Top reasons emails land in spam and how to fix it

Top Reasons Emails Land in Spam and How to Fix It

Email marketing, when done correctly, is a powerful tool for engaging with your audience, driving sales, and building brand loyalty. However, the effectiveness of your email campaigns hinges on one crucial factor: deliverability. If your emails consistently land in the spam folder, your message will never reach its intended recipients, rendering your efforts futile. Understanding why emails end up in spam and implementing effective solutions is essential for maximizing the impact of your email marketing strategy. This article explores the common reasons emails are flagged as spam and provides actionable steps to improve your deliverability rate.

Content-Related Issues

The content of your email plays a significant role in determining whether it bypasses spam filters. Spam filters are constantly evolving to identify and filter out emails containing suspicious or misleading content. Here’s a breakdown of content-related issues that can trigger spam filters:

Using Spam Trigger Words

Spam trigger words are phrases and terms that are commonly associated with spam emails. These words often relate to get-rich-quick schemes, miracle cures, and other dubious offers. Using these words in your email, even if unintentionally, can increase the likelihood of it being flagged as spam.

Examples of spam trigger words include: “free,” “guaranteed,” “earn money,” “work from home,” “urgent,” “limited time offer,” “click here,” “dear friend,” “weight loss,” “Viagra,” and “pills.”
How to fix it: Avoid using these words whenever possible. If you need to use similar concepts, try rephrasing them in a more natural and less aggressive way. Use synonyms or more descriptive language.
For example, instead of “free,” consider using “complimentary” or “at no cost.” Instead of “guaranteed,” try “backed by our satisfaction promise.”

Excessive Use of Exclamation Points and Capital Letters

Emails that are filled with exclamation points and capitalized words often come across as unprofessional and spammy. This is because spammers often use these tactics to grab attention and create a sense of urgency.

How to fix it: Use exclamation points sparingly and avoid capitalizing entire words or phrases. Maintain a professional and measured tone in your writing.
If you want to emphasize a particular point, consider using formatting options like bolding or italics sparingly.

Poorly Formatted HTML

Messy or poorly formatted HTML code can raise red flags with spam filters. This is because spammers often use poorly coded emails to hide malicious content or obfuscate their message.

How to fix it: Ensure that your HTML code is clean, well-structured, and validates properly. Use reputable email marketing platforms that generate clean HTML.
Avoid using excessive amounts of HTML tables or inline CSS. Opt for responsive design principles that adapt to different screen sizes.
Test your email’s rendering across different email clients and devices to identify and fix any formatting issues.

Embedded Forms

Embedding forms directly into your email body can be a risky practice. Some email clients and spam filters view embedded forms as potential phishing attempts or a way to collect sensitive information without proper security measures.

How to fix it: Instead of embedding forms, include a clear call-to-action button or link that directs recipients to a secure landing page where they can fill out the form.
Make sure the landing page is secured with HTTPS and that you clearly explain how the collected data will be used and protected.

Suspicious Attachments

Attaching files to your email can also trigger spam filters, especially if the attachments are in unusual or executable formats. This is because attachments are often used to distribute malware or viruses.

How to fix it: Avoid attaching files unless absolutely necessary. If you must include an attachment, use common and safe formats like PDF, JPG, or PNG.
Compress large files into ZIP archives before attaching them.
Scan your attachments for viruses and malware before sending them.
Consider using cloud storage services to share large files instead of attaching them to emails. Provide a link to the file in your email body.

Sender Reputation and Authentication

Your sender reputation is a crucial factor in determining email deliverability. Email providers track various metrics to assess your sender reputation, including your IP address, domain, and sending history. A poor sender reputation can significantly increase the likelihood of your emails landing in the spam folder.

Lack of Email Authentication

Email authentication protocols, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, help verify that your emails are legitimate and haven’t been forged by spammers. Failing to implement these authentication protocols can severely damage your sender reputation.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to your emails, allowing recipient mail servers to verify the authenticity of the message.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Builds upon SPF and DKIM and provides instructions to recipient mail servers on how to handle emails that fail authentication checks. It also allows you to receive reports about email authentication activity.
How to fix it: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain. Consult with your email hosting provider or email marketing platform for guidance on setting up these records correctly.
Regularly monitor your DMARC reports to identify and address any authentication issues.

Sending from a Shared IP Address with Spammers

If you’re using a shared IP address to send emails, your deliverability can be affected by the actions of other users sharing the same IP. If one of those users engages in spammy practices, your emails could also be penalized.

How to fix it: Consider switching to a dedicated IP address, especially if you’re sending a large volume of emails. A dedicated IP allows you to control your own sender reputation and avoid being affected by the actions of other users.
If you must use a shared IP address, choose a reputable email marketing platform that actively monitors and manages its shared IP addresses to ensure good deliverability.

