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If your emails are receiving a lot of spam reports, you've probably earned a reputation as a spammer. Email service providers (ESPs) may start filtering your emails into spam folders, which will lower your engagement metrics. Additionally, being perceived as a spam sender can undermine your audience's trust in your brand. This can lead to customer loss, negative word of mouth, and ultimately a decline in your business growth.
But how do you know if you're getting too many reports? Major ESPs like Yahoo and Gmail have set a clear benchmark: your spam complaint rate should not exceed 0.3%, with the ideal being 0.1%.
For many companies, it is easy to accumulate reports:
- Some subscribers may find it more convenient to report your email as spam rather than unsubscribe.
- Others accidentally mark your emails as spam.
- 78% of consumers report an email as spam simply because “it looks like spam.”
If your spam complaint rate seems concerning, it's up to you to correct things and maintain good email deliverability. So where do you start? Here are six common mistakes that can cause your emails to be marked as spam.
Related: 5 Simple Optimizations for Better Email Deliverability
1. You never asked for permission
Sending emails without permission is one of the riskiest things you can do in your business. People don't like receiving emails they didn't sign up for, and they're likely to mark them as spam. This can quickly damage your reputation and affect your deliverability.
To avoid this, get explicit permission before adding someone to your email list. Use the double opt-in method, where subscribers confirm their email addresses so you can be sure they want to receive emails from you. Respecting your subscribers' preferences will help you build a long-term relationship with them.
2. People can't unsubscribe
Consumers often mark emails as spam: they don't know how to get rid of it, so make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe if they no longer want to receive your emails.
“You shouldn't have to jump through hoops to stop receiving unwanted messages from a specific email sender,” wrote Neil Kumaran, Google's Group Product Manager, Gmail Security & Trust, adding that unsubscribing “should be a one-click process.”
In February 2024, Google and Yahoo set new rules for email sending that state:
- All emails must contain a visible and functional unsubscribe link.
- The user should be able to log out with just one click.
- Senders must remove unsubscribed email addresses from their lists within two days.
While these guidelines have been common sense in the email industry for decades, they are now considered strict rules when sending email to Gmail and Yahoo users.
3. You use misleading subject lines
Your subject lines are the first impression your emails make in the inbox, so it's natural that you want to make them memorable. However, if they're misleading or don't match the email content, people will feel deceived and report your email as spam.
To avoid confusing your subscribers, think of subject lines like newspaper headlines. What's the most newsworthy or compelling element of your email? Mention it in the subject line, and remember to add preview text as well. Often, the preview text – the text that comes right after your subject – can attract more clicks than the subject line itself.
4. You send too many emails
Bombarding your subscribers with too many emails can overwhelm and irritate them, making them even more likely to click the “Mark as Spam” button. Find a balance in the frequency of your emails to keep your audience engaged without being intrusive.
An easy way to determine the number of emails you send is to look back at what you promised your subscribers when they signed up. If they signed up for your weekly newsletter, avoid sending them a barrage of additional promotional emails.
5. You send everyone the same email
Sending generic emails to your entire list without considering their preferences or behaviors can result in disinterest and spam complaints. If subscribers don't feel like your emails are specifically speaking to them, you'll lose their attention within seconds.
A much better approach is to segment your list and create more personalized experiences for each group of customers and prospects. Once you have these segments in place, you can easily continue adding new prospects to your funnels and send them relevant emails.
Related: Inboxes are getting overloaded. How to prevent your emails from ending up in spam.
6. Your email design needs to be revised
It only takes seconds for someone to form a first impression of your email, and every element is important. Poorly designed emails with excessive images, no clear call to action, or too much text can look unprofessional and trigger spam filters.
To avoid coming across as a spammer, pay attention to details like your sender email address, branding, layout, and image-to-text ratio. If you're not happy with your email templates, your subscribers probably won't be either. Consider revamping your design, making sure everything is on brand, and making your emails easy to read.
Last tip: Get rid of complainers immediately
I'm always amazed when a company emails me again after I report an email as spam. This is a big no-no because the only possible outcome is another spam report. So set up a process that immediately removes complainants from your mailing list. Stop contacting people who tell you your emails annoy them and instead focus on those who open your content and click through. This will lead to better email deliverability and more successful email campaigns.
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
