Deliverability

Boost your email deliverability & sidestep the spam filter pitfalls

lemlist team
LAST UPDATED
September 5, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

Over 20% of emails never reach the inbox due to being flagged as spam.

This is bad news because landing in your recipient's inbox is more crucial than ever.

Not getting through to your prospects means losing money.

In this guide, we'll help you improve your email deliverability and avoid spam filters.

Understanding the intricacies of spam detection and how to navigate them can be the difference between a successful campaign and a digital dead end. đź’€

What are email spam filters?

Understanding Spam Filters is crucial in ensuring your emails reach their intended inboxes.

These filters are the gatekeepers, designed to protect users from unsolicited and potentially harmful content.

At its core, a spam filter's job is to scrutinize incoming emails against a set of criteria, which can include the sender's reputation, the email's content, and its engagement with recipients.

Spam filters use artificial intelligence and machine learning. These technologies have revolutionized spam detection. By learning from patterns in vast datasets, they can adapt to new spam tactics, making filters more effective over time

You can tailor your email campaigns to be more aligned with the criteria set by these intelligent systems, thus enhancing your chances of achieving impeccable email deliverability.

Having a hard time evading Gmail’s spam filters? Here’s how to improve email deliverability & avoid the spam folder.

Analysis of spam trigger words

When it comes to avoiding the spam folder, the words you choose can be just as important as the message you're trying to convey.

Understanding spam trigger words can effectively refine your content to ensure your messages resonate with your audience while maintaining a pristine path to their inboxes.

The use of certain Spam Trigger Words can raise red flags for spam filters, causing your well-crafted emails to be automatically categorized as unwanted.

Here's how to approach them:

  • What are spam trigger words?
    These are words and phrases commonly associated with deceptive or promotional content. They can range from aggressive sales terms to sensitive topics that are often exploited by spammers.
  • Examples and categories: In this article on spam words to avoid, we'll dive into various categories such as 'Urgency', 'Financial', and 'Hyperbole' to illustrate how certain words within these realms can be problematic.
  • The effects of using these words: An overreliance on trigger words can not only harm your deliverability rates but also damage your sender reputation in the long run.

Optimizing your email content is not just about avoiding spam trigger words; it's about crafting a message that is both authentic and engaging.

This balance is key to ensuring your emails are valued by recipients and treated favorably by spam filters.

Here's how to fine-tune your approach:

  • Developing authentic and engaging email content: Authenticity resonates with readers. Your emails should reflect your brand's voice and provide real value to the recipient, which in turn can lead to higher engagement and better deliverability.
  • Tips on personalization: Personalizing your emails can drastically increase their relevance to each recipient. Use data responsibly to tailor your message, addressing your recipients by name and referencing their interests or past interactions with your brand.
  • Mindful usage of sensitive expressions: It's important to use potentially sensitive words and phrases in the right context. Ensure that your message is clear and your use of such expressions is justified within the context of your email's purpose.

By optimizing your email content with these techniques, you not only sidestep spam filters but also cultivate a more meaningful relationship with your audience. This leads to an overall improvement in email deliverability and campaign success.

Technical adjustments for boosting email deliverability

To further enhance your email deliverability, technical adjustments can play a significant role. These adjustments go beyond content creation and delve into the structural and authentication aspects of your email campaigns.

Let's explore the technical side:

  • Professional email design principles: A well-designed email not only captures the attention of your audience but also adheres to best practices that prevent it from being flagged as spam. Utilize clean, responsive design and avoid overloading your email with too many images or excessively flashy HTML elements.
  • Stable sending frequency and sender reputation: Consistency in your sending frequency can build a positive sender reputation. Sudden spikes or irregularities in email volume can trigger spam filters. Aim for a balanced schedule that keeps your audience engaged without overwhelming them. Use an email deliverability tool like lemwarm to gradually increase your sending volume.
  • Introduction to email authentication methods: Implementing email authentication protocols like SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is crucial. These methods validate your emails, proving to ISPs that they are legitimate and should be delivered to the recipient's inbox.

These technical adjustments are essential for improving email deliverability. By paying attention to design, maintaining a consistent sending frequency, and ensuring proper email authentication, you're setting the stage for successful email campaigns that reach their intended targets.

At lemlist we strive to make your make your life easier. So we'll leave you a couple of tools that will save your email deliverability.

  • DMARC generator
  • SPF generator

Guidelines for adhering to legal procedures & implementing clean email marketing

Adherence to legal procedures in email marketing is not only a matter of compliance but also an ethical practice.

By following regulations, you build trust with your audience and ensure the longevity of your marketing efforts.

Here are key legal guidelines to follow:

  • Explanation on CAN-SPAM Act, GDPR, and other regulations: Familiarize yourself with the CAN-SPAM Act, which sets rules for commercial email in the United States, and the GDPR for handling European citizens' data. These regulations outline requirements for consent, privacy, and the rights of individuals to control their personal information.
  • Advocating ethical email marketing strategies to build trust and boost engagement: Ethical email marketing goes beyond legal requirements. It's about respecting your audience, providing value, and engaging them with transparency and honesty. This approach not only fosters trust but also encourages higher engagement rates.

