Why Are My Emails Going to Spam

It’s really frustrating when you put a lot of effort into your emails, only to see them end up in the spam folder. You may be asking yourself, “Why are my emails going to spam?” Well, you’re not alone, and that’s why this guide is just for you.

We’ll dive into the hidden reasons why this happens. It could be anything from authentication problems to sneaky content issues that you might not even notice.

I’ll share some simple tips to help you dodge those spam filters and make sure your emails land right in your recipients’ main inboxes.

And if you’re curious, check out our study to see whether Republican emails or Democrat emails were more likely to end up in spam!

Key Takeaways

Email authentication is essential

Email authentication is key for small business owners. Using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps keep your messages from being marked as spam and protects your domain from misuse.

Engagement matters

When you target the right audience and personalize your emails, you boost engagement and build a solid sender reputation. This lowers the chances of your emails ending up in the spam folder. It’s also a good idea to reconnect with inactive subscribers and follow permission-based email marketing rules, like the CAN-SPAM Act.

Follow best practices

To improve your email deliverability, focus on a good text-to-image ratio, steer clear of spam-trigger words in your subject lines, warm up your IP addresses, and keep a steady volume of emails. Now, let’s dive into some reasons why your emails might be landing in the spam folder.

1: Email Authentication Issues

What Is Email Authentication?

Hey there, small business owner! Let’s chat about something super important in email marketing: authentication. Email authentication is all about keeping your brand safe. It helps stop unauthorized people from using your domain in emails. This is key to making sure your real emails don’t end up in the same pile as spam or harmful messages that filters are meant to catch.

With platforms like Gmail and Yahoo requiring SPF and DKIM authentication, plus needing a DMARC record for your domain’s FROM addresses, it’s clear that email authentication matters more than ever.

But it’s not just about setting up these authentication tools. It’s also about getting them set up correctly. If you make mistakes during setup, your emails might seem untrustworthy to spam filters. So, what should you do?

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Explained

Let’s break down what SPF, DKIM, and DMARC really mean.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells email systems which IP addresses can send emails from your domain. As a marketer, it’s crucial to set up SPF records properly. You need to list the servers that are allowed to send emails for your business. If you misconfigure these records, your emails might look shady and end up in spam.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) takes it a step further. It digitally signs your emails to confirm they’re real. If your DKIM signature is missing or doesn’t match, spam filters could get suspicious.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) works with SPF and DKIM to help email receivers figure out what to do with emails that fail authentication. DMARC boosts security by letting you, the domain owner, see reports about where emails sent from your domain are coming from.

Getting your DMARC policies set up right is super important. If they’re too relaxed, fake emails could get through. But if they’re too strict, even your real emails might get flagged as suspicious.

So, how do you make sure you mail authentication? Follow these next steps!

How to Set Up Email Authentication

Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC might seem tricky, but they are super important for keeping your sender reputation strong and ensuring your emails don’t end up in the spam folder. Here’s a simple breakdown of how to set them up:

Getting your DMARC policies set up right is super important. If they’re too relaxed, fake emails could get through. But if they’re too strict, even your real emails might get flagged as suspicious.

So, how do you make sure you mail authentication? Follow these next steps!

2: Not Targeting the Right Audience

Email authentication is just the first step. To avoid the spam folder, your emails need to connect with your recipients.

Why Audience Targeting Matters

This is where finding the right audience matters. When you segment your audience by demographics and interests, you can create content that truly speaks to them. This approach not only boosts engagement and revenue but also helps keep your emails out of the spam folder.

But, getting the right audience isn’t just about segmentation. Personalization is key too.

By adjusting your email content based on where your recipients are in their buying journey, you can see higher open rates and better engagement. It all begins with setting clear expectations about your content and how often you will send emails right from that first welcome email.

Segmentation and Personalization

The effect of segmenting and personalizing your email content on deliverability can be huge. When your content is relevant to your audience, you can:

– Increase your open rates

– Improve overall engagement

– Boost your sender reputation

– Lower the chances of your emails going to the spam folder.

You can segment your audience using various criteria like demographics, behavior, and engagement. However, personalization is more than just using your subscribers’ names. It also includes looking at their history with your brand for more tailored communication.

By doing this, you can make your emails more engaging and relevant, which helps improve your sender reputation.

3: Low Engagement

Not every subscriber is the same. Some might lose interest or forget about your brand as time goes by. But don’t worry, you don’t have to give up on them. Reaching out to inactive subscribers with special strategies can help keep your email list healthy and boost overall engagement.

Here are some steps you can take to reconnect with those inactive subscribers:

1. Find inactive subscribers.

2. Send them a re-engagement email.

3. Include incentives or an easy way to unsubscribe in your email.

4. Work on improving engagement and clean up your email list by removing non-responders (it’s tough, but it’s important!).

