contribute to this issue:

• Spammy Content and Trigger Words: Emails containing spam trigger words like “free,” “buy now,” “urgent,” or “winner” can be red flags for spam filters. It’s essential to craft your content carefully and avoid using phrases that are commonly associated with spam.

• Excessive Links and Images: An email filled with numerous links, especially shortened URLs, or a high image-to-text ratio can raise suspicions. Ensure a balanced use of links and images in your content.

• Poor Sender Reputation: If your sending domain or IP address has been associated with spammy behavior in the past, it can negatively impact your deliverability. Regularly monitor your sender reputation for your email to ensure it remains in good standing.

• Lack of Email Authentication: Without proper authentication methods like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, email providers might doubt the legitimacy of your emails, increasing the chances of them being marked as spam. Authenticate your emails to boost your deliverability.

• Sending from a Blacklisted IP: If your email service provider’s IP address is blacklisted, your emails can be flagged, even if your content is legitimate. It’s crucial to choose a reputable email service provider and regularly check for blacklisting issues.

By being aware of these common pitfalls and proactively addressing them, you can enhance your email deliverability and ensure your messages reach their intended recipients.

Tips To Stop Emails From Going To Spam

As spam filters for emails become increasingly sophisticated, understanding how to navigate them becomes crucial. This section will unravel key strategies and actionable tips to ensure your emails bypass the spam folder and land directly in the recipient’s primary inbox.

Engagement Metrics Matter (A Lot)

Engagement metrics serve as a barometer for the health of your email campaigns. They provide insights into how your audience interacts with your emails, and their importance cannot be overstated. When recipients actively engage with your content, it signals to email providers that your emails are valuable and relevant. Conversely, low engagement can lead to your emails being flagged as spam or being placed in the dreaded “Promotions” tab. Here’s a deeper dive into why these metrics are crucial and how you can optimize them:

• Open Rates: This metric indicates how many recipients are opening your emails. A low open rate might suggest issues with your subject lines or sender name. Consider A/B testing different subject lines to see which ones resonate most with your audience to boost email open rates.

• Click-Through Rates (CTR): Email CTR measures how many recipients clicked on links within your email. If this rate is low, it might be due to unappealing call-to-actions or content that doesn’t resonate. Ensure your links are relevant and your CTAs are compelling.

• Bounce Rates: Emails that aren’t delivered and bounce back can harm your sender reputation. Regularly clean your email list to remove invalid addresses and reduce your bounce rate.

• Unsubscribe Rates: A high unsubscribe rate is a clear signal that your content isn’t meeting the expectations of your subscribers. It might be time to re-evaluate your content strategy or segment your list for more targeted messaging.

• Engagement Over Time: Track how engagement metrics evolve over time. If you notice a decline, it might be indicative of “list fatigue.” Consider segmenting your list or introducing fresh, new content to re-engage dormant subscribers.

• Segmentation: Not all subscribers are the same. Segment your list based on engagement levels, purchase history, or other relevant criteria. By doing so, you can tailor your content to each segment, increasing the chances of engagement.

Maintain a Clean Email List

Maintaining a clean email list is pivotal for ensuring optimal deliverability and engagement. A clean email list entails removing inactive users, and broken emails. A cluttered list with unresponsive subscribers can harm your sender reputation, leading to decreased open rates and increased chances of landing in the spam folder. 

Sending emails to unengaged subscribers or, worse, to spam traps can tarnish your sender reputation. Email providers monitor engagement, and consistent low engagement can signal that your emails are not valuable or even spammy.

Here’s a quick guide on why and how to keep your email list pristine:

• Regular List Audits: Schedule regular check-ups of your email list. Remove bounced email addresses, duplicates, and those not engaged in a set period. This improves deliverability and ensures you’re not wasting resources on unresponsive subscribers. Periodically remove inactive subscribers and validate email addresses. Tools and services can help identify and remove potential spam traps from your list.

• Unsubscribe Process: Make the unsubscribe process straightforward. If subscribers find it challenging to opt-out, they might mark your emails as spam, which can harm your reputation. Also, honor unsubscribe requests promptly to stay compliant with regulations like CAN-SPAM. Have a clearly visible unsubscribe link so users can opt-out easily.

• Ask Subscribers to Whitelist Your Email: In your welcome emails, encourage new subscribers to add your email address to whitelist it or to their contacts. This action tells email providers that your emails are wanted and should not be marked as spam.

Avoid Spam Traps

Spam traps are a silent threat in email marketing. Crafted by organizations and email providers, these addresses serve as bait to catch and penalize spammers. Accidentally sending emails to these addresses can severely affect your email campaigns.

While spam traps are a necessary tool to combat spam, they pose a genuine risk to legitimate email marketers. By understanding their nature, regularly cleaning your list, and adopting best practices, you can ensure your emails reach their intended recipients without falling into these hidden pitfalls.

Here’s a detailed look into spam traps and actionable steps to steer clear of them:

Types of Spam Traps

Here are the different types of spam traps.

Pristine Traps

These are email addresses that have never been used and are purposely set up by organizations to catch spammers. They often find their way into email lists through shady list acquisition practices.

Recycled Traps

These were once valid email addresses but have since been abandoned and repurposed as traps. Sending to these indicates that you’re not regularly cleaning your list.

Consequences of Hitting Spam Traps:

• Sender Reputation Damage: Even a single email to a spam trap can significantly harm your sender reputation, leading to decreased deliverability.

• Blacklisting: Your sending IP or domain can get blacklisted, making it challenging to reach your subscribers even if they’ve opted in. 

Tips To Avoid Spam Traps

• Avoid Purchased Lists: As tempting as it might be, never buy email lists. They’re notorious for containing spam traps and can do more harm than good. Always focus on organic list-building strategies.

• Monitor Feedback: Utilize feedback loops offered by email providers. They can provide insights if your emails are being marked as spam or if you’ve hit any spam traps. Adjust your strategies based on this feedback.

Email Content is Crucial

The content of your email serves as the primary bridge between you and your subscribers. It’s the message, the value proposition, and the call to action. However, even the slightest misstep in your content can lead to your emails being flagged as spam, undermining your efforts and damaging your sender reputation. Here’s an in-depth look at why email content is paramount and how to optimize it for best results:

• Misleading Subject Lines: Using clickbait or deceptive subject lines might increase open rates in the short term, but they erode trust and can lead to higher spam reports. Always ensure your subject line accurately represents the content of the email.

• Grammar and Spelling: An email riddled with typos and grammatical errors looks unprofessional and can trigger spam filters. Always proofread your emails or use grammar-checking tools before hitting send.

• Proper Coding: If you’re using HTML emails, ensure they’re properly coded. Broken or messy code can make your emails appear suspicious to spam filters. Additionally, always provide a plain-text version of your email as a fallback. Check your HTML of your emails here. 

• Balanced Imagery: While images can make your emails more engaging, an excessive image-to-text ratio can be a red flag for spam filters. Ensure a harmonious balance between text and visuals.

• Avoid High-Risk Phrases: Words and phrases like “free,” “urgent,” “winner,” or “guaranteed” can trigger spam filters. While it’s not always possible to avoid these words, be mindful of their frequency and context.