Emails Going to Spam? Here is How You Can Fix It!

Posted by Christeen Paul

Emails Going to Spam?

In today’s highly competitive digital environment, emails have grown to become one of the most preferred modes of marketing online. By 2022, Statista estimates the total number of email users to grow to 4.3 billion. Companies have understood the importance of making money, with 81% of SMBs depending on emails as their primary customer acquisition channel.

Many factors lead to emails going to spam

With so many factors pointing towards the usability of emails, it can seem like a lucrative option to start your emailing strategy. However, the sheer volume of emails a person receives (121 a day) can work against the sender. Customers who feel like their email inboxes are getting overloaded could mark certain promotional ones as spam, which works against your efforts.

Email spam has accounted for close to 53% last year, with many customers choosing to turn off promotional emails, which they felt were too intrusive. Also, spam emails have cost companies in the range of $20-25 billion, going to emphasize how much they’ve been labeled as cumbersome.

If you’re planning to start or upgrade your email strategy, it’s essential you do not head to the spam folder. Getting out of there is practically impossible, and it could end up in a hefty loss of money if your customers do it frequently.

We’ve simplified what email spam is and how you can avoid falling into that category. There are risks involved in any email strategy, so keeping yourself aware of them will help you stay afloat.

What is Email Spam?

Email spam is categorized as unsolicited emails being sent to a customer or individual. They are generally sent in bulk and are also referred to as junk mail. Email spam must be avoided because it can lead to a loss of money and, in some cases, even trust.

Companies generally spend a lot to get their emails into the inboxes of customers, and sometimes, if they’re too much, customers send them to their spam folder.

Also, from a customer perspective, it makes sense for them to mark certain emails as spam. This is because of reasons such as spyware and phishing. There are elements online that can gather crucial information from the inbox of a customer once they click on their email links.

They can collect, or “phish” information like credit card and bank details, home addresses, and personal details which could then be used against the customer. The onus is on you to improve the quality of emails you send and time them well, so you don’t come across as troublesome or dangerous to the customer, and we’ve elucidated how you can do so.

Reasons Why Email Go to Spam

There are a few points which contribute to emails going to spam, some of them include –

1. Using “spammy” keywords

Sometimes, companies send emails that start with certain “spammy” words. These can be detrimental to the customer as they will see them as a red flag. While it is crucial that you find the right mix of words, you should avoid using certain terms. These can include the likes of:

• Cancel at any time
• Lottery
• Click here
• Congrats!
• Dear Friend
• Great offer
• Guarantee
• Increase sales
• Risk-free
• Order Now
• Free
• Bonus
• Purchase
• Buy

Once you’re able to minimize the use of these words and terms, then it becomes easier to sell online. Try to avoid using these words or use them once your customers shop or frequently engage with you. If they are new, it is best to avoid them.

2. Image to text ratio

The image to text ratio is another factor that spam filters generally block emails. This is because hackers can hide spam text within the image and use neutral words within the email body. Images with a skewed image to text ratio generally don’t pass through emails, so make sure you have this point in check when you’re designing.

3. Links within the email

Certain emails come with links attached to them. If the links present within the mail point to a suspicious domain, then it is likely that your email will get marked as spam.
It’s important to note that this can also happen if you’re using software for emails, where the domains used can sometimes be spammy.

4. Missing subject lines, email body or from the name

This is also another reason for lots of emails being sent to spam. If you’re not careful while designing your emails, it can lead to a permanent spot in the spam folder. When there’s missing text in the email or subject line, customers tend to vary about the same and could feel uncomfortable having the email in their inbox.

Always make sure you’ve checked and double-checked every email you’ve sent and keep them simple as well.

5. Broken HTML links

Sometimes, inserting broken HTML links in the email can lead to them being sent to spam. By doing so, your brand will appear unreadable and sloppy, and not one the customer wants to be associated with.

Many marketers make the mistake of copying content as well directly from PowerPoint, Excel, MS Word, etc. These applications sometimes also add unwanted characters within a message source, so remember to copy the content onto a text editor that removes such characters.

6. Emails with images

If you’re a brand that believes in image-heavy emails, then that too can be detrimental. It would help if you mixed it up with text because certain clients do not parse any text, leading to firewalls and spam filters shooting them down.

Also, there are a few users that do not allow the display of images even by default. When they open their emails, it comes across as empty, or only with the Alt Text. It’s always better to add a bit of text and avoid sending emails with just one single image present in them.

Conclusion: Emails going to spam can be mitigated.

These are some of the reasons that emails get sent to spam. There are plenty more, which can make a world of difference to your fortunes. We’ve made a long list of reasons why email goes to spam for you to go through and check before sending out emails.

Also, if you’re looking to start in the world of email marketing, we’ve created a comparison between MailChimp and ConvertKit which could be considered two of the best go through them and choose an email software provider that will help you get started on your email strategy. Also, check out SendX if you are looking for something affordable.

Happy email marketing to you!

About the author

Christeen Paul is a digital marketer obsessed with organic search results.
Currently working to grow SendX.