Have you ever sent an important email, only to find out it ended up in someone’s spam or promotions folder? You’re not alone! Getting your emails into your audience’s primary inbox can be a challenge, especially with today’s sophisticated email filters.

But don’t worry, we’ve got some strategies to help you increase your chances of landing in the primary inbox.

Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways for businesses to engage with their audience in today’s digital world and with the right strategies, you can increase your chances of your email  landing in the primary inbox, ensuring that they are seen, read and acted upon.

Deliverability best practices must be closely followed to ensure that your emails reach their intended recipient in light of increasingly complex spam filters and stringent restrictions. In this post, we will be looking at doable tactics and strategies to improve email deliverability and make the most out of your email marketing campaigns.

Understanding Email Deliverability

Before diving into strategies to improve email deliverability, it’s essential to understand what it entails. Email deliverability refers to the ability of your emails to reach the recipient’s inbox successfully.

Email providers like Gmail and Outlook use complex algorithms to sort incoming emails based on content, sender reputation, and user behaviour. Some common reasons your emails may not land in the primary inbox include:

Spammy Language: Words like “free,” “urgent,” and “limited-time offer” can trigger spam filters.

Irrelevant Content: If your emails aren’t valuable or relevant to your subscribers, they’re less likely to end up in the primary inbox.

Poor Sender Reputation: If you have a history of sending spam or unwanted emails, your sender reputation may be poor, leading to emails being filtered out of the primary inbox.

Spammy Keywords: Using keywords and phrases commonly found in spam emails can trigger filters and send your email to the spam folder.

Authentication Issues: Failure to authenticate your emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can lead to email providers not trusting your emails and filtering them out.

Irrelevant or Unengaging Content: If your email content is not relevant or engaging to the recipient, they may mark it as spam or ignore it, leading to future emails being filtered out.

Too Many Links or Attachments: Including too many links or attachments can make your email look spammy and trigger filters.

Mistyped or Non-Existent Domain: Sending emails from a mistyped or non-existent domain can lead to email providers filtering out your emails.

High Complaint Rates: If recipients frequently mark your emails as spam or complain about them, your emails may be filtered out of the primary inbox.

Email List Quality: Sending emails to low-quality or purchased email lists can lead to high bounce rates, complaints, and filtering.

Infrequent or Inconsistent Emailing: Infrequent or inconsistent emailing can lead to recipients forgetting about your brand or marking your emails as spam.

Not Complying with Email Regulations: Failing to comply with email regulations like GDPR, CAN-SPAM, or CASL can lead to email providers filtering out your emails.

Using All Caps or Excessive Punctuation: Using all caps or excessive punctuation in subject lines or email content can make your email look spammy.

Not Optimizing for Mobile: Failing to optimize your emails for mobile devices can lead to poor user experience and increased filtering.

Too Many Images: Including too many images can make your email look spammy and trigger filters.

Not Providing Value: Failing to provide value or relevance to the recipient can lead to emails being marked as spam or ignored.

Not Monitoring and Optimizing: Not monitoring email performance and optimizing your strategy accordingly can lead to continued filtering and poor email deliverability.

These factors can help you avoid common mistakes and improve your email deliverability.

Strategies to Ensure Your Emails Land in the Primary Inbox

Getting your emails to the primary inbox isn’t just luck, ⁴it’s about following best practices that signal to email providers that your messages are trustworthy and valuable. Here are some effective strategies:

1: Build a High-Quality Email List

The quality of your email list plays a huge role in email deliverability. A clean, engaged list of subscribers is far more valuable than a large, unengaged one. Here’s how to build and maintain a high-quality email list;

Segmenting Your Audience: Divide your subscriber list into segments based on demographics, preferences, or behaviours. Deliver targeted content that resonates with each segment, increasing engagement and reducing the likelihood of spam complaints.

Use Double Opt-In: A double opt-in requires subscribers to confirm their email address before being added to your list. This ensures that only genuinely interested people receive your emails.

Regularly Clean Your List::Remove inactive or invalid email addresses from your list. Sending emails to these addresses can hurt your sender’s reputation.

Avoid Buying Email Lists: Purchased lists often contain unengaged or fake email addresses, which can harm your deliverability and sender reputation.

2. Authenticate Your Domain

Domain authentication helps email providers verify that your emails are legitimate and come from a trusted source. It’s like having a verified checkmark for your email domain. There are a few ways to authenticate your domain:

SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This tells email providers which servers are allowed to send emails on your behalf.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail):  This adds a digital signature to your emails, proving they haven’t been tampered with.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): This policy helps protect your domain from being used for email spoofing.

Setting up these authentications shows email providers that your emails are genuine, boosting your chances of landing in the primary inbox.

