Have you ever spent time writing a great email only to have it go unanswered? This situation might not always stem from your side- perhaps it’s your email reputation to blame. If your messages are marked as spam, then your reputation requires some rejuvenation. Now, let’s discuss the primary concerns and how to ensure your emails arrive in your inbox.

How to Know That Emails Are Going to Spam? 

To begin with, you might ask yourself, “How do I know if my emails are going to spam?” That’s an interesting inquiry; here are suggestions to consider:

• Open Rates

If you aren’t getting email responses, the recipient probably didn’t receive it.

• Hiding Engagement

For an extended period, you were receiving engagement, such as clicks and replies, but now it’s not providing anything, and your emails are likely ending up in the junk folders.

• Test it

Start by testing the email yourself or sending it to a friend who uses a different email provider, such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo. This is a significant issue if the email is caught in the spam filter after multiple attempts to send it.

• Subscriber complaints 

There are instances when someone will approach you and say, “Your email ended up in the spam folder.”

If any of this has only lightly scratched the surface, it’s time to revisit the emails you send out.

What is Causing Your Email Reputation to Suffer?

When considering reputation in an email context, consider estimating it as your domain’s ‘credit score’. Email providers track how individuals engage with your emails, and they make decisions based on your habits. Here are the factors that could be uprooting your email reputation:

• Excessive hard bounces: Sending emails to non-existent addresses signals to providers that you have a very outdated and poorly maintained email list.
• Spammy language: Phrases like “Make $$$ FAST” or “Get Rich Quick” will trigger alarm filters almost immediately.
• Absence of a clear unsubscribe option: People who cannot easily opt out are statistically more likely to report spam, which has proven detrimental.
• Weak domain authentication: Spam filters may view you as a spammer if your domain is not verified with SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

Over time, these factors erode your credibility as a sender.

Steps to Improve Your Email Reputation

Okay, let’s jump to the actions. Here is what you can start working on immediately to improve your reputation in the inbox:

1. Remove Email Subscribers 

I know, maintaining an extensive email list sounds good, but you’re only harming your reputation if a significant percentage consists of fake or inactive subscribers. Cleaning up your email list by removing all invalid or dormant emails will earn you some credibility, not to mention running re-engagement campaigns. 

If clients do not respond to your emails after several attempts, it is better to remove them from your list. This will improve your engagement rates and enhance the health of your email list. 

2. Invest in Email Deliverability Software 

We cannot deny that this one is a game-changer. The right tools for email deliverability can now help you identify what is going wrong or what is going right with your emails. These tools check your email subject lines, score your spam reputation, and thoroughly analyze your emails to ensure optimal performance. 

Additionally, they simulate sending emails to various providers and inform you of the outcomes, such as whether they will be directed to inboxes, promotions, or spam. That is what I mean by having X-ray vision for your emails.

3. Verify Your Emails

Authenticating emails is critical in today’s digital era. Configuring DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), Sender Policy Framework (SPF), and DMARC verifies that your source is credible. Easy-to-follow Mailchimp or SendGrid instructions make these configurations straightforward, significantly improving your sender reputation.

4. Content Moderation

Carefully review your content, as even the smallest decision can result in being flagged by a spam filter. Avoid advertising language, multiple exclamation points, all-caps subject lines, and anything else commonly deemed obnoxious. Use simple, clear language, as if addressing only a single reader, and put value into the phrases before the sale.

Your subject lines should align with the content of the body. Avoid bait-and-switch titles, as they can harm your business’s reputation and increase the likelihood of being flagged as spam by spam filters. 

5. Gradually Increase Activity for Your Email Domain 

Beginners should not use full throttle on their first day. Chipping away optimistically shows trust by gradually increasing the volume after a few low-quality emails. This process “warms up” email providers, such as spam bots, by increasing email volume. Results may come slowly, but adding patience ensures success.

6. Make it Convenient for Customers to Withdraw

This may sound counterintuitive, but offering users an easy opt-out option helps enhance your reputation. Your reputation is significantly better than that of users who click the “Report Spam” button, which can negatively impact email providers. Make your unsubscribe link clear and easy to use; do not obscure it in small text at the bottom of the page. 

Conclusion

If you are asking yourself, “How do I know if my emails are going to spam?” There is now a clear, step-by-step plan to follow. Begin by purging your email list, utilizing intelligent email deliverability tools, avoiding spammy content, and ensuring your infrastructure is well-structured. 

You don’t need to be a marketing genius or a technology guru to improve your email reputation. The right tools and a bit of consistency will ensure you start appearing in inboxes more regularly and receiving the attention your emails need and deserve.