Reasons Why Emails go into Spam Folder

Making sure your emails don't go into the spam folder

You always want your emails to reach their intended audience. But they don’t always make it to the inbox because anti-spam filters have become more sophisticated and rigorous. So your emails end up in the spam folder.

Email marketing is still one of the most effective marketing methods to grow your business and engage with existing and potential customers. It helps you build your business while growing your brand awareness and revenue.

Spam filters are always evolving and while they are effective solutions, some of these filters aren’t 100% accurate, so legitimate and important emails can go to spam too.

To prevent that from happening, take steps to make sure your emails always make it to your recipients’ inbox. Here are the common reasons why your emails go into your spam folder.

1. You don’t have permission.

You need to obtain verifiable consent because permission is very important in sending emails.

People who have not given you consent are more likely to report your email campaigns as spam. You can and will be labeled as a spammer even if you have good and valuable content.

Never buy a list of emails to avoid violating the UK GDPR laws or risk being in hot water. Businesses need to make sure that they are complying with ever-evolving email regulations. Anti-spam laws in the UK are enforced by the ICO (Information Commissioner) and breaches can lead to hefty fines of up to £500,000. It is important to read up on Marketing, advertising and the law.

To ensure that you have permission to email someone, you’ll need an opt-in form.

Keep in mind to only send emails to people who have agreed to receive them or when he or she willingly opts-in to your list.

2. Your IP address was used for spam.

If your IP address was used for spam, you’re most likely to be blacklisted.

These blacklists stop email users from opening up potentially dangerous spam. Stick to a reputable email service provider in order to raise the deliverability of your emails.

We often get asked How do I know if my IP is blacklisted? and Why is my IP address listed as spam? For the most part, an IP will be blacklisted because of its reputation. If there has been any spamming, mass mailing or malicious activity then the IP reputation will drop.

In some cases, your email can be used by someone else to send emails on your behalf. For example, you have a malware-infected computer that will send email without your knowledge. You could have had your password hacked or leaked and they are in the hands of potential attackers.

It is also possible to be blacklisted by big-name ISPs including Yahoo, Microsoft (Outlook), Hotmail, Gmail, AOL.

There are a number of public and private blacklists, for example, this Email Blacklist Checker from MXToolBox has a good comprehensive list of public blacklists.

If you find yourself in this position contact us and we will help get you delisted and running spam-free once again.

3. Misleading subject line.

Your subject line should be able to attract the reader’s attention. Do not write a deceptive, irrelevant, misleading subject line and risk your brand image.

Here are some subject line practices you may want to follow:

• Your subject line should be 60 characters or less
• Don’t sound too salesy
• Avoid too much punctuation or capital letters
• Don’t make false statements or fake promises

A lot has been written on this subject - MailChimp has some good advice as does Neil Patel with 10 Types of Email Subject Lines That Always Produce Clicks

4.“From” info is incorrect. Don’t mislead your recipients with your “from” information.

Provide accurate sender information. A successful way to let your recipients know more about you is through your email signature. Include your business name, title and phone number. It's also a great place for your website and social media accounts to add a link.

5. No physical address included.

Include a valid physical address. All legitimate businesses include their physical address, usually at the bottom of their email. Having some degree of traceability is a best practice or else your email may be marked as spam.

6. You’re using spam trigger words.

Email providers see some keywords or phrases as red flags. Avoid using words that are exaggerated and make false claims and promises.

A sure way of flagging your email as spam is to sound deceptive, shady, and exaggerated.

Trigger words to avoid:

• Guaranteed
• Get paid
• Make money
• Exclusive deal
• No hidden cost
• Weight loss
• This isn’t spam
• Don’t delete

There are a number of really good free tools available that you can use to check your email spam score, these tools will help improve your email deliverability rates.

7. Low mailbox usage.

Remove unengaged subscribers from your email list. Clean your mailbox once in a while to reduce the number of spam. Unhealthy lists consisting of inactive email addresses may have spam traps as well. It's much better to have a small and responsive list than to have a huge, unresponsive list.

8. Low engagement rates.

Your email will have a higher risk of being flagged as spam if you have low open rates and read rates. To improve your email open rate, keep your list fresh, make your subject line stand out and write good content.

9. Incorrect spelling and grammar.

Spelling and grammar errors may lead you to be flagged as spam. Always proofread your message before sending it and be extra diligent. Poor spelling and grammar will cost you business when attracting new clients as well as negatively affect your email spam score.

10. You have attachments.

Attachments will alert spam filters because they may carry a virus that will harm the recipient when they open the file. They can also slow down the load time of your email. If the file size is large, this will also reduce the chance of your email getting into the recipients’ inbox. Some file formats also require additional software to open the file.

In Conclusion

Your daily work emails make up a large part of your core business information as well as any legal responsibility. Businesses need to make sure that they are secure and are complying with ever evolving email regulations.

3 steps to avoid email going to spam

1. Increase your open rates.

• Have good and valuable content in your email to increase your open/read rates.
• Keep your email list fresh
• Proper timing is strongly recommended.
• Avoid using spam trigger words.

2. Collect real data and use double opt-in form.

By having double opt-in guarantees that your subscribers always want to receive your emails. That means they will be more likely to connect with your messages and less likely to unsubscribe or mark your messages as spam.

3. Have a good IP and domain reputation.

Email from a good sending IP has a high chance of getting into the recipient's inbox. Spam email is a nuisance that affects the credibility and name of your brand.

Using HelpDesk Heroes email services you can rest assured that your IP and domain reputation is excellent thanks to our continuous monitoring and state-of-the-art anti-spam solution. Our engineers regularly scan all servers for potential weaknesses as well as advise clients when their websites need to be updated.

We use the same level of security for all our clients whether they are large businesses with lots of employees or SME's with small offices or remote staff. If you need flexible or fully managed email solutions contact us below.

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