 3. Write Clear and Relevant Subject Lines

Your subject line is one of the first things email providers and subscribers see, so it’s essential to get it right. Here’s how to write subject lines that improve deliverability:

Avoid Spammy Words: Stay away from words like “Free,” “Act Now,” “Winner,” or too many exclamation points. These can trigger spam filters.

Keep It Relevant:  Make sure your subject line matches the content of your email. Misleading subject lines can lead to higher unsubscribe rates and damage your sender’s reputation.

Personalize Your Subject Lines: Adding the recipient’s name or relevant details makes your emails feel more personal and increases the chances of them being opened.

4. Optimize Your Email Content

The content of your email also plays a role in whether it lands in the primary inbox. Here’s how to optimize your content.

Limit Images and Links: Too many images or links can make your email look like spam. Keep it simple with a good balance of text and images.

Use a Clear, Simple Layout: A clean and organized design makes your email easy to read and less likely to be flagged as spam. 

Include Unsubscribe Links: Always provide a clear way for subscribers to opt out of your emails. This not only keeps you compliant with email regulations but also shows email providers that you respect your subscribers.

You can also click here to  read more about writing a very engaging and compelling copy.

5. Segment Your Email List

Sending relevant content to the right audience is key to improving your deliverability. Segmenting your list means dividing your subscribers into groups based on factors like their interests, purchase history, or engagement level.

Targeted Content: Send emails that match the needs and interests of each segment. For example, new subscribers might receive a welcome series, while loyal customers get special offers.

Higher Engagement Rates: Segmented emails often see higher open and click-through rates, which signal to email providers that your content is valuable and should be placed in the primary inbox.

6. Encourage Subscribers to Whitelist Your Email Address

Whitelisting means adding your email address to a subscriber’s contact list, which tells their email provider that your messages are safe and should go to the primary inbox. Here’s how you can encourage this.

Include Instructions:In your welcome email, include simple instructions on how subscribers can add you to their contact list.

Ask for It Directly: A simple request like “Add us to your contacts to ensure you never miss an update” can go a long way.

7. Monitor Your Email Metrics

Regularly reviewing your email metrics can help you spot any issues with deliverability. Key metrics to watch include:

Open Rates: A low open rate may indicate your emails are landing in spam or promotions.

Bounce Rates: High bounce rates can harm your sender’s reputation and reduce deliverability.

Spam Complaints: Too many spam complaints signal to email providers that your emails aren’t welcome.

Use this data to refine your strategy, improve your content, and address any deliverability issues.

8. Build and maintain a good sender reputation 

A sender’s reputation plays a significant role in determining whether your emails land in the inbox or get flagged as spam. Internet service providers (ISPs) assess your sender’s reputation based on factors such as email engagement, complaint rates, and spam reports. To build and maintain a positive sender reputation:

Send Relevant and Engaging Content:: Craft compelling emails that provide value to your subscribers and encourage interaction. Personalize your content based on the recipient’s preferences and behaviours.

Monitor Engagement Metrics: Track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates to gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns. Low engagement signals to ISPs that your emails may not be valuable to recipients, impacting your sender’s reputation.

Handle Complaints Promptly: Provide clear unsubscribe options and promptly honour unsubscribe requests. Monitor and address any spam complaints or feedback from recipients to prevent negative impacts on your sender’s reputation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common mistakes that can hurt your chances of landing in the primary inbox:

Using No-Reply Email Addresses: No-reply addresses discourage engagement and can look suspicious to email providers. Use a friendly, recognizable email address instead.

Inconsistent Sending Patterns: Sending too many emails at once or suddenly dropping them off can trigger spam filters. Stick to a consistent sending schedule.

Ignoring Mobile Optimization: Many people check their emails on their phones. Make sure your emails look good on all devices to keep subscribers engaged.

Not segmenting your email list: Sending irrelevant emails to your list can lead to disengagement and You should always consider individual preferences, behaviours and interests.

Not personalizing your emails: Failing to personalize your emails can lead to disengagement and filtering. Always personalize the email and call them by their names.

Not updating your email list: Not updating your email list regularly can lead to sending emails to inactive or non-existent addresses.

Using misleading subject lines: Using subject lines that mislead or deceive recipients can lead to filtering and mistrust.

Getting your emails to the primary inbox is not rocket science, but it does take some effort and strategy. It requires a proactive approach to email deliverability. It’s about following best practices that prove your emails are trustworthy and valuable. 

You can improve the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns and drive better results by staying informed about evolving email deliverability best practices, adapting your strategies accordingly to maximize deliverability and engagement, and regularly monitoring your performance can improve your email deliverability and ensure your messages reach your audience. You should click  here  to get our very enlightening course on Email Marketing.

Always remember that email marketing is all about building relationships and providing value to your users. 

Happy emailing!