Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses worldwide, often providing the highest return on investment of any marketing channel. However, the rising tide of spam emails can often lead to your valuable communications being lost in the clutter.
It’s estimated that approximately 45% of all emails sent are categorized as spam. As a marketer, the risk of your emails being marked as such can significantly affect your business, diluting your message and hampering your reach.
In this blog post, we’ll explore ten tried-and-tested strategies to ensure your marketing emails reach their intended destination – your customers’ inboxes. By adhering to these guidelines, you can improve deliverability, engagement, and ultimately, your bottom line.
Strategy #1: Ensure You Have Permission to Email
Getting permission from your recipients before you start sending out marketing emails is a crucial first step. This practice is not just about being polite; it’s also about complying with anti-spam laws.
Tips for Securing Email Permission
- Use Double Opt-In: Double opt-in is an effective strategy where users confirm their email address after signing up. This ensures the recipient wants to receive your emails.
- Explicit Consent on Sign Up Forms: Clearly state on your sign-up forms that subscribers will receive marketing emails.
- Privacy Policy Link: Provide a link to your privacy policy on your sign-up form. This reassures potential subscribers that their data will be safe and adds credibility to your request.
- Don’t Pre-check Opt-In Boxes: It’s considered a best practice to allow users to check the opt-in box themselves. Pre-checked boxes can lead to accidental subscriptions.
- Regularly Update Your Lists: Regularly update your email list to remove inactive subscribers. This increases the overall engagement rate of your emails.
Always remember, obtaining permission is not a one-time process; it should be maintained throughout your relationship with the subscriber.
Strategy #2: Use a Reputable Email Service Provider
Using a reputable Email Service Provider (ESP) is a crucial aspect of your email deliverability strategy. ESPs with a strong reputation have a better relationship with Internet Service Providers (ISPs), which improves the likelihood of your emails reaching the inbox.
Selecting the Right Email Service Provider
- Deliverability Rates: Look for ESPs that have high deliverability rates. This indicates their effectiveness in bypassing spam filters and successfully delivering emails to the recipient’s inbox.
- IP Reputation: The ESP should provide an IP address with a good reputation. A poor IP reputation can lead to your emails being marked as spam.
- ISP Relationships: Reputable ESPs maintain good relationships with ISPs. This can greatly enhance your email deliverability.
- Compliance with Laws: Ensure that the ESP adheres to international email laws. This will prevent any potential legal issues.
- Customer Support: In case of any issues, a responsive customer support is invaluable. Check the ESP’s customer service reviews before making a decision.
- Importance of choosing a reliable ESP: A quality ESP minimizes the chances of your emails being marked as spam, thus ensuring higher deliverability. They also comply with email laws and regulations, protecting your business from potential legal issues. Furthermore, a good ESP offers valuable insights into your campaign’s performance, helping you make data-driven decisions.
- Suggestions of some trustworthy ESPs: Here are a few reputed ESPs that you might consider:
- MailChimp: Known for its user-friendly interface, extensive template library, and robust analytics, MailChimp is a popular choice among businesses of all sizes.
- SendinBlue: This ESP offers excellent automation features, making it a great choice for businesses looking to automate their email marketing processes.
- Constant Contact: With its wide range of features including event management and social media integration, Constant Contact is ideal for small businesses and non-profits.
- Drip: Drip stands out for its advanced segmentation and personalization features, making it a go-to ESP for e-commerce businesses.
Remember, using a reputable ESP is not a guarantee that your emails will never land in the spam folder. It’s just one piece of the puzzle in the larger email deliverability strategy.
Strategy #3: Avoid Spam Trigger Words
Spam filters have considerably evolved over the years, becoming more sophisticated and efficient in their attempts to keep junk mail out of inboxes. One particular method they employ is to flag emails containing certain phrases or words often associated with spam messages. By avoiding these “spam trigger words,” you can significantly reduce the risk of your emails being sent directly to the spam folder.
Identifying and Avoiding Spam Trigger Words
Marketing phrases: Overly promotional language, such as “Buy now,” “Free,” or “Save up to,” can often trigger spam filters. Try to use more conversational language and avoid aggressive sales tactics in your email content.
Financial terms: Words and phrases like “Income,” “Cash bonus,” or “Earn extra cash” are frequently associated with financial scams, and hence, are red flags for spam filters.
Exclamation points and all caps: Overuse of exclamation points or writing in all caps can make your email look like spam. Aim for a more professional tone and use emphasis sparingly.
According to a study by MailChimp, emails with subject lines that contain words like “Important” or “Urgent” have open rates that are below average. This suggests that spam filters or recipients may be interpreting these words as spam triggers.
