It is quite obvious that if your email does not drop into the inbox of your customers, then all your effort, time and money is wasted. Your email marketing list is an important factor in avoiding a spam filter’s ire. Here are 5 factors which will lower the risk.

1/ Bought in lists

There is a case for buying in lists, such as just starting out or, perhaps, a new direction you are taking which most of your current customers would not find interesting. It can be dangerous though. You must ensure that the permissions are valid. If your email comes as a surprise it will probably end up being classed as spam and if enough do it, your From address might well end up worthless. 

2/ Deception

If you are not fully honest with your customers, particularly when signing up, they are again likely to class you as spam. If you trick a number of them into signing for email marketing then their rejection of your email might trigger a response from the spam filter.

3/ Believe your metrics

Don’t send a marketing email to a customer ‘just in case’. If an email remains unopened for any length of time, or those from a particular address are deleted without reading, then after a time it will be diverted. Engagement is one of the factors considered by spam filters. It is involved in the next point.

4/ Keep yourself clean

Don’t leave an unresponsive person on your email marketing list in the hope that they will suddenly spring to life. This will count against you. On the other hand, if most of your emails are opened, and especially responded to, this will count in your favour. So balance the risk against the likelihood of a spontaneous purchase.

5/ Unsubscribe means let them go

If the unsubscribe box is ticked then accept that they want to leave. Many companies send an acknowledgement of the request to leve the list with a plea to reconsider, and these have a fair success rate, but if they still refuse, then it is over.