5. Use email verification tools to delete invalid addresses and keep your list clean and engaged.

4: Not Getting Subscribers’ Permission

One important way to stay out of the spam folder is by using permission-based email marketing. This approach makes sure your subscribers truly want your emails. When they do, you’ll see better engagement and fewer spam complaints.

A great way to get that permission is through double opt-in. This method not only checks that your subscribers are interested but also helps keep your email lists tidy. A clean list can boost your email performance and help with deliverability.

But remember, it’s not just about what your subscribers want. You also have to think about the law.

Email privacy laws, like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), require you to get clear permission from your recipients. This means you need explicit opt-ins for your emails to be legal. So, it’s key to make sure your opt-in process is simple, clear, and follows these regulations.

 CAN-SPAM Act Compliance

If you’re sending emails to folks in the US, you really need to pay attention to the CAN-SPAM Act. It’s key to keeping your emails from being sent straight to the spam folder.

This law lays out the rules for commercial emails. It also sets requirements for what your messages should include, like a physical address and correct sender information.

One big requirement is to have a way for people to opt-out easily. This means your readers should be able to say “no thanks” to future emails without any hassle.

Not following the CAN-SPAM Act can lead to your emails getting filtered into spam folders automatically. So, take some time to understand these rules and make sure your emails follow them.

Handling Unsubscribes

How you deal with unsubscribes can impact whether your emails land in inboxes or not. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

– Make it simple to unsubscribe by adding an option in both the email header and footer.

– Offer a one-click unsubscribe button, as required by Gmail and Yahoo’s new rules.

– Handle unsubscribe requests quickly, ideally within two days.

Keeping the opt-out process simple and legal can help you keep an engaged and relevant email list. By including a clear unsubscribe link in your emails, you allow subscribers to opt-out easily if they want to.

And remember, if someone decides to unsubscribe, it doesn’t have to be the end of your relationship. You can still invite them to connect through social media or keep up with your blog. This way, you maintain a connection even after they opt-out.

5: Weak Subject Lines

Think of your email’s subject line like a newspaper headline. It’s the first thing people notice, and it plays a big role in whether they decide to open your email.

Did you know that 69% of folks label emails as spam just based on the subject line? That’s why it’s super important to write strong, clear, and catchy subject lines that truly reflect what’s inside your email.

But making a great subject line isn’t just about being clear and interesting. You also need to be consistent and make your brand recognizable.

When your sender name stays the same and your brand is familiar, people are more likely to open your emails. This builds trust with your recipients. So, keep your image and voice steady in your subject lines.

Watch Out for Spam Trigger Words

Spam trigger words are like warning signs for spam filters. They are certain words or phrases that email services see as signs of spam.

To lower the chance of your emails getting flagged and ending up in spam folders, you must be careful when crafting your subject lines and email content to avoid these red flags.

Stay away from words that make big promises, like “100% free,” “miracle,” or “money back.” Also, skip phrases that hint at shady practices, such as “bulk email” or “hidden charges.”

By steering clear of these spam trigger words, you can boost your chances of landing right in your recipients’ inboxes.

Best Practices for Subject Lines

Hey there! Want to know how to write great subject lines? One easy trick is to create urgency. Use words like “urgent,” “breaking,” or “important.” This can really grab your reader’s attention and make them want to act right away.

Another approach is to spark curiosity. You can also use numbers to make things clear or start with action words to get things moving.

Here are some more tips for writing effective email subject lines:

– Personalize your subject lines with the recipient’s name or other details.

– Highlight offers, hot topics, or special chances.

– Make sure your subject lines truly reflect the importance of your email content and build trust in your brand.

– Stay away from tricky or misleading subject lines. Focus on writing ones that honestly represent what’s inside the email.

Remember, your subject line’s goal is not just to get your email opened. It’s also about engaging your reader and encouraging them to take action when they see your email in their inbox!

 6: Too Many Images or Attachments

Hey there! Did you know that the mix of text and images in your emails can really impact whether they land in your subscribers’ inboxes? If your emails are packed with images and light on text, they might just get flagged by spam filters.

But it’s not only about how much text versus images you use. The kind of images you choose can also play a role in your email’s success. If you use images that don’t fit your brand or are not appropriate, it can confuse your subscribers and take away from your main message.

Also, keep in mind that emails with lots of images can trigger spam filters because email services can’t read images for content. So, stick to images that add value and support your message instead of pulling attention away from it.

Ideal Text-to-Image Ratio

It’s really important to keep a good balance between text and images in your emails. This helps you dodge those spam filters and keeps your content relevant. A common rule of thumb is to aim for a 60/40 or 80/20 ratio, where you have more text than images.