By adhering to legal procedures and implementing clean email marketing practices, you not only protect your business from potential fines but also establish a brand that is trustworthy and respected in the marketplace.

Check for spam alerts before initiating a campaign ✔️

Before you launch any email campaign, it's imperative to ensure that your message won't end up in the spam folder. This preemptive measure can save you from the disappointment of low engagement and the negative impact on your sender reputation.

Here's how you can stay ahead of spam filters:

  • Tools available for running spam tests on your emails: Utilize specialized tools that simulate how different email providers view your message. These tools can provide invaluable feedback on whether your email is likely to be marked as spam.
  • Understanding spam test outcomes and refining your email content: Analyze the results from spam tests to identify which aspects of your email could trigger filters. Look for feedback on subject lines, content, and even email formatting. Use this information to refine your email, ensuring it's optimized for deliverability.

By conducting spam tests and interpreting the results to improve your emails, you significantly increase the chances of your campaigns reaching your audience's inboxes. It's a crucial step in a comprehensive email deliverability strategy.

Email list maintenance

Maintaining a healthy email list is crucial for ensuring high engagement rates and preserving your sender reputation. A well-managed email list can be the difference between a successful campaign and one that falters due to poor deliverability.

Here are the best practices for email list maintenance and management:

  • Methods for effective email list segmentation: Segment your email list based on demographics, behavior, or engagement levels. This allows for more targeted and relevant communication, which can lead to better open rates and fewer spam complaints.
  • Detailed procedures for routine list cleaning and the importance of double opt-in system: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers, incorrect email addresses, and those who have opted out. Employing a double opt-in system ensures that you're only sending emails to people who have explicitly given their permission, thereby reducing the likelihood of being flagged as spam.

By implementing these strategies, you can keep your email list in top condition and maintain a strong connection with your audience.

A clean and well-segmented list is a key component in achieving superior email deliverability and engagement.

Conclusion

We cannot overstate the importance of evading spam trigger words and other strategies to improve deliverability.

Ensuring your emails reach the inbox rather than the spam folder can significantly impact your campaign's success.

Remember, the landscape of email marketing is ever-evolving. Staying informed and adapting to new best practices is non-negotiable.

As such, staying current with email marketing best practices is not just a recommendation—it's a requirement for success!

Continuing education and tools

To aid in your ongoing education, here's a selection of resources and tools that can help you maintain optimal email deliverability:

  • Industry blogs and webinars from thought leaders in email marketing.
  • Advanced email analytics platforms for tracking deliverability and engagement metrics.
  • Spam testing tools that provide insights before you launch your campaigns.
  • Sign up for email deliverability tool lemwarm to monitor and improve your sender reputation.

FAQs

How often should I clean my email list?

Cleaning your email list should be a routine process, typically done every 3-6 months, to ensure it remains up-to-date and free of inactive subscribers.

What are the best practices for avoiding spam filters?

Avoid using known spam trigger words, ensure proper email authentication, maintain a consistent sending frequency, and focus on creating valuable and relevant content for your subscribers.

Can I use "spammy" words if they're relevant to my content?

While it's best to avoid known spam trigger words, if they are essential to your content, use them sparingly and within a context that clearly communicates their relevance to your audience.

lemlist team
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G2 Rating
Price
Best for
Standout feature
Con
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/mo
$75/mo
$2,999/mo
Large, distributed sales teams
AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs
Lack of tracking system
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Sales operations and finance teams
Powerful configurability
Limited training resources and complex to navigate
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Mid-market and enterprise businesses
Comprehensive incentive management
Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$15/user/mo
$40/user/mo
Enterprise: custom price
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Collaborative teams
Connected planning
Complexity and steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts
Simplicity and ease of use
Lack of features like redirection
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$30/user/mo
$35/user/mo
Custom: upon request
Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software
Ease of use and adoption
Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
4.8
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights
A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility
Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/user/mo
$50/user/mo
Smaller sales teams
Powerful automation
Lesser user base and average user interface
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with scalable needs
Automated Commission Calculations
Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app
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
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
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
4.75
star
star
star
star
star-half
Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
square-check
Limited
square-check
Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
square-xmark
Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
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
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
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
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
4.8
star
star
star
star
star
Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
square-check
Limited
square-check
$9.99/month
4.45
star
star
star
star
star-half
160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
$29.90/month or
$24.90/month (billed annually)
Capterra Rating
Free Trial
Free Plan
Starting Price (excluding the free plan)
Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)
Best for
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-check
€15/month/seat billed annually
€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat
Versatility and free plan
4.2
star
star
star
star
square-check
30-day
square-xmark
But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
€25/user/month
€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)
Best overall operational CRM
4.3
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-xmark
square-check
Limited to 3 users
Comprehensive incentive management
€52/user/month billed annually
Small-medium businesses and automation
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-xmark
€14/seat/month billed annually
€99/seat/month billed annually
Sales teams and ease of use
4.1
star
star
star
star
square-xmark
square-check
Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
$64.99/user/month billed annually
Free plan for very small teams up to 10
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
Improved marketing automation ROI
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.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
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
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

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