About twice a year, we have a client contact us to ask us about their emails going to spam. Usually, they think it’s a server error or the way their email is set up, but 9.5 out of 10 times, it’s the way the emails are being sent. With so much spam in the world, we all want our spam filters to work well, but you also need to know what those filters look for so your emails don’t accidentally get thrown into spam.
Avoid SHOUTY Caps
Use ALL CAPS selectively, both in your subject line and in your email. Spam filters see this as bot-generated and will likely filter those out – maybe not the first time, maybe not the second time, but, eventually, they’ll start sending them to spam. Besides that, emails in all caps are harder for the recipient to read.
Use a Subject Line
This one is big. It won’t take long for emails without subject lines to start getting filtered out of inboxes. Again, it also helps the recipient know at a glance what the email is about and helps them to find it in the future.
Downsize Attachments
Sometimes, you can’t avoid sending large attachments, but any time you can, you should. Large attachments often get sent right to the spam folder even if it’s your first time sending one.
Limit Recipients
It’s okay to send an email to a few people, but if you’re going to be sending emails to over 10 people on a consistent basis, you should set up a group or even use a free email blast system. This tip will not only help your emails stay out of the spam folder, but also keep your email address from getting blacklisted!
Write Something
We know it’s easy to forward a message along, but if you’re doing this often without adding anything to the body of your email, chances are that you’ve had a couple of your emails go to spam. Even if you just type “See attached” it’ll help spam filters to know you’re a human and not a spam bot.
Use a Signature
You know when you get those emails from a contact and all they have in them is a link? They usually go to your spam filter, right? And you can typically tell it’s not your contact that sent it because their signature is all of a sudden not there anymore. Spam filters know those aren’t legit emails by using that same logic. Signatures are not only helpful to the recipient they also tell spam filters that you’re important (not just a bot).
When All Else Fails
When your emails are still going to spam even after you’ve done all of the above, reach out to some of your tech-savvy contacts and ask them to whitelist you. This will help spam bots to see that people trust you and have gone through the steps to ensure your email goes to their inbox.
One Last Note
Keep in mind that the more you do the things that get your email flagged as spam, the more your emails will start landing in spam folders – even the ones that don’t have one or more of the spam email flags.
At Transformation Marketing, we believe in educating our clients beyond marketing. We see our clients as true partners in business and act as an extension of their staff. So, when it comes to helping clients stay out of spam filters, we want to make sure you have all the information you need to ensure your emails are being seen!