I’m finding more email messages in my Junk Mail folder. Some of them are legitimate messages from newer clients. How do these email messages get flagged as spam?
On average, email messages have a pretty high chance of being received. However, there are times an email gets filtered as spam or blocked entirely.
Spam filtering has become more rigorous and email providers continue to crack down harder on spam. The spam filters email providers use aren’t 100% accurate, so sometimes legit emails go into the Junk Mail folder.
To make sure your email gets to someone’s Inbox, pay attention to your message format before sending your message.
Your Email Subject Line
People email me with the subject line “website” and my filter goes nuts! On any given week, I can have five or six “website” email messages sitting in my Junk Mail.
Be more specific on what your message is about. An email with a subject line “Request for Website Updates” will get my attention and should pass the spam filter test.
Your “From” Information
If your email shows just your first name as sender, your email will quickly bounce to someone’s Junk Mail folder.
A single name in the “From” field is a common spam identifier.
In your email client, make sure you format your email messages to include your First Name and Last Name as the sender.
You Used Spam Trigger Words
Spam filters are triggered by words in the subject line and in the body of the email message.
Here are a few examples of words or phrases NOT to use:
- Amazing
- Cancel at any time
- Check or money order
- Risk-free
- Special promotion
- This is not spam
Email Signatures as Images
If you’ve formatted your email signature as one image instead of plain text, it’s likely that your message will trigger email signature spam.
A linked image in your email signature can trigger spam filters which sends your email straight to someone’s junk.
Email signature images are becoming a thing of the past. By providing a text signature in your email message, you’re making it easier for people to respond. They can click your phone number to call or they can click your website link to explore further.
Weird Fonts in Your Signature
I get it, you want your signature to look like it’s handwritten so you use a fancy script font you found on your Windows computer.
Guess what? Obscure fonts used in email are another quick spam trigger. I found an email from a potential client in my Junk Mail who used some crazy illegible script as the entire signature line (name, phone, email). My email provider did not like that font, plus I could not read anything in the signature.
Stick with fonts that work across all platforms (Arial, Verdana, Georgia, Times New Roman).
Use proper formatting as shown above to keep your emails out of the Junk Mail folder and get your message to the Inbox!