Despite many years of predictions that email as a marketing channel will die or fade away, that day has yet to arrive. Email is alive and kicking – In fact, email marketing remains one of the most effective digital media channels. For every dollar brands invest in email marketing, they receive 42 dollars in return. But, that doesn’t mean just by sending messages you will get good returns from this channel.
Why?
Because with more and more businesses using email as a marketing channel spam filters are working harder than ever to improve relevance. Do you know Spam accounts for 45% of all emails sent?
Considering that so many emails never make it to the Inbox, it’s no wonder it’s a challenge to get good returns from this channel.
Now you must be wondering why so many emails go into the spam folder and what can be done to prevent emails from going to spam?
Well, given below are seven reasons (that you are not even aware of) that are preventing your emails from getting past the spam filters, and what to do about them:
1. You are not removing inactive subscribers from your email list
When it comes to email marketing most marketers believe in the phrase “the money is in the list”. That’s why they find it tough to remove people from their email list. But a high number of inactive subscribers can hurt your email deliverability.
How?
Well, the less engaged your subscribers the more the chances that they will delete your emails without opening them or they will move them into their junk folder. This act as a negative signal and can damage your email reputation. So, if you want to prevent your emails from going to spam you need to make sure that you’re reaching out to the right people.
Having said that, drill down to find out who is interested in hearing from you and actively engaging with your emails. Following through on this process will drastically improve your odds of landing in the Inbox.
2. You use clickbait email subject lines
One of the biggest mistakes most marketers make when crafting their email subject lines is trying to bait their subscribers by using a couple of attention-grabbing words. I get that you want people to give you a chance, you want them to open your emails. But, no, you should not trick your subscribers to open your messages.
Why?
Because tricking your email subscribers to open your messages’ can do more damage than good to your email campaigns.
How?
Firstly, fooling subscribers can increase your open rate for once, but it’ll decrease your response rate. Secondly, it’ll decrease the chances of them opening your future emails as it’ll break the trust. Thirdly, it will increase the chance of them marking your email as Spam. Fourthly, it will increase the chance of them unsubscribing from your email list.
It is vital that you keep your subject line crisp and relevant.
Remember people don’t like to be tricked and your email subscribers are no exception; respect their choice.
3. Your sender ID is not authenticated
Are you sending emails using your own server? If the answer is yes then there are high chances that your emails are landing in spam because of your sender ID.
How? Because maybe your sender id is not authenticated properly. Right now there are three standards for this:
- SPF (Sender policy framework)
- DKIM (Domain keys identified mail)
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
All these are difficult to set up manually. A very easy way to solve this problem is using a good email service provider as they will establish the authentication for you.
4. You don’t pay attention to your “from” name
The importance of using the right sender name when sending marketing emails can’t be overstated. Marketers invest a lot of time in crafting their subject line and preview text of the email, but they forget to pay attention to their “from” address.
Do you know Sixty-four percent of subscribers say that their biggest reason to open an email is the “from name” (who it is from)?
Now you must be thinking about what it has to do with your emails going to spam? Well, the answer is very simple – if subscribers keep ignoring your email messages instead of engaging with them it sends negative signals to ISP which in turn can affect your email deliverability.
5. You make it tough for people to leave your email list
We all know that email marketing works, but do you know why? Well, it works because it’s a permission-based channel. Most marketers knew this fact that’s why they spend so much energy in encouraging people to join up their email list and make it super easy for them to join their email list. But when it comes to leaving their email list they don’t let their subscribers leave that easily.
Don’t make this mistake. Make it as easy as possible for your subscribers to leave your email list as it was joining it. Why? Because if you let people leave easily they will not mark your email as Spam which in turn will cut down the number of spam complaints against your brand.
6. You forget to warm up your new domain
We all know that domain reputation plays a very important part in the email deliverability, as mailbox providers use domain reputation to identify spam. Still, the biggest mistake most businesses make — especially when using a new domain — is neglecting to warm up the domain properly. They try to rush-up the process but forget that it can disturb the warm-up. Don’t make this mistake because, if you mismanage the warmup deliverability problems will likely occur.
7. You don’t ask subscribers to whitelist you
If you want to prevent your emails from going to spam ask people to whitelist you. Asking subscribers to whitelist you is one of the simplest and easiest ways to make it to their inbox. The moment your subscribers add your email address to their contacts/address list it acts as permission to send emails to them. So, as soon as someone joins your email list, ask them to add your email address to their address book. It is the easiest way to stop your future emails from going to spam.
Remember subscribers’ won’t whitelist you if you don’t ask them so, don’t forget to ask. Also, keep reminding them suggesting that they should whitelist you if they haven’t already.
Conclusion
Now that you know the reasons that are stopping your emails from landing in the inbox – address these problems completely, to get more out of your email marketing dollars.
To make it even easier for you to prevent your emails from going to spam here are the key points from this post:
- Remove the email subscribers that remain inactive after the re-engagement.
- Use a clear subject line that tells people what’s in it for them without even opening your email.
- Pick the right email service provider.
- Use a recognizable from/sender name.
- Improve your unsubscribe process.
- Warm-up your new domain.
- Ask subscribers to whitelist you.
Do you want to check if emails from your domain are landing in Spam? Here is an easy way – Email Blacklist Tool
And if you wish to dig deeper into your Email Practices- Get crucial insights on your email delivery from this free – Email Health Report.
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