Ways To Avoid The Spam Folder When Emailing

Email service providers may classify your messages as spam based on several factors, such as using a public domain for sending, compliance with DMARC policies, list health and acquisition practices, and internal email handling. By understanding these common triggers, you can implement measures to improve deliverability, helping your emails reach their intended recipients and maintain reliable communication.

Sending From a Public Domain #

Using free domains like gmail.com or yahoo.com to send emails can increase the likelihood of messages landing in spam folders. To improve email deliverability, send emails from a custom domain that aligns with your branding.

For example, you can set up a Branded Domain within the Business Profile Settings of your account to ensure that system notifications are sent from your own domain.

DMARC #

If the domain you use to send emails has a DMARC policy, but you haven’t verified the domain with your SMTP provider, your messages will likely go to spam. Check with your SMTP provider to ensure that your email messages pass DMARC.

Sending Internal Mail #

If you send messages within the same domain from which the message originates, your internal mail may end up in spam. This is because your mailbox thinks it’s being spoofed as it sees an email from itself that it didn’t send. To avoid this, use a free email like Gmail.com to test your message or have the person in charge of your domain whitelist the IP address of your SMTP provider for internal mail.

Subscriber List Health #

• Focus on quality vs. quantity. Use subscribers who have given you explicit permission to communicate with them.
• Use a double opt-in or ReCaptcha for form security to prevent bot usage.
• Clean, or scrub, your list frequently of cold subscribers. Having a growing list of unengaged subscribers will drop your reputation as those emails start filtering to subscribers’ spam folders.

Consistency #

• Try to not make sudden, drastic changes to the way you send messages, as mailbox providers will view these messages as risky, likely filtering them to spam.
• Using multiple domains is okay, but be sure they are recognizable and have been active within the last 6 months.
• Volume: send communications to a consistent number of subscribers.
  • NOTE: it is normal for your list to grow or shrink, but try to not have any major swings (don’t jump from 2,000 subscribers one day to 10,000 overnight).
  • If you have a large influx of subscribers, divide them into batches to slowly grow your database.
• Frequency: Maintain your reputation by sending at least one email per month. If you go ‘dark’ for too long, your reputation won’t be maintained and you’ll essentially be starting from scratch with your next email. Contrarily, don’t send emails too frequently as it could be flagged as spam.
  • NOTE: it is highly recommended to give your subscribers the option to determine how often they want to hear from you.

Content #

• Content influences your deliverability as an underlying data point, especially if you don’t have good consistency. If you send inconsistently, the actual content can be used to determine the safety and subscribers’ desire for your content. If you do send consistently, then content is often ignored.
• Don’t use spammy words/phrases, or gimmicks. Try to make your email sound more conversational and human even if you’re selling something. Don’t make it sound to urgent or overly promotional. Don’t use “tricky” subject likes like “RE: Your Order #12345”
• Eliminate link shorteners: these are often used by spammers and some spam filters may automatically red-flag these. Use the direct, full links for transparency.
• Focus on your image-to-text ratio. While there isn’t a magic recipe here, the best practice is to have enough text so if an image fails to load, the text will still effectively communicate your message.
• Drive authentic engagement: encourage subscribers to engage authentically. Maybe ask them to reply to your message with their favorite show they’re currently binge watching, their favorite song, or a great recipe they’ve recently cooked.

Get a Dedicated IP (optional) #

Furthermore, you can also add a dedicated domain in the Settings > Email Services section in your account for all emails to be sent from a domain you own. This is only recommended for heavy users and who want to scale email sending.

By addressing these common issues, you can improve your email campaign’s deliverability and effectiveness and reduce the risk of being flagged as spam.

Frequently Asked Questions #

Q: How often should I clean my subscriber list?

• It is advisable to review and clean your list every 3-6 months, depending on your sending frequency and list growth rate.

Q: What if my emails are still going to spam?

• Review your sending practices, list health, and content quality.

Q: Can I use multiple domains for sending emails?

• Yes, but ensure they are recognizable and have been active recently to avoid being flagged as spam.

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