You can have something amazing to say in every weekly email update.
You can have the greatest content team producing stunning email marketing content.
You can have the best target list of email subscribers.
Yet, there’s one major glitch you might not even be aware of: spam triggers.

Recently, I spoke with a few companies that didn’t understand why their email campaigns to a list of opted-in subscribers had such marginally low click-open rates. As it turns out, each campaign was going into the spam folder. Here’s why that happens.

Failed Subject Lines

Your subject line is the first impression you give an email server of the type of content you’re sending out. However, if you’re subject line is too “animated” with the use excessive exclamation marks, then it’s going to trigger the spam. Same goes for subject lines that include symbols, the word “free” and/or the letter “X.” Each of those trigger junk mail filters for spam or inappropriate content.

Frustrating Navigation

No matter how great your email campaign is, someone people are just going to want to unsubscribe. However, if you don’t have a clear and easy way to guide them to an unsubscribe link – or if you don’t even include a link – frustrated readers will just mark you as spam. You’re better off having someone unsubscribe than having them mark your email as spam.

Faulty Email Servers

Certain email servers have more sensitive spam triggers than others, which means that they’re more inclined to toss your campaign into a slush pile. How an email server treats email content will depend on the server. There’s another more challenging face to this problem: you ultimately have zero control of other people’s email servers.

Trapped by Large Visuals

The trend in email campaigns is to have visually rich content that sprinkles in language selectively and has redirect links. To do this, you need to use a template. Some novice email marketers will design on large image and have that embedded as the email marketing content. This doesn’t work. The reason why is because spam filters are specifically looking out for this type of email content because it’s usually where suspect content is hidden. So if you’re sending visuals – great, you’re onto something there. But take the time to format a proper template to guide your design so you can escape the junk mail filters.

Email Flood

Another problem you could be facing is that you’re just sending out too many emails in one go, which also triggers a spam alert. This problem is particularly relevant if you’re not using an email marketing software that can help organize your campaign distributions.

Despite the challenges faced in meeting your email marketing click-open goals, there are steps you can take the rescue your email campaign from the “junk” folder. Talk to your email campaign provider to see why they feel you’re having this problem. Depending on the campaign platform, it could either that you’re sending mass emails or that your dealing with a new domain.

When you’re getting to the bottom of the problem, realize that you’re dealing with a bit of a Rubik cute and you’re going to need to play around with a few variables before you figure it out. However, getting to the bottom of the problem is crucial if you plan on creating effective campaigns that engage and convert your audience.

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by Pradeep Kushwah