Improving Email Deliverability: Strategies to Avoid Spam Filters
3 min read
3 min read
by Aleksandra Stamatović
In the age of digital marketing, emails remain a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience. However, with spam filters becoming increasingly sophisticated, ensuring your emails land in your recipients’ inboxes (and not their spam folders) is a growing challenge. So, how can you bolster email deliverability? Let’s explore some key strategies.
Double Opt-In:
Implement a double opt-in process for your subscribers. This means once they sign up, they receive an email with a link to confirm their subscription. It’s an added step but ensures your subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails.
Regular Cleaning:
Periodically cleanse your list. Remove inactive subscribers and those who haven’t engaged with your content in a long while. This can improve your open rates and overall deliverability.
Avoid “spammy” words and phrases like “free,” “buy now,” “urgent,” or “guaranteed.” These can trigger spam filters. Instead, create relevant, engaging, concise subject lines that pique interest without sounding like a sales pitch.
Avoid Red Flags:
Just as with subject lines, avoid overloading your email body with words that can trigger spam filters.
Use a Balance of Text and Images:
While visuals make emails engaging, an email composed solely of images can raise suspicions. Strive for a balance and always include relevant alt text for your images.
Ensure the name your emails come from is recognizable to your subscribers, preferably your company’s name or a known figure from the company. An unfamiliar sender name can lead to your email being marked as spam or ignored.
Keep an eye on open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates. A sudden drop might indicate a problem with deliverability. Some tools also offer insights into where your emails land (inbox or spam), allowing for better analysis.
Laws like the CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S., GDPR in Europe, and CASL in Canada have guidelines on email marketing. These typically involve providing clear ways for subscribers to opt-out and avoiding deceptive practices.
Using authentication methods like SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) can verify the legitimacy of your emails. They help prove to ISPs (Internet Service Providers) that your emails are genuine and not harmful.
Before emailing your entire list, consider sending test emails to different providers (like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook). This can help identify if any deliverability issues need to be addressed.
In the world of email marketing, deliverability is as crucial as the content itself. By following best practices, regularly monitoring engagement metrics, and respecting both your subscribers and the regulations, you can significantly improve the chances of your emails hitting the right inboxes. Remember, it’s not just about avoiding spam filters but building trust and ensuring your audience gets the value they signed up for.
