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Cold Emailing

222 Troublesome spam trigger words to avoid like the plague

Mihaela Cicvaric
July 25, 2024
|
7 min. read
Mihaela Cicvaric
LAST UPDATED
May 9, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

Crafting emails, social posts, or online ads?

Make sure to avoid these 222 spam trigger words.

⚠ Caution: Deploying these words carelessly might flag your content, hurting your reach or killing it entirely.

Spam trigger words to eliminate from your messages

The flashy financier - promising fast earnings

Probably the most spammy words around.

These words promise substantial wealth quickly and effortlessly and are often used in scams.

  1. "$$$"
  2. "Billion dollars"
  3. "Million dollars"
  4. "Cash bonus"
  5. "Double your income"
  6. "Earn $"
  7. "Earn extra cash"
  8. "Money back"
  9. "Money making"
  10. "Potential earnings"
  11. "Serious cash"
  12. "Hidden assets"
  13. "Unsecured credit"
  14. "Unsecured debt"
  15. "Loan approved"
  16. "Loans"
  17. "Money-back guarantee"
  18. "Earn per week"
  19. "Financial freedom"
  20. "Get out of debt"
  21. "No credit check"
  22. "Eliminate bad credit"
  23. "Eliminate debt"
  24. "Income from home"
  25. "Investment decision"
  26. "Lower interest rate"
  27. "Lower your mortgage rate"
  28. "Lowest insurance rates"
  29. "Accept credit cards"
  30. "Additional income"
  31. "Avoid bankruptcy"
  32. "Beneficiary"
  33. "Billing"
  34. "Billing address"
  35. "BONUS"
  36. "Bonus credited"
  37. "Buying judgments"
  38. "Cashcashcash"
  39. "Cashless"
  40. "Check credited"
  41. "Consolidate debt"
  42. "Consolidate debt and credit"
  43. "Cost"
  44. "Credit"
  45. "Low insurance premium"
  46. "Low mortgage rates"
  47. "Lower monthly payment"
  48. "Lower rates"
  49. "Outstanding amount"
  50. "Outstanding values"
  51. "Pennies a day"
  52. "Stock alert"
  53. "Stock disclaimer statement"
  54. "Stock pick"
  55. "XXX amount credited"
  56. "XXX$ credited"

The urgency usher - creating a false sense of urgency

These words are used to pressure people into making decisions quickly...and without giving the product a thorough evaluation.

They don't necessarily indicate a scam, but they sure smell like it. ;-)

  1. "Act immediately"
  2. "Act now"
  3. "Action required"
  4. "Apply NOW"
  5. "Apply Online"
  6. "At no cost"
  7. "Buy Now"
  8. "Buy direct"
  9. "Cancel at any time"
  10. "Cancel now"
  11. "Cancellation required"
  12. "Claim your discount NOW!"
  13. "Claim your prize"
  14. "Click below"
  15. "Click here"
  16. "Exclusive deal"
  17. "Exclusive discount"
  18. "Exclusive offer"
  19. "Expiring soon"
  20. "For instant access"
  21. "Get it now"
  22. "Get started now"
  23. "Hurry up"
  24. "Important information regarding"
  25. "Instant weight loss"
  26. "Limited time"
  27. "Limited time deal"
  28. "Now only"
  29. "Offer expires in X days"
  30. "Once in a lifetime deal"
  31. "Once in a lifetime opportunity"
  32. "Once in lifetime"
  33. "Online biz opportunity"
  34. "Only for today"
  35. "Save up to"
  36. "Sign up free today"
  37. "Stuff on sale"
  38. "Supplies are limited"
  39. "Take action now"
  40. "Time-limited"
  41. "Urgent"
  42. "Vacation offers"
  43. "Weight loss"
  44. "While in stock"
  45. "While you sleep"

The hyperbolic hype - exaggerating rewards

If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is!

These words make unrealistic claims that can mislead people into believing the impossible is within reach.

  1. "0%"
  2. "0% risk"
  3. "777"
  4. "99%"
  5. "99.9%"
  6. "100%"
  7. "100% more"
  8. "100% free"
  9. "100% satisfied"
  10. "50% off"
  11. "100% money back"
  12. "Best bargain"
  13. "Best offer"
  14. "Best price"
  15. "Big bucks"
  16. "Double your leads"
  17. "Double your cash"
  18. "Double your wealth"
  19. "Earn extra profit"
  20. "Extra cash"
  21. "Extra income"
  22. "Extract email"
  23. "F r e e"
  24. "For just X$"
  25. "For only XXX amount"
  26. "Free bonus"
  27. "Free cell phone"
  28. "Free consultation"
  29. "Free DVD"
  30. "Free gift"
  31. "Free grant money"
  32. "Free hosting"
  33. "Free info"
  34. "Free information"
  35. "Free installation"
  36. "Free instant"
  37. "Free investment"
  38. "Free iPhone"
  39. "Free leads"
  40. "Free membership"
  41. "Free money"
  42. "Free preview"
  43. "Free quote"
  44. "Free sample"
  45. "Free trial"
  46. "Full REFUND"
  47. "Guaranteed deposit"
  48. "Guaranteed income"
  49. "Guaranteed payment"
  50. "Huge discount"
  51. "Incredible deal"
  52. "Instant earnings"
  53. "Instant income"
  54. "Instant offers"
  55. "JACKPOT"
  56. "Lose weight"
  57. "Lose weight instantly"
  58. "Lowest price"
  59. "Lowest price ever"
  60. "Recover your debt"
  61. "Recover your debt instantly"
  62. "Satisfaction guaranteed"
  63. "Save Big Money"
  64. "They keep your Money — no refund!"
  65. "Unlimited"
  66. "Work at home"
  67. "Work from home"
  68. "You are a winner!"
  69. "You have been chosen"
  70. "You have been selected"
  71. "You will not believe your eyes"
  72. "Zero chance"
  73. "Zero percent"
  74. "Zero risk"

The overzealous salesperson - employing suspicious sales speak

Deceptive words and phrases a sleazy door-to-door salesman would use.

