How to stop your email going into spam

If you are wondering how to prevent your marketing emails ending up in spam folders, there are numerous solutions you can opt for. Inbox placement is one of the most important parts of your email marketing strategy so these steps can help you make your email marketing much more inbox-friendly:

1. Verify the domain

When you use any email service provider, it’s essential that you verify your domain name. This shows the outside world that you are who you say you are. Many people use Microsoft 365 for office-based email. Microsoft 365 tells inboxes to reject your email unless it has been verified. This is done with an SPF record and provides security for your company. Verifying your domain only takes a few moments but really helps with inbox placement. We can provide a PDF step-by-step guide that you can send to your website admin.

2. Send from address

This is often overlooked but can play a big role in deciding if your email goes into the spam filter or not. When you send an email, your subscriber’s spam filter will look at who it came from. The bit you place before the @ symbol can really impact inbox placement. Nearly all spam filters will add a negative score if the email comes from a generic address, such as ‘noreply@’. It is much better to change it to the name of a real person inside your organisation.

3. Past interactions

How your subscribers reacted to your previous mailer also has a big influence on whether your latest newsletter will arrive in their inbox. If a considerable number of your subscribers have been reporting recent emails as spam, this information will be filtered back to the service provider. We really do need to minimise any spam reports. However, if your subscribers are opening your email, clicking links and interacting, this also filters back to the service provider but in a positive manner. You should only ever email users who have asked to receive your email and are expecting to receive your newsletter. Unsolicited email and buying email addresses simply do not work. It will damage your delivery for every subscriber on your list. Your newsletter also needs to be useful and interesting enough for your subscribers to interact with it and therefore have a positive influence on email placement.

4. Email content

The old adage that ‘content is king’ is especially true when it comes to email marketing. It’s vital to make your content as inbox friendly as possible. Avoid using spam phrases like ‘offer’, ‘discount’ and ‘free’. You should also avoid using block capitals and exclamation marks. Overly ‘salesy’ emails can have a very negative impact on inbox placement. It’s also a very good move to run your email through a spam checker before sending. This will give you a click indication if they are any issues with the subject line or the content of your message.

Our app Spam Score is designed to help you avoid many of the problems lead to failed inbox placement.

Need more advice? Talk to us today to find out more about how to stop your email heading to spam folders.