Spam filters are your friends. It probably seems difficult for anyone involved in email marketing to believe, but it’s been said before by many commentators, and will be said again. Email marketing would be impossible without spam filters. Inboxes would be overflowing. It stands to reason therefore that you should work with spam filters rather than against them, making their life easier so to speak. They won’t be grateful. That’s too much to ask, but they will be cooperative.

It’s not so long ago that the advice would be to avoid all capital letters, exclamation marks, hyperbole and anything that could be construed as offensive in all content. Things have changed. In many ways it is now easier to understand and, probably, easier to predict as the triggers have much less to do with content. But there’s bad news.

In essence, the methods are based on previous engagement. In other words, if an email from the same address was not classed as spam the last time it was sent, it is unlikely it will be classed as spam subsequently. Further, even if an email was dropped into a spam folder previously, if the addressee subsequently marked it as not spam, and sent it to their inbox, it is seen by spam filters as a positive, and a strong one at that.

This isn’t much comfort for those starting out in email marketing; an understatement I know. For those established companies it means more flexibility with regards to Subject Lines. Sale! is no longer forbidden, but only for those who’ve had their marketing emails accepted before.

Using an email marketing company that is well respected, such as Wizemail, lends a high degree of credence. It is still a good decision for beginners to conform to the old guidelines. Only use email addresses of subscribers. Take care with your Subject Lines. Encourage your subscribers to reply to the From Address as this is very much a positive. 

Don’t take risks, at least at first.