Avoid Spam Filters in Email Marketing

Unlike with social media, email marketing gives you full autonomy and ownership over your lead list. To be successful, it is crucial to avoid spam filters in email marketing. Building and nurturing an email list is vital for any successful marketing strategy. You’re not at the mercy of changing algorithms or trends and can speak directly to your audience. But we’ve all been there, pouring our heart and soul into crafting the perfect email, only to find out it vanished into the spam folder abyss. It happens to all email marketers at one point or another, but the goal is to avoid spam filters in email marketing as much as possible.

Spam filters are another type of algorithm you have to contend with. They can automatically filter emails to spam by looking for keywords, phrases, and patterns that are often found in spam messages. There are any number of reasons that emails may be finding their way into spam or junk folders, but there are a few things you can do to help your emails make it to the right place.

Get Permission

Getting permission to send emails is the most important thing you can do to avoid spam filters in email marketing. Make sure you’re asking for consent in your signup forms to add that person to your email list. Turn on the feature in your email marketing platform that asks them to confirm they want to be added.

Include an Unsubscribe Button

Make sure your subscribers have an option to unsubscribe at any time and that it is visible and easy to find. Not giving them that option in the emails you send will lead to them marking your emails as spam. The more your emails are marked as spam, the more they’ll miss the inboxes and damage your sender reputation over time.

Maintain High Engagement Rates

Another way to avoid spam filters in email marketing is to have high engagement lists. Having a large email list is great, but if your subscribers aren’t engaging with your emails, then the algorithm is going to note that your content isn’t valuable and send it to junk. Set the tone from the beginning with your audience by letting them know what type of emails they’ll be getting from you and how often.

Segment Your List

As an entrepreneur, you likely have people on your email list who have come to you for different reasons. Maybe you have several freebies, a podcast, a newsletter, or other forms of content. Someone who gets a freebie may not want to receive updates about your newsletter. Giving your audience the option to choose what kind of content they want to receive from you will increase the likelihood of them opening and engaging with your emails. This will also lead to fewer unsubscribes or emails marked as spam.

Use a Professional Email Address

Another way to avoid spam filters in email marketing is by not using a free email address. Free email addresses are more likely to be marked as spam compared to if they were coming from a custom domain. Since free emails are easy to set up, spammers are more likely to use them. Having a professional email address promotes your sender’s reputation and establishes you as a trustworthy, legitimate business.

Follow the Guidelines

Make sure you’re staying up to date with guidelines around email marketing. Not following email guidelines will increase your chances of winding up in the spam folder. Much of what we’ve already covered is included in these guidelines, but you should make sure all emails have an unsubscribe link, remove unsubscribers within 48 hours, email from a professional email address, keep your spam complaints under 3%, and maintain a verified domain.

Avoid Spammy Tactics

Finally, avoid using common spammy words or terms (free, urgent, act now, risk-free, etc.), excessive symbols, and cash references. Emails with these words and phrases are commonly associated with spam which means those spam filters are more likely to move your emails to the abyss. While they may sometimes be relevant, try to use them sparingly or find alternative phrases.

While an email or two might end up in the spam folder, aim to minimize this as much as possible. By implementing these tips, you can ensure your emails hit inboxes and avoid spam filters in email marketing.

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