Remember, context matters. Spam filters are smart and can differentiate between spammy usage and legitimate context. For example, a clothing store’s email with “free” referring to a “free gift with purchase” is different from a spam email promising “free money.”
By being mindful of the language you use in your emails, you can help ensure they land in your subscribers’ inboxes, not their spam folders.
Strategy #4: Keep Your Email List Fresh
Maintaining an up-to-date and engaged email list is crucial for effective email marketing. A stale or unengaged email list can harm your sender reputation, leading to lower email deliverability rates.
The ‘Why’ and ‘How’ of Regularly Cleaning Your Email List
- Why Clean Your Email List?: A clean email list ensures that your emails are being sent to interested and engaged subscribers, which can significantly improve your open and click-through rates. According to Campaign Monitor, segmented campaigns, which target specific portions of your email list, have an open rate that is 14.32% higher than non-segmented campaigns.
- How to Clean Your Email List: Regularly review your email list and remove inactive subscribers. Tools like MailChimp offer automatic list-cleaning services. Also, consider sending a re-engagement email to inactive subscribers before removing them from your list. According to a study by Marketing Land, 45% of recipients who received win-back emails read subsequent messages, indicating that a re-engagement campaign can successfully reignite interest.
Remember, a smaller but more engaged email list is far more valuable than a larger list of uninterested subscribers. Regular email list cleaning ensures you’re communicating with those who genuinely want to hear from you, enhancing your email marketing effectiveness.
StrategAuthenticate Your Email
- Explanation of email authentication
- Step-by-step guide on how to authenticate your emails
Strategy #5: Craft a Compelling, Non-spammy Subject Line
- Discussion of the role of the subject line in email deliverability
- Tips for writing effective, non-spammy subject lines
Strategy #5: Craft a Compelling, Non-spammy Subject Line
The subject line of your email is like the headline of a news article; it’s the first thing recipients see and plays a crucial role in determining whether your email gets opened or discarded. Crafting a compelling, non-spammy subject line is an art and requires a balance of creativity, relevance, and caution to avoid spam-triggering keywords.
Here are some tips for writing effective, non-spammy subject lines:
Keep It Short and Sweet: Most email inboxes only display the first 50-60 characters of a subject line. Therefore, keep your subject lines concise yet enticing to ensure that your message is fully visible and understood.
Personalize Where Possible: Personalized subject lines have been shown to increase open rates. Consider including the recipient’s name or referencing a recent purchase or interaction.
Avoid Spam Trigger Words: Words like “free”, “cash”, and “urgent” can trigger spam filters, so they should be avoided in your subject lines.
Test and Experiment: Use A/B testing to see which type of subject lines resonate most with your audience. By regularly testing different approaches, you can continuously improve your open rates.
Remember, a well-crafted subject line can drastically improve your email deliverability by reducing the chances of your emails being marked as spam and increasing the likelihood of them being opened by recipients.
Strategy #6: Balance Text and Images in Your Email
Utilizing visuals in your email can incredibly enhance engagement, but an overabundance can be a red flag for spam filters. Therefore, achieving an optimal balance between text and images is crucial.
Striking the right balance starts with understanding the purpose of your email. If the information you’re sending is text-heavy, ensure it’s broken down into digestible pieces with appropriate spacing and headers. Using one or two relevant images can make the email more appealing and less overwhelming.
For visually-driven emails, remember that your message should still be clear even if the images couldn’t be displayed due to the recipient’s settings or internet connectivity issues. Therefore, always accompany your images with sufficient explanatory text.
A good rule of thumb is maintaining a 60:40 text-to-image ratio. This balance tends to result in a good user experience without triggering spam filters.
Finally, never use an image to convey vital information or call-to-action (like a “buy now” button). If that image fails to load on the recipient’s side, your message or intention might be lost. Instead, use HTML text over the image or provide a clear text link as well.
Remember, the goal is not just getting your email delivered but also ensuring the recipient can engage fully with its content.
Strategy #7: Don’t Use ALL CAPS or Excessive Punctuation
Emails written with ALL CAPS and excessive punctuation can come across as aggressive or spammy. It’s essential to maintain a professional tone by using proper capitalization and punctuation. Here are some tips to help you:
Avoid All Caps: Using ALL CAPS can seem like you’re shouting at the reader. It’s also worth noting that 69% of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line, where ALL CAPS is a common offender.
Use Punctuation Sparingly: Overuse of punctuation, especially exclamation marks or question marks, can make your email look unprofessional and potentially spammy.