You should adjust this balance based on what your campaign needs and how your audience likes to view emails.

While images can make your emails pop, it’s best to kick things off with some text. This way, even if images don’t load, your main message still gets through. And don’t forget to add descriptive ALT text to your images for those moments when they fail to display.

Also, make sure to check how your emails look on different email clients and devices. This helps you maintain a professional look and ensures a good experience for your readers. If your email service provider doesn’t offer this testing, you can check out tools like Litmus and Email on Acid.

Alternatives to Attachments

Now, let’s talk about attachments. Including attachments can raise red flags for spam filters since they can be a way to spread malware and viruses.

Instead of attaching files, think about sharing links to download files from a trusted source or cloud storage. This keeps things secure and easier to manage.

For videos, why not use a screenshot of the first frame in your email? You can then link it to where the video is hosted online. Tools like DocSend also let you share documents securely without sending them as attachments.

By using these alternatives to attachments, you can boost your email deliverability and steer clear of those pesky spam filters.

7: Not Keeping a Steady Email Sending Volume

Keeping a steady email sending volume is super important for your sender reputation.

Think of it this way: when you send a consistent number of emails, you create a pattern that mailbox providers can rely on. They like knowing what to expect from you. This predictability builds trust, and let’s be honest, that’s what internet service providers (ISPs) want.

When you stick to a steady flow of emails, you show ISPs that you’re a trustworthy sender. You’re not flooding inboxes one day and going quiet the next.

And when ISPs trust you, they are more likely to let your emails land in the inbox instead of tossing them into the spam folder.

But remember, keeping a consistent volume isn’t the only thing to think about. If you have a dedicated IP address, you also need to warm it up.

IP warming is crucial if you have a big subscriber list and are using a new, dedicated IP to reach them. This means starting with a low number of emails and slowly increasing that volume to build a good sender reputation with your new IP.

Your sender reputation is a big factor in how well your emails get delivered. It’s like a score that ISPs use to see how trustworthy you are as a sender.

A high sender score (close to 100) means you’re seen as a great sender, which helps improve your inbox placement and delivery rates. On the other hand, a score around 50 is considered average.

That’s why it’s so important to keep an eye on your sender reputation and take steps to maintain or boost it.

You can check your sender reputation by:

– Looking at your sender scores through real-time analytics. This helps you spot and fix any delivery issues quickly.

– Regularly tracking and managing spam complaints.

– Checking for any blacklists of your IP address or domain to keep your reputation intact.

Tips for IP Warming

When it comes to IP warming, the key is to start small and gradually build up. This process involves:

– Starting with smaller email volumes

– Gradually increasing the number of emails you send

– Building your IP’s credibility

Typically, IP warming means sending a consistent volume of emails to a limited list over 2-3 months. After that, you can slowly raise your email volume.

During the IP warming stage, remember to:

– Keep a regular schedule for sending emails

– Focus on active and engaged recipients at first. This leads to better responses and helps establish your IP’s reputation.

– Carefully manage your email volume during this time to protect both your email campaigns and your sender reputation.

8: Not keeping an eye on your deliverability

Tracking your email deliverability is super important for your email marketing success.

Your sender reputation matters a lot. It depends on things like how good your email list is, how many emails you send, how engaged your audience is, and your sending history. This reputation directly impacts your email deliverability.

So, it’s crucial to check your sender reputation for each domain. This helps you find any specific deliverability problems you might have.

Also, pay special attention to how your emails are delivered to ISPs like Hotmail and Outlook. We’ve noticed these can be the toughest to reach (you can check out our guide on fixing Outlook and Hotmail delivery issues here).

But it’s not just about watching for problems. You should focus on making improvements too. Look at how your email campaigns perform compared to industry standards, check your bounce rates, and track your open and click-through rates over time. This can give you great insights into what’s holding back your deliverability and show you where to improve.

By regularly measuring your email delivery and deliverability rates, and evaluating how effective your changes are, you can really enhance your email campaigns.

Spam Filter Testing and Checkers

Tools like Glockapps or Sendforensics can be really helpful for checking your email deliverability. These tools offer spam testing features that can help you see how well your emails perform and help you avoid spam filters from email service providers.

Using these tools, you can check your emails for any potential delivery issues before you hit send. This gives you a chance to make changes to your emails and make sure they land in your recipients’ inboxes instead of their spam folders.

Just remember that the tests you send through these tools are like cold emails. Their test email addresses won’t open, click, or reply to anything. Because of this, your actual deliverability rate is probably better than what the tools show.

9: Not Using a Reliable Email Service Provider

Hey there! Let’s chat about something really important for your email marketing—using a good email service provider (ESP). Deliverability is key to your success in this area. The truth is, different ESPs have different deliverability rates, and the differences can be big.

