6 Tips to Avoid Getting Trapped in the Spam Filter
Even if you've created the perfect marketing message in your email, it will be wasted if the customer never opens it because the email landed in their spam folder
The Deliverability Benchmark Report 20182 showed nearly one in every six emails sent fail to reach the recipients inbox. Considering the incredible value of email marketing for customer development and retention, this is a vital channel that marketers need to be making the most of.
Fortunately, there a few simple tips you can follow to make sure your emails have the best possible chance of reaching the recipient. Below we detail the best practices to help you ensure your top email marketing content isn’t getting lost in the dreaded spam folder.
1 - Use a custom domain email address
Free web-based email addresses, such as Gmail and Hotmail don’t have the same authentication processes as custom domains. This means they are more likely to be sent to spam. Using a custom domain email address, in line with your website address helps with this. You can also use a named email address of a key member of staff to enhance the personal nature of the message.
2 - Avoid ALL CAPITALISED WORDS
Whether in the subject line or body, capitalised words are an almost sure-fire way for your email to find itself in the recipient’s spam box. Instead, use formatting to reinforce the important messages in your emails content, For example – bold or underline. It is also wise to avoid using RED to highlight important words too as this can equally detract from your content.
3 - Create a succinct subject line
Not only is a short subject line more aesthetically appealing to recipients, but the longer a subject line – the more likely it is to be flagged as spam. A good subject line length would be between 35 – 50 characters long. In fact, with a limited number of characters displayed in a message preview, you might end up giving the wrong message completely… For example, consider how ‘look’, ‘brand’ and ‘’ can all be abbreviated!
4 - Avoid common spam trigger words
Certain phrases regularly used in spam or phishing emails are compiled in databases, which are then used to help identify other spam emails. If your email includes these phrases, it is all the more likely to be sent to junk. Common phishing lingo includes:
- “Invoice” – a phishers favourite
- Any bank name – phishers regularly try to impersonate financial institutions
- “Prize/Lottery/Free Gift” – too good to be true offers are always considered spam
- “Urgent/Please Help” – phishers use a sense of urgency and curiosity to entice
- “Free Entry/Bonus” – gambling focused words should always be avoided
5 - Emails must comply with UK laws
With the introduction of GDPR, there is even more information that must now be available to your recipients. Spam filters are configured to check email content against your legal obligations. When using UK based email servers, you must comply by including the following information in your email (in full):
- Your companies registered name and company number
- Your business address
- Company registration country
- You must also provide an unsubscribe link
6 - Test, Test, Test
Although there are several necessary aspects for you to consider when creating your next email campaign – we have good news. Once content is complied, put it through its paces with spam testing software, allowing you to quickly test your email against the world’s most popular inbox providers. You’ll be able to find out whether your email is going to get to the inbox, or dreaded spam folder – giving you peace of mind that your hard work, won’t go to waste.
Before you Press Send…
transpond’s one-click test will not only confirm whether your email hits the inbox, but also shows warnings of any potential issues (such as blocked keywords, servers, domains, and much more). Our industry leading software allows you to view in-depth details as to why your mail was accepted or rejected and create as many tests as necessary at no extra charge, helping you ensure your email is perfect.
New to transpond? Visit our website at transpond.io to experience email marketing built for the future.
2 https://returnpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2018-Deliverability-Benchmark.pdf