How to Prevent Important Emails From Ending up in Someone’s Spam Folder
My spam folder currently contains over 500 emails with obscure phishing attempts, newsletters from companies I didn’t know I subscribed to, and lots of spam. I’m grateful there is a spam filter that checks for certain email traits so my inbox isn’t completely full. But what about random, well-meaning emails that are accidentally marked as spam?
Spam filters are hardly ideal when scanning your content. Some scam messages end up in your main inbox, and genuine senders (maybe recruiters or long-lost relatives) are mistaken for junk. Here are all the reasons why your email might be flagged and how you can ensure it actually ends up in your intended recipient’s inbox.
If it looks like spam, it will be filtered as spam.
While many duplicitous scammers have figured out ways to avoid detection, there are a few tell-tale signs of spam. These are all the features of a classic spam-worthy email that you should avoid:
- Bad grammar and spelling
- All caps
- Too many punctuation marks, especially exclamation marks.
- Too many links
- Too many investments
- Incompatible fonts, colors, and formatting
- Image-only emails or a high image-to-text ratio
- Having an anonymous or unfamiliar sender name
- Addressing the recipient as “my friend” or “dear” (or not by name)
- Advertising language such as “click here”, “free” or “earn now”.
If you’re creating a marketing email for your business, check out HubSpot’s list of over 300 words that might trigger a spam filter.
Follow HTML Best Practices
While text emails are your safest bet, it’s not always practical. Here are some HTML best practices for email, according to Mailchimp :
- Keep the maximum width of your email between 600px and 800px.
- Don’t rely on images for important information, as your recipients may block certain media elements.
- Remove Flash, JavaScript, or Active X elements as spammers are known to use them to spread viruses.
- Review all links added to your email signature, avoiding sites that might be flagged as spam.
Finally, for those who send the newsletter: make sure you enable the option to unsubscribe for your recipients. It’s not just about staying out of your spam folder; this is the law .
Check Your Email’s Spam Count
Before hitting the send button, use tools like Mail Tester to check your email against the most common spam filters. You’ll get a score showing the likelihood of your mail ending up in someone’s junk folder so you can adjust it accordingly.
If you can, get permission to send emails first
The easiest way to send your email to the right inbox is to make sure that your recipient really wants or needs your correspondence. I understand that most of us need an awareness campaign these days. The tips above should help you avoid getting into your spam folder, so please, if any spammers are reading this: use this guide for good.