Low Engagement Rates

Email providers track how recipients interact with your emails. Low engagement rates, such as low open rates, low click-through rates, and high spam complaint rates, signal to email providers that your emails are not relevant or desirable to your audience.

How to fix it: Improve your email content, targeting, and segmentation to increase engagement.
Create compelling subject lines that encourage recipients to open your emails.
Deliver valuable and relevant content that resonates with your audience.
Segment your email list based on demographics, interests, and past behavior to send more targeted and personalized emails.
Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or unengaged subscribers.

High Bounce Rates

A high bounce rate indicates that a significant number of your emails are not being delivered to the intended recipients. Hard bounces (permanent delivery failures) are particularly damaging to your sender reputation.

How to fix it: Regularly clean your email list to remove invalid or inactive email addresses.
Implement a double opt-in process to ensure that subscribers have confirmed their email address.
Use email verification tools to validate email addresses before adding them to your list.
Monitor your bounce rates and investigate the causes of any spikes in bounce activity.

List Management and Acquisition Practices

How you build and manage your email list has a direct impact on your deliverability. Using unethical or outdated list-building practices can lead to a high number of spam complaints and damage your sender reputation.

Buying Email Lists

Purchasing email lists is a surefire way to damage your sender reputation and end up in the spam folder. Purchased lists are often outdated, contain invalid email addresses, and are filled with recipients who haven’t given you permission to send them emails.

How to fix it: Never buy email lists. Focus on building your email list organically through opt-in forms on your website, social media channels, and other marketing activities.
Provide incentives for people to subscribe to your email list, such as free ebooks, exclusive content, or discounts.

Sending Emails to Unengaged Subscribers

Sending emails to subscribers who haven’t engaged with your emails in a long time can hurt your deliverability. These subscribers are more likely to mark your emails as spam or simply ignore them, leading to low engagement rates.

How to fix it: Regularly identify and remove unengaged subscribers from your email list.
Send re-engagement campaigns to try to win back inactive subscribers. Offer them a special incentive to re-subscribe or update their preferences.
If subscribers remain unengaged after the re-engagement campaign, remove them from your list to protect your sender reputation.

Lack of Clear Unsubscribe Options

Making it difficult for subscribers to unsubscribe from your email list is a violation of email marketing best practices and can lead to spam complaints.

How to fix it: Provide a clear and easily accessible unsubscribe link in every email you send.
Honor unsubscribe requests promptly.
Consider using a one-click unsubscribe option to make it even easier for subscribers to opt out of your email list.

Not Obtaining Proper Consent

Sending emails to people who haven’t explicitly given you permission to do so is considered spamming. This can lead to spam complaints, blacklisting, and legal penalties.

How to fix it: Always obtain explicit consent before adding someone to your email list.
Use a double opt-in process to verify that subscribers have confirmed their email address and want to receive your emails.
Clearly explain how you will use their email address and what type of content they can expect to receive.

Technical Issues

Technical aspects of your email sending infrastructure can also impact deliverability. Issues such as blacklisting, DNS configuration, and server setup can all contribute to emails landing in the spam folder.

Blacklisting

Being blacklisted by email providers or anti-spam organizations is a serious issue that can significantly impact your email deliverability. Blacklists are lists of IP addresses or domains that have been identified as sources of spam.

How to fix it: Check if your IP address or domain is blacklisted using online blacklist checkers.
If you are blacklisted, identify the cause of the blacklisting and take steps to resolve the issue.
Contact the blacklist provider and request to be removed from the blacklist once you have addressed the underlying problem.
Monitor your IP address and domain regularly to prevent future blacklisting.

Incorrect DNS Configuration

Incorrectly configured DNS records can prevent email providers from verifying your identity and can lead to deliverability issues.

How to fix it: Ensure that your DNS records are configured correctly, including your MX records, SPF record, DKIM record, and DMARC record.
Consult with your email hosting provider or DNS provider for assistance with configuring your DNS records.
Use online DNS lookup tools to verify that your DNS records are properly configured.

Reverse DNS (rDNS) Mismatch

Reverse DNS (rDNS) maps an IP address to a domain name. A mismatch between your IP address and your rDNS record can raise red flags with spam filters.

How to fix it: Ensure that your rDNS record matches your sending domain.
Contact your internet service provider (ISP) to configure your rDNS record.

By understanding the reasons why emails land in spam and implementing the solutions outlined in this article, you can significantly improve your email deliverability and maximize the impact of your email marketing efforts. Remember that email deliverability is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, optimization, and adherence to best practices.