An email that ends up in the spam folder is completely wasted, and it’s more common than you might think.
What a pain though. All of the work you put into that email – gone. It won’t even be seen by its recipient, much less opened or interacted with. And if one email goes into a subscriber’s junk folder, you can bet they all are.
How are you meant to nurture people through to a sale if they’re not even receiving your content?
The good news is that you can do plenty of things to increase the likelihood of your emails arriving in the right place.
Who - Make Sure They’re Expecting You
One of the most important ways to prevent your emails from landing in the spam folder is to only send them to your subscribers.
If you’re actively abiding by GDPR, which you should be, then all of your current subscribers will need to have opted in to receive emails from you. To contact an individual you need explicit consent from them.
Buying cold lists to market to is less than desirable and a waste of time. Most of the people whose email addresses are on a bought data list are unlikely to have explicitly agreed for you to contact them… So you could also be breaking GDPR if you do. You can read more about why I don’t advocate for bought lists here.
Only ever send marketing emails to individuals who have opted in to receive them and you’ll fly past the spam bots. Permission is everything.
Why - Are They Interested In What You're Saying?
The more relevant and interesting your emails are, the less likely they’ll be reported as spam.
And really, this should go without saying if you’re email marketing. We send great, valuable content to leads in order to guide them through our sales funnel and eventually make sales. Of course your emails need to be engaging!
With audiences on the larger side, segmentation can be useful. By splitting your readership up into smaller groups, you can tap into individual wants and needs and stay uber-relevant.
Easy methods you can use to remain interesting include:
- Understanding who they are, even across segments. What are their likes and dislikes? Wishes for the future? This sort of knowledge will help you to tailor content that they’ll love.
- Sense-checking when you’re writing your emails. If your reader read it, what would be in it for them? Providing value with every single email is at the heart of any marketing strategy, so if it’s lacking, it’s not fit for sending.
What - Keep An Eye On Language And Subject Lines
Avoid spammy words and sales-y language. These will get picked up by the spam bots lightning fast and your emails won’t stand a chance.
You know the type:
- Be your own boss
- Earn $
- Extra income
- Money making
- Increase sales
- Serious cash
- Free consultation
- Sign up free today
All of these words and phrases scream spam because they’re often used by actual spammers. Don’t get caught up in their mess.
Ensuring your identification credentials are up to date is yet another way of avoiding the spam gang. Sort out your protocols, such as DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) and SPF (Sender Policy Framework), and your emails will be automatically verified as authentic. Hoorah!
Where - What Platform Are You Using?
Have you ever compared different email service providers?
Whilst it’s up to you to do all you can, your ESP might impact your chances of reaching your recipient’s inbox.
There are various comparison sites out there, so it’s worth doing some research, split-testing a few and comparing deliverability results.
When - Timing Is Everything
It’s a fine balance.
You don’t want to badger your subscribers with too many emails. More than just highly irritating, it’ll also wake the spam bots.
What you do want is consistency. Not too often, but consistently frequent. If your email schedule is random, you’re more likely to be sent straight to spam.
A consistent schedule of once a week or twice a month is a good starting point.
You Have More Control Than You Think
Targetting just one of these steps won’t solve a spam problem. And rather than going through each consideration after spam rates become an issue, why not run through them as standard practice; a preventative measure?
Send weekly, value-packed and relevant emails to people who have consented to receive them and you’re onto a winner.
Still ending up in the spam folder? Book a call with Nathan today for expert advice on resolving this issue.
