You take time to create an email campaign to your customers. Good subject line, compelling offer, nice design. Send out. Then nothing. No opens. No clicks. The problem? You email message was filtered by the recipient’s email service and placed in the spam/junk folder.

This is the same problem that occurs for business owners throughout Massachusetts on a daily basis. The good news is that there are generally ways to correct this issue once you know how email delivery really works. Are you experiencing problems with your email messages being delivered to inboxes? We would be happy to assist you with creating a successful email marketing campaign.

How does email delivery really work

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Google (Gmail), Microsoft (Outlook), Yahoo!, etc., have spam filtering software that determines where your email message goes; either in the user’s inbox or in their spam filter. This spam filtering software uses numerous factors to determine where your email message will go.

One of the biggest factors for determining where your email message will end up is your sender’s reputation. ISPs track how users interact with email messages sent from your domain. If many users mark your messages as spam, future messages may automatically be filtered to the spam folder. Conversely, when users open and read your email messages and click on links, you develop a good sender reputation.

In addition to your sender reputation, the way you technically set up your domain plays a role in email delivery. For example, your domain requires the proper authentication records. Without these authentication records, the ISP assumes that you could potentially be a spammer/scammer. Therefore, they will place your messages in the spam folder to protect your customers from potential spam and/or scams. Microsoft’s email authentication documentation explains how major providers verify sender legitimacy.

Some common mistakes that can cause your email message to be filtered to the spam/junk folder

There are some words/phrases that are identified by spam filters as “red flags” for spam. Using words such as “FREE MONEY”, “ACT NOW”, etc. in all capital letters? That is essentially screaming “I am spamming you!” Using excessive amounts of exclamation points, using misleading subject lines, and having too many links can also raise red flags for spam filters.

Additionally, poor email design can hurt your email deliverability. Sending an email message that consists of one large image with little to no actual text? Spam filters cannot read images; therefore, they assume that you are trying to hide something in the image. Additionally, an email message with a messy HTML structure, including broken coding, can appear questionable and possibly be flagged as spam. To avoid these types of design issues, follow best practices for designing email campaigns.

Purchasing email lists guarantees that your messages will be placed in the spam/junk folder. These email addresses were never opted in to receive communications from your company. When these recipients identify you as spam (which they will), your sender reputation is significantly impacted. DO NOT PURCHASE EMAIL LISTS.

Your Sender Reputation Score

Think of your sender reputation as a credit score for your email domain. The ISP assigns a reputation score to your domain based on how your recipients interact with your messages.

A high number of bounces negatively impacts your reputation score. ISPs view sending messages to invalid email addresses as either sloppy or malicious. Regularly clean your email list by removing bounced addresses.

Spam complaints negatively impact your reputation score quickly. Although it may seem insignificant to have only a small percentage of your recipients report your messages as spam, this can result in future messages being filtered to the junk/spam folder. In order to prevent this from occurring, ensure that your unsubscribe link is easily identifiable. Losing a few subscribers is much easier than losing the trust of your customers and being reported as spam.

Improving Engagement Improves Your Reputation Score

When your recipients open your messages, click on your links, and respond to your messages, the ISP takes note. As a result, the ISP rewards you by placing your messages higher in the inbox.

Why Quality Trumps Quantity in Email Marketing

Due to the fact that improving engagement improves your reputation score, email marketing campaigns that focus on quality over quantity are consistently more effective. Learn more about how to improve your email marketing campaigns to boost engagement metrics.

Email Authentication Requirements (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

As previously mentioned, ISPs use various techniques to verify who is sending an email message. These techniques include SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. While SPF verifies which servers are authorized to send email messages from your domain, DKIM verifies the authenticity of your email messages by adding a unique digital signature to each message. Finally, DMARC specifies what actions the ISP should take if your email message fails to pass verification tests. By implementing these three techniques, you protect your domain from being used in phishing scams. Cloudflare has published a comprehensive article explaining how SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together to authenticate sender identities.

While many email marketing platforms provide automatic support for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, you will likely need to work with your IT department or hosting provider to configure these protocols manually.

Testing Your Emails Before Sending

Do Not Guess Whether Your Emails Will Be Delivered to the Inbox

Test Your Emails

Before sending your email message to your entire list, test it with different email providers. Test your email message with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo!, and Apple Mail. If your test messages are being sent to the spam/junk folder, address the issues before sending to your entire list.

Utilize Spam Checker Tools

Many email marketing platforms provide built-in spam score checkers that alert you to any problematic content in your email message prior to sending.

Inspect Your Email Message on Mobile Devices

The majority of your email recipients will likely be accessing your email message via mobile devices. Therefore, review your email message on mobile devices to confirm that your email message appears intact and free of any broken images/links.

For businesses serious about utilizing digital marketing effectively, email deliverability is a non-negotiable component of email marketing success. Don’t waste your marketing dollars by sending email messages to customers’ spam/junk folders. Once you correct these issues, you will begin to experience an increase in your open rates. Understanding what makes an email campaign successful helps you optimize your entire email strategy.