If you don't want to get the door slammed into the face of your digital marketing, use these words sparingly or not at all.

  1. "Affordable"
  2. "Auto email removal"
  3. "Bargain"
  4. "Cheap"
  5. "Claims"
  6. "Claims not to be selling anything"
  7. "Claims to be in accordance with some spam law"
  8. "Claims to be legal"
  9. "Clearance"
  10. "Compare rates"
  11. "Confidential"
  12. "Confidentially on all orders"
  13. "Deal breaker"
  14. "Dig up dirt on friends"
  15. "Don't delete"
  16. "Don't hesitate"
  17. "Easy terms"
  18. "Explode your business"
  19. "Fast cash"
  20. "Free access"
  21. "Hidden charges"
  22. "Info you requested"
  23. "Information you requested"
  24. "Join millions"
  25. "Junk"
  26. "Mass email"
  27. "Never before"
  28. "New customers only"
  29. "No extra cost"
  30. "No hidden costs"
  31. "No interests"
  32. "No medical exams"
  33. "No middleman"
  34. "Not intended"
  35. "Not junk"
  36. "Not spam"
  37. "Open this email!"
  38. "Please read"
  39. "Priority mail"
  40. "Prize"
  41. "Profits"
  42. "Promise"
  43. "Pure profits"
  44. "Requires initial investment"
  45. "Risk-free"
  46. "Save big money"
  47. "Sent in compliance"

Why should you avoid spam trigger words?

Let me break it down for you:

Emails missing the mark

When these words sneak into your emails, they often miss the inbox altogether, landing straight in the spam folder.

Result? Your message goes unnoticed.

But wait, there's more (pun intended ;-)...

If your emails land in spam, your sender reputation will suffer, hurting your long term email deliverability.

Social media silence

Using these words in your posts? You might notice a drop in engagement.

Social platforms can push your content down the feed if it gets flagged for suspicious content, leaving it unseen.

Ineffective ads

Yes, you should exercise caution with paid promotions too.  

Ads over-sporting spam trigger words often get the red flag, meaning rejection and wasted advertising dollars.

And in case your ad does get accepted, it will probably scare away potential customers because of the spammy language used.

Bad for SEO

Google isn't a fan either.

These words can hurt your website's chance to shine on search engines, burying it under tons of other content.

Lacking responses

Emails or direct outreach messages sprinkled with these words?

They could be turning people off from replying - instantly killing the conversation.

You can learn more about spam words in this post, where we discuss their impact alongside tips for spam-free outreach.

How to use this spam trigger words list

Context is king

When you come across a word on the list, don't just eliminate it; consider the context.

Use these words judiciously, ensuring they fit naturally into your message.

Focus on authenticity

Rather than avoiding spam trigger words at all costs, aim for authentic, value-driven communication.

Balance and relevance

Strive for a balance between persuasive language and straightforward communication.

Ensure every word contributes to the relevance and clarity of your message.

Monitor engagement

Pay attention to how recipients interact with your content.

High engagement rates can offset the occasional use of a spam trigger word.

Try AB testing to monitor your success.

Continuous adaptation

Finally, stay adaptable.

Every platform’s algorithm has different rules to play by, make sure you know them.

In the business of closing leads?

Download our cold emailing ebook to access a treasure trove of conversion boosting tips.

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Best for
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SmartWinnr
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$2,999/mo
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Varicent
4.4
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QuotaPath
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$40/user/mo
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Anaplan
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Xactly
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Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
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Qobra
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Sales Cookie
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Spiff
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Companies with scalable needs
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ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
PRM Tool
Rating
Feature
Pro
Con
Mobile App
Integrations
Free Plan
Pricing
Airtable
4.65
star
star
star
star
star-half
Org-wide alignment
User-friendly layout and database
Suboptimal as a personal CRM
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-check
Team: $20/month
Business: $45/month
Dex
4.7
star
star
star
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Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
Notion
4.75
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Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
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Limited
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Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
Monica
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
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Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
Hippo App
3.1
star
star
star
Simple iOS app
Ideal for non-tech-savvy users
iPhone only
square-check
iOS only
Limited
square-xmark
1-month trial
$1.49/month or
$14.99/month
Contacts+
3.6
star
star
star
star-half
Smart Contact Management
Feature-rich and flexible
Reported bugs
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
7-day trial
Premium: $13.99/month
Teams: $17.99/month
Folk
4.4
star
star
star
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Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
Close
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Integrated Calling
Integrated Calling
Too sales-oriented & pricey
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
Startup: $59/user/month
Professional: $329/user/month
Covve App
4.8
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Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
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Limited
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$9.99/month
Nimble
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160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
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Rich
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14-day trial
$29.90/month or
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4.5
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Salesforce CRM
4.2
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30-day
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But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
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Best overall operational CRM
Zoho CRM
4.3
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Pipedrive
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Agile CRM
4.1
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Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
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CRM goal
Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown
1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).
2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.
3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.
4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.
5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions
Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.
Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.
Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.
Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.
Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes
Increased sales and revenue
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Marketing and sales alignment
Data-driven marketing optimization
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
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Data Handling
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Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM

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