You’ve probably already encountered those unwanted emails that invade your inbox, disrupting your workflow. Spam has become a persistent reality of our digital age. But what exactly is spam?
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why your emails might be considered. Then, we will see how you can take steps to prevent this from happening. We’ll look at technical aspects such as spam filters, the reputation of your IP address and domain name, as well as practical tips for writing and sending emails to ensure better deliverability. Learn how to protect your electronic communication and guard against spam for a more efficient and secure email experience.
But what is a spam?
Spam refers to a type of unsolicited, unwanted e-mail sent en masse to a large number of recipients. In fact, people generally send them with the aim of advertising products or services, promoting dubious or even malicious content, or fraudulently collecting personal information.
Here’s a short video explaining this phenomenon 👇:
Characteristics of spam
- Non-solicitation: First, spam is sent without the prior consent of recipients. The e-mail addresses used are often obtained illegitimately or from pirated databases.
- Unwanted content: Spam often contains commercial offers, promotions, dubious proposals, links to suspicious websites or requests for personal information.
- Mass mailing: Spam is usually sent to a large number of recipients simultaneously, often thousands or even millions of people.
- Repetition: In addition, spam can be repetitive, sent repeatedly to the same email address.
- Difficulty unsubscribing: In some cases, spam does not provide an unsubscribe link, or makes this option difficult to find or use.
In brief, spam can be a nuisance for users, clogging up inboxes, consuming storage space and raising security and privacy concerns. Email service providers implement spam filters to try to block these unwanted emails from reaching users’ inboxes.
Spam filters
Spam filters have become increasingly sophisticated in protecting recipients’ inboxes from unwanted mail. These filters analyze various aspects of your emails, such as content, headers and IP addresses, to determine whether they are considered spam. To get past spam filters, it’s essential to understand how they work and adapt your strategy accordingly.
The main reasons why your e-mails end up in spam folders
The reputation of your IP address and domain name
Internet service providers and ISPs use the reputation of your IP address and domain name to assess the trust they can place in your e-mails. A bad reputation can result from mass spamming, recipient complaints or suspicious activity. To maintain a good reputation, follow good e-mailing practices. In addition, regularly monitor the health of your IP address and domain name. This ensures better deliverability of your e-mails and reinforces the trust of e-mail providers.
The content of your e-mail
Certain words or expressions used in the content of your email can trigger spam filters. Spammers often use suspicious terms to try to bypass these filters. So be sure to avoid using certain sensitive or risky words in your content. Finally, providing relevant, quality content is also important to engage recipients’ interest and avoid being considered spam.
Technical problems
Technical problems, such as the absence of DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) configuration or the incorrect configuration of your e-mail server, can also affect the deliverability of your messages. Make sure you use the best technical practices recommended by marketers to optimize the delivery of your e-mails to receiving servers.
Recipient engagement
Email providers such as Gmail and Outlook also monitor recipient engagement with your emails. If recipients frequently mark your e-mails as spam or don’t open them, this can signal to spam filters that your content is irrelevant or unsolicited. Make sure you maintain a good relationship with your contacts by providing them with relevant e-mails and giving them the option of unsubscribing easily via a clearly visible unsubscribe link.
Tips to follow
To prevent your e-mails from ending up in spam, here are a few important tips to follow:
Obtain consent
Make sure you obtain prior consent from recipients before sending them emails. Use voluntary subscription lists where users explicitly sign up and give their consent to receive your messages.
Use an authenticated email address
Configure your email address correctly and use SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to authenticate your identity as a legitimate sender. This helps build trust with e-mail providers and prevents your e-mails from being considered spam.
Avoid suspicious language
Another tips is avoid using words and phrases that are commonly associated with spam. Then, avoid extravagant terms, excessive capitalization, false promises and misleading wording. Keep the content of your e-mails relevant, professional and ethical.
Personalize your emails
Avoid sending generic, impersonal emails. Use the recipient’s name in the “To” field for a more personalized approach. Create targeted content tailored to your recipients’ interests and needs.
Avoid suspicious attachments
Attachments can be an indicator of spam. Avoid sending unsolicited or suspicious attachments, especially executable files (.exe) or compressed files (.zip) that could be perceived as potentially dangerous.
Take care of technical deliverability
Make sure your e-mail server is correctly configured and optimized for deliverability. Regularly check the health of your IP address and domain name, monitoring your reputation and taking steps to resolve any technical problems you identify.
Provide an unsubscribe link
Always include a clear and easily accessible unsubscribe link in your emails. This allows recipients to unsubscribe if they no longer wish to receive your messages, which can help prevent your emails from being flagged as spam.
Follow best practice
Last but not least, familiarize yourself with industry best practice when it comes to sending emails. Avoid buying email lists, spamming or violating data protection regulations. Compliance with these best practices strengthens your credibility as a sender and reduces the risk of being considered a spammer.
Need help or more information? Don’t hesitate to contact iterates
Conclusion
To conclude, in this article, we’ve explored the nature of spam – those unsolicited, unwanted emails sent en masse. Spam can cause inconvenience and security problems, but by understanding its characteristics and adopting good practices, we can prevent our own emails from being considered spam.
The fight against spam requires collaboration between users, marketers and e-mail service providers. By taking steps to avoid spam, we preserve the effectiveness of our communications and the security of our data.
need to send your e-mails without having to worry about it? Rely on automation. Don’t hesitate to read our previous article about it: Automation: the perfect guide