Think of it this way: major internet service providers (ISPs) like Gmail and Outlook are the gatekeepers for your emails. They decide if your emails land in the inbox based on how trustworthy your email server is, which ties back to the ESP you choose.

Some ESPs are great at keeping their servers in good shape, while others don’t do as well. So, when you’re picking an email service, it’s super important to check how reliable their deliverability really is. That’s exactly why we started testing these services ourselves a few years ago!

We run email deliverability tests twice a year to see how popular email marketing services stack up. From our tests, we’ve discovered that these ESPs consistently have the best deliverability rates over 90%:

– ActiveCampaign

– MailerLite

– Mailchimp

– Constant Contact

On the flip side, the ones that struggle the most (under 75%) include:

– Brevo

– Sendpulse

– Benchmark

Of course, keep in mind that results can change from one sender to another. If you’re worried that your ESP is causing your deliverability to drop, I highly recommend testing out some other options. You can use services like GlockApps to check how well your emails are being delivered.

If you need help with this, we at EmailTooltester can lend a hand. You can learn more about our email deliverability audit.

Oh, and consider using dedicated IP addresses instead of shared ones to help boost your deliverability. Just a heads-up, though—they can be pricey and are usually not needed for smaller senders (like those sending fewer than 3,000 emails a day).

10: Not Learning from Feedback and Mistakes

Now, let’s move on to something else that’s crucial learning from feedback and mistakes. This is a big part of improving your email marketing strategy.

If you send out an optional survey to ask why people unsubscribe, you can get valuable insights to help refine your approach. Also, keeping an eye on soft bounces and knowing the difference between hard and soft bounces can guide you on what might be blocking your emails.

Comparing your email performance with industry standards is another smart move. It helps you set realistic goals and shows you where to improve your email campaigns.

Similarly, if you notice low open or read rates, it’s a sign to dig deeper and fix any underlying issues.

By learning from feedback and mistakes, you can keep enhancing your email marketing strategy and make sure your emails reach your recipients’ inboxes.

How to Fix Broken Email Deliverability

Are you struggling with getting your emails delivered? Let’s talk about some simple steps you can take:

Identify Problematic Inbox Providers

First, find out which email providers are causing trouble. Some, like Outlook or Hotmail, often send your emails to spam or block them altogether. Knowing this helps you plan your next move.

Create Segments of Engaged Subscribers

Next, focus on your engaged subscribers. For those tricky providers, create a list of people who actually open your emails. Send your messages only to this group.

 

 Send Emails That Foster Engagement

Make your emails engaging! Encourage your subscribers to open, click, and even reply. This tells the email providers that people want to hear from you, which helps improve your deliverability.

Optional: Contact Subscribers

If you have a good relationship with some subscribers, consider reaching out personally. A quick SMS or phone call can work wonders. Ask them to check their spam folder and move your emails to their inbox.

Optional: Contact Inbox Providers

After fixing any issues, you can reach out to major email providers. Here are some links to help you get started:

Gmail: [Contact Gmail](https://support.google.com/mail/contact/gmail_bulk_sender_escalation)

Yahoo Mail: [Contact Yahoo](https://senders.yahooinc.com/contact)

-Outlook: [Contact Outlook](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/supportrequestform/8ad563e3-288e-2a61-8122-3ba03d6b8d75)

Once You See Improvement: Increase Your Email Volume Slowly

When you notice things getting better, don’t rush back to your old email volume. Instead, send your emails in smaller batches. Keep a close eye on how well they get delivered

Use Specialized Deliverability Tools

Consider using tools designed to boost your email deliverability. These tools send emails to a list of providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. They can help by moving your emails out of spam, opening them, clicking links, and even replying.

Just a heads up: email providers aren’t big fans of these tools, so they might not always work. But they can be handy in serious situations.

> Try **InboxAlly

> Try **Warmy

Summary

In short, keeping your emails out of the spam folder is more than just writing good content. Here’s a quick checklist to help:

Email Authentication: Make sure your emails are authenticated to dodge spam filters.

Audience Targeting: Tailor your messages for better engagement.

Permission and Opt-in Practices: Always respect subscriber choices and ask for permission.

Effective Subject Lines: Use catchy subject lines to grab attention.

Balancing Text and Images: Keep a good mix of text and images for better deliverability.

Consistent Sending Volume: Avoid sudden spikes in email volume to build trust.

Monitoring and Improving: Keep checking and improving your email deliverability. Test with different email service providers if needed.

By following these tips, you can tackle the challenges of email marketing. This way, your messages will reach the right people. Remember, understanding these issues is the first step to success in email marketing. So, let’s get started!