1. Send to Valid Addresses
Using an updated email list is of the utmost importance! You should never send emails to anyone who has unsubscribed or changed their preferences to opt out of certain types of emails. Clean out your email list regularly to remove any email addresses that are no longer valid or that have bounced for any reason. (Oh, and while we’re on the subject – NEVER buy email lists because you can get in a lot of trouble, and most of those email addresses aren’t valid anyways.)
2. Get Through Spam Filters
There are a lot of different reasons why emails can get caught in spam filters, but the most common culprits are having too many images (or images that are too large) or using link-bait in titles. Most people don’t check their junk folders regularly, which means that if your emails get marked as spam they’ll likely go unnoticed and subsequent emails may meet the same fate.
3. Maintain a Positive Sender Reputation
Without a positive sender reputation your emails may never even make it into a recipient’s inbox because they’ll be blocked by the email client. If this happens, they’ll basically be in an email purgatory for eternity and the hard work that you put into your email campaigns will be for naught. So how do you maintain your squeaky-clean sender reputation? Create the types of email that engage subscribers so that they don’t report your emails as spam or unsubscribe. Also, be cautious of sending too many emails too quickly when you’re first getting started with email marketing so that you warm up your IP address instead of cranking up the heat too fast.
4. Fill Out Profile Fields Properly
Make sure that email recipients know who exactly is emailing them. Include your company name so that it’s easy to identify right away that the emails you’re sending are branded communications. Some companies prefer to use the names of individual people as their senders because they feel it adds a personal touch. In this case though, you should still include your company name in some capacity (ex. “Bob from XYZ Company” or “Bob of XYZ Co.” ) otherwise recipients may just ignore your emails or move them to their junk box without reading them.
5. Use an Eye Catching Subject Line
Your subject line is the first thing that recipients see, which means that if it’s not compelling, your email will get deleted or ignored. Opt for shorter subject lines, and include a compelling call-to-action where possible. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a huge motivator these days, which means that you can use this to your advantage to in your email subjects. Avoid words that create a spammy feel like free, cash, hidden, open, and hello. HubSpot has a huge list of these words for you to reference.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Business Blogging and Web Copywriting. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and son and enjoys cooking, watching sports, and spending time together as a family. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about current marketing trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!