You’ve crafted the perfect email campaign, but what if it never reaches your audience’s inbox? This is where your email spam score comes into play. It’s a critical factor that determines whether your emails land in the inbox or get flagged as spam.
What is a spam score?
Think of it as a “spam risk assessment.” Email providers use sophisticated algorithms to analyze various aspects of your email and assign it a score. The higher the score, the more likely it is to be considered spam.
Factors that influence your spam score:
- Sender Reputation: Your sending domain and IP address’s reputation play a significant role. A history of sending spam or having a high bounce rate can negatively impact your score.
- Email Content: Certain words, phrases, and formatting choices can trigger spam filters. Excessive use of ALL CAPS, exclamation marks, or “spammy” keywords like “free” or “guarantee” can raise red flags.
- Technical Setup: Proper authentication (like SPF and DKIM) and email infrastructure are essential. Missing or incorrect authentication can make your emails appear suspicious.
- Engagement Metrics: Low open rates, high complaint rates (people marking your email as spam), and lack of engagement can signal that your emails are unwanted.
Why does your spam score matter?
A high spam score can lead to:
- Poor deliverability: Your emails will end up in the spam folder, unseen by your audience.
- Damaged sender reputation: Repeatedly landing in spam can harm your sender reputation, making it harder to reach the inbox in the future.
- Lost opportunities: Missed conversions, low engagement, and wasted marketing efforts.
How to improve your spam score:
- Build a good sender reputation: Use a reputable email marketing provider, maintain a clean email list, and avoid sending to invalid addresses.
- Optimize your email content: Write compelling subject lines, avoid spammy language, and use a balanced text-to-image ratio.
- Ensure proper technical setup: Set up SPF and DKIM authentication and use a reliable email sending infrastructure.
- Segment your email list: Send targeted emails to engaged subscribers to improve open rates and engagement.
- Monitor your spam score: Use tools to check your spam score regularly and identify any potential issues.
By keeping your spam score low, you can ensure your emails reach the inbox and achieve their intended purpose.