Online marketing today has become an exercise requiring companies to work with different communication methods. From social media marketing, influencer marketing, chatbots, and so much more, finding the right mix is vital to capture leads online effectively. However, amidst all these newer methods of digital marketing, email marketing is still one of the most effective forms of communication. The stats back it up as well – for every $1 spent, emails can generate a revenue of $38! That’s a fantastic ROI of 3,800%!
Whether its B2B or B2C, email marketing has been pivotal in paving the way forward for multiple companies online. Marketers have understood the value of emails and allocate special budgets targeted at email marketing. Emails are getting bigger and better, so if you’re looking to start your digital marketing campaign, don’t forget to include email marketing in your mix.
Why Are Your Emails Going to Spam, and How Do You Fix It?
With the many advantages, email marketing does bring; there is always going to be a downside as well – in the form of email spam. Close to 14.5 billion emails get marked as spam…in one day! That’s a 45% rate on an everyday basis.
You need to understand how emails work and why they sometimes, invariably end up in the spam folder. We’ve broken it down for you so that you can take the necessary steps.
What is Email Spam?
Email spam is categorized as mails that are deemed unwanted in a customer’s inbox. These emails are irrelevant or unnecessary and get sent to the spam folder – sometimes by the individual or even by the spam filters that are installed in their systems. Companies generally spend a lot of money creating effective email campaigns, and it is virtually impossible to get them back into the normal inbox after that.
Spam emails have resulted in a loss of public confidence among companies and their trust on the internet in general. Minimizing spam has become one of the main motives of many marketers, with 52% of companies claiming that reducing spam is one of their top priorities for the year.
[Tweet “What is email spam, and how much money does it cost your business each year?”]
What Are the Risks Involved With Email Spam?
Email spam can cause a lot of issues in an individual’s inbox. People have identified the degrading value that spam brings and have taken active measures in blocking them completely from their inbox. Most email service providers come with effective anti-spam filters that can identify a potential spam email and then send them to the spam folder without even entering the inbox.
A research firm in Palo Alto said that close to $20.5 billion in decreased productivity and technical expenses for companies annually, is caused by email spam. Also, the average loss per employee is at least $1934.
You need to understand some of the reasons why emails go to spam so that you can actively take measures to avoid the same.
Reasons Why Emails Go to Spam
There are a few reasons that contribute to emails heading to spam. Once you identify them, you can slowly ensure they don’t happen again, with a few smart steps:
1. Buying an email list – Consent is one of the critical aspects of email marketing. If your customer doesn’t wish to receive your emails, you must respect it and work on the other leads you’ve generated. Buying an email list is a sure-shot way of finding yourself in the spam folder. It is ineffective, unethical, and lands you in trouble over the long term.
How to fix this – You need to organically build an email list that allows customers to allow your mails into their inboxes. This can be done by incorporating effective discounts, offers, and proper targeting techniques during seasonal periods.
[Tweet “Buying an email list is a sure way of finding yourself in the spam folder. It is ineffective and lands you in trouble over the long term.”]
2. Not having a physical address – While this may come across as surprising, not having a physical address is another reason that emails get sent to the spam folder. There needs to be some traceability and accountability when you create emails, and businesses are required to have a physical address, so there is credibility, according to the FTC – the body that is in charge of legal trade among parties.
How to fix this – If your company isn’t registered with a postal address, you should go ahead and make it happen. The process doesn’t take more than a few days or weeks, and once you register, you’ll notice that customers are more responsive to your emails. Small business owners fall prey to this mistake as they don’t want their addresses being shown to mass audiences, but it is a necessary step that can turn fortunes around.
As a small business, you could also obtain a P.O. box that can be used instead of a home address.
3. Using the wrong “trigger” words – Email spam filters have been built and upgraded to identify “trigger” words, which are a way to identify spam emails. Phrases such as “Double your income” and “You’re a winner” are a great way to gain unwanted attention from your audience and send your email straight to the spam folder.
Trigger words are generally seen as a red flag which marks your email as spam and can blacklist your campaigns even if the intentions are not malicious.
How to fix this – Identifying the words which can be misconstrued as trigger words are important in this process as it will help you in the long-term. When you create your subject line, ensure you workaround by using smarter words. The trigger words can be googled and avoided when you create.
4. Writing weak headlines – Your headline is a crucial part of the email, and you’ve to give it the importance it deserves. More than 69% of emails are marked as spam purely on the subject line content. It’s crucial to find the right headline that is the right balance of selling and delighting!
How to fix this – Put yourself in the shoes of the subscriber. When you receive an email, would you think the mail is spam based purely on the headline? If yes, then you know you’ve to make the necessary changes.
These are a few of the reasons that emails get sent to spam. There are plenty of others as well, and you’ll learn them as you keep experimenting. Check out a more detailed list of reasons here. and you’ll be able to derive some great techniques to prevent your mails from going to spam.
[Tweet “Put yourself in the shoes of your email subscriber. When you receive an email, would you think the mail is sent to spam based purely on the headline?”]
SendX is one option you could consider if you’re looking to start your email marketing journey. With time, you’ll notice customers eagerly awaiting your emails, and you’ll be able to make the best out of the different techniques available. You can also check out the comparison between two of the major email marketing software here.
Ciao,
Miss Kemya
This is a guest post from Christeen Paul, is a digital marketer obsessed with organic search results. Currently working to grow SendX.
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