The Ultimate Guide to Avoid Being Marked as Spam

When running email campaigns regularly, a common concern arises: How can you avoid your emails being marked as spam? We're here to help you with that!

How to Prevent Your Emails from Being Classified as Spam

This is a crucial question because spam filters are constantly evolving, and so are email clients. With platforms like Gmail now categorizing promotional emails separately, it’s more important than ever to follow best practices to pass spam filters and minimize the chances of your emails being reported as spam.

And the spam reporting cycle continues...

Spam: Definition and Reporting

Spam, or unwanted email, refers to unsolicited electronic communication, primarily through email. It typically involves mass email campaigns sent for advertising purposes (Source: Wikipedia).

Spam is, therefore, unsolicited and undesired communication. There are two primary ways spam emails are identified:

1. Automated Spam Classification: Email servers and clients (like Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook) automatically categorize emails as spam using spam filters.

   
   
2. Manual Reporting: Recipients can manually report an email as spam by clicking the "report as spam" button. These reports are fed back to email servers, clients, and sometimes even to email routing systems, helping improve spam filters.

Part 1: How to Pass Spam Filters

Spam filters evaluate each email based on numerous criteria and assign a score. If the score is too high, the email is flagged as spam. Your goal is to ensure your emails don’t resemble spam to these filters. Here are essential practices to help your emails stay out of the spam folder:

1. Sender Name and Email Subject

   The sender name and subject are the first things your recipients see. The open rate of your emails largely depends on the trust recipients have in the sender and their interest in the subject line. Spam filters are particularly sensitive to these aspects:

   
   

   • Consistency and Authenticity: Use the same sender name for each email campaign to build trust. Spammers often change sender names to deceive targets. Consistency is key, so use your company, brand, or a recognizable individual's name.

     
     

   • Avoid Spammy Keywords: When crafting your subject lines, avoid terms often associated with spam, like "free," "offer," "promo," "urgent," "50%," "win," "€," or "prize." Don’t write your subject in all caps, avoid excessive exclamation marks, and ensure your subject line accurately reflects the email content.

     
     

     Email Content

   • Physical Address: Include your physical address to validate your authenticity. This practice is mandatory in many countries and is a way to show credibility.

     
     

   • Avoid Using a Single Image: Never use a single large image as the content of your email. Spam filters cannot read images and may assume you’re trying to bypass them. Instead, use an email editor designed for creating well-balanced email layouts.

     
     

   • Image/Text Ratio: The ratio of images to text in your email is crucial. Don’t overload your email with images, as many email clients (especially business ones) don’t display images by default. Always include alternative text for your images.

     
     

   • Simple Formatting: Keep your email formatting simple. Spam filters dislike excessive use of colors, bold text, italics, underlining, etc.

     
     

   • Avoid Spam Trigger Topics: Refrain from discussing topics commonly associated with spam, such as "amazing discoveries," "guaranteed refunds," "urgent requests," or "get rich quick" schemes.

     
     

   • No Attachments: Never include attachments in mass emails, as this is frowned upon by spam filters.

     
     

     Unsubscribe Link

   • Make It Visible: A mass email without an unsubscribe link is suspicious to spam filters and is often a legal requirement. Don’t hide the link; instead, make it easy to find. It’s better to lose a few subscribers than have your emails land in the spam folder.

     
     

     Email Code (For the Tech-Savvy)

   • Use Quality HTML: Ensure the HTML code in your email is clean and meets email standards. This helps email servers and clients read your email correctly.

     
     

   • Avoid Importing Code from Word: Never use HTML code imported from Microsoft Word, as it’s not suited for email clients.

     
     

   • No Flash or JavaScript: Don’t include Flash videos or JavaScript in your email content.

     
     

   • Text Version: Don’t neglect the text version of your email. It’s what recipients will see if their email client can’t display the HTML version. Ensure both versions match closely.

     
     

     IP and Domain Reputation

   • Avoid Blacklists: Be cautious when choosing your sending domain and IP address. Check if they are blacklisted, as spam complaints shared among ISPs and webmail providers can lead to blacklisting.

     
     

   • Monitor IP Reputation: At JungleWP, we monitor our IP reputation and actively take steps to resolve any issues that arise. We educate our clients on the importance of good emailing practices and work with email servers if one of our IPs gets blacklisted.

     
     

Part 2: How to Avoid Being Marked as Spam by Your Recipients

If you want to avoid recipients clicking the "report as spam" button, follow these four key principles in your email marketing strategy:

1. Always Obtain Consent

   • Explicit Permission: Never send an email campaign to someone who hasn’t explicitly agreed to receive it. A purchase or sign-up on your site doesn’t imply consent to receive promotional emails.

     
     

   • Create a Separate Mailing List: Use a specific mailing list for those who have given permission. Highlight the benefits of subscribing during the sign-up process, such as exclusive discounts or free resources.

     
     

   • No Purchased Lists: Avoid buying or renting email lists. These often contain inactive or deleted email addresses, leading to higher spam complaints.

     
     

     Maintain Healthy Recipient Lists

   • Double Opt-In: Implement double opt-in for all new subscribers. This ensures that your email list is highly qualified and reduces the chances of your emails being marked as spam.

     
     

   • Regularly Clean Lists: Regularly clean your email lists by removing addresses that generate spam complaints or hard bounces. Immediately unsubscribe recipients who request it.

     
     

   • Segment Your Lists: Use available data to segment your lists (e.g., by gender, age, interests, purchase history). This allows you to send more targeted, personalized emails, reducing the likelihood of spam reports.

     Manage Sending Frequency Respectfully

   • Adapt Frequency: Tailor your sending frequency based on subscriber profiles to limit spam complaints. Clearly state the expected frequency during sign-up and offer options for different sending frequencies.

     
     

   • Timely Communication: Don’t wait too long between collecting an email address and sending your first email. Avoid the risk of recipients forgetting who you are and marking your email as spam.

     
     

     Highlight the Unsubscribe Link

   • Make It Easy: Place the unsubscribe link prominently, even at the top of your email. If subscribers want to leave, they should find the process easy. Otherwise, they might just report your email as spam instead.

     
     

Following these best practices will help you maintain high email deliverability and avoid the dreaded spam folder, ensuring your messages reach your audience effectively.