Emphasize With Formatting, Not Punctuation: If you want to highlight a point, consider using italic or bold formatting instead of resorting to ALL CAPS or multiple exclamation marks.
Proofread and Edit: Ensure your emails are free of spelling and grammatical errors. Using tools like Grammarly can help spot mistakes and make suggestions for better writing.
Remember, it’s not just about getting your email delivered, but also about creating a positive, professional impression on the recipient.
Strategy #8: Include a Clear Unsubscribe Link
Including a clear unsubscribe link in all of your emails is not just a good practice, it’s a legal requirement under the CAN-SPAM Act. Providing an easy way for recipients to opt out shows respect for their wishes and can help maintain a positive relationship with those who choose to stay on your list.
- Importance of Providing an Easy Opt-Out: A clear and easy-to-use unsubscribe link can increase the trust recipients have in your organization, which can lead to higher engagement rates in the long run. MarketingSherpa reports that 91% of email users have unsubscribed from a company email they previously opted into, suggesting that respecting this choice can be crucial for maintaining a good reputation.
- How to Include an Unsubscribe Link: The unsubscribe process should be straightforward and accessible within a few clicks. Avoid hiding the link in tiny fonts or obscuring it in a maze of confusing instructions. The easier you make it for people to opt out, the less likely they are to mark your email as spam, which can negatively impact your sender reputation.
- Legal Requirements: The CAN-SPAM Act stipulates that your email must contain a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of getting email from you in the future. Violations can lead to hefty penalties, with each separate email in violation subject to up to $43,280 in fines.
- Effect on Email Deliverability: According to a report by Return Path, one of the key factors influencing email deliverability is the number of spam complaints an email generates. If recipients can easily unsubscribe, they are less likely to report your emails as spam, helping to ensure your emails reach their intended recipients.
Including a clear unsubscribe link is more than just a legal requirement—it’s a strategy for building trust, respecting your audience’s wishes, and ensuring your emails reach their intended recipients.
Strategy #9: Test Your Emails Before Sending
Testing your emails before sending them out is a vital step to prevent them from being marked as spam. Ensuring your email passes these tests can significantly improve your email deliverability rates.
- Spam Testing Tools: Use tools like MailTester, ISnotSPAM, or Postmark’s Spam Check to evaluate your email’s spam score. These tools analyze your email content, subject line, sender reputation and other technical aspects to predict how likely your email is to end up in the spam folder.
- Subject Line Testing: Tools such as SubjectLine.com can provide you with a score on your subject line’s effectiveness, helping you avoid spam trigger words and optimize for open rates.
- Email Preview: By using email preview tools, you can see how your email will appear in various email clients and fix any potential formatting issues. Litmus and Email on Acid offer such services.
According to a report by Litmus, “brands that A/B test every email see email marketing returns that are 37% higher than those of brands that never include A/B tests” (source). This highlights the importance of testing your emails comprehensively before sending them out to your audience.
Strategy #10: Maintain a Clean Mailing List
Maintaining a clean and updated mailing list is an effective approach to improve email deliverability rates. The quality of your mailing list can directly affect your sender reputation, and consequently, the likelihood of your emails ending up in the spam folder.
- List Verification: Use list verification services to remove invalid or inactive email addresses from your list. Services like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce can help you spot and remove such addresses, which can improve your email bounce rate.
- Segmentation: Segment your list based on engagement levels. Regularly send emails to active subscribers and less frequent emails to inactive ones. This strategy can help increase your overall open rates and reduce the risk of spam complaints.
- Remove Unengaged Subscribers: If a subscriber has not engaged with your emails for a significant period, it might be beneficial to remove them from your list. Keeping unengaged subscribers can harm your deliverability as it can indicate to ISPs that your content is not relevant or wanted.
By keeping your list clean and engaged, you demonstrate to ISPs that you respect your subscribers’ inboxes, thereby improving your sender reputation and deliverability rates.
Final Thoughts
In the dynamic realm of email marketing, staying ahead of the game requires a marketing strategy that is tailored, adaptable, and constantly evolving. By incorporating A/B testing, maintaining a clean mailing list, and respecting your audience’s inbox, you can significantly enhance your email deliverability rates. But remember, the ultimate objective is to provide content that is relevant and valuable to your subscribers.
Doing so not only safeguards your sender reputation but also fosters a loyal and engaged audience.
Ultimately, the success of your email marketing hinges on the strength of your connection with your audience and on your ability to convey your brand’s story compellingly and empathetically. By focusing on these areas, you can ensure a robust and effective email marketing campaign.