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How to Avoid Landing in Spam: Best Practices for Email Marketing

How to Avoid Landing in Spam: Best Practices for Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with your customers and promote your business. But if your emails end up in the spam folder, all your hard work is for nothing. So, how do you avoid landing in spam? Here are a few best practices:

1. Set up a dedicated email sending domain

A dedicated email-sending domain is a private domain you use to send and receive emails. It is different from the shared domain that is provided for all users.

Why is a dedicated email-sending domain important? Because if you don’t have one, your emails are more likely to go to spam, even if you follow good email practices. When you have a dedicated email-sending domain, you can control your reputation and email deliverability. This means that you can work to get all of your emails delivered to the inbox instead of the spam folder.

How to set it up: We need access to your domain provider, and we will set it up for you.

2. Enable email validation

Email validation checks if the email address you are sending to is valid. Sending to an invalid email address can negatively impact your email deliverability.

Why is email validation important? Because if you send emails to invalid email addresses, it harms your domain reputation and can lead to your emails going to spam or not being accepted into the mailbox.

How to enable email validation: We can add this upon request.

3. Enable “Mark Email Invalid from Hard Bounce”

An email bounce is when an email is not delivered or rejected by the recipient’s email provider. There are two types of bounces:

  • Hard bounce: This occurs when an email address does not exist.
  • Soft bounce: This is a temporary failure caused by the recipient’s servers being down or their mailbox being full.

Why is it important to enable “Mark Email Invalid from Hard Bounce”? Because too many bounced emails will harm your domain reputation, and can lead to your emails going to spam.

How to enable it: Go to your Business Profile and scroll to the “Mark Emails as invalid due to Hard Bounce” checkbox.

4. Add your DMARC record

A DMARC record tells receiving servers how to handle incoming mail. Messages must pass DKIM and SPF alignment checks to be delivered, according to the requirements set in the DMARC policy. Messages that fail DMARC checks can be rejected, reported back to the domain owner, or quarantined.

Why is it important to add a DMARC record? Because not having one can negatively impact your domain reputation and email deliverability. Mailbox providers often count it against you when DMARC records are not set up properly, and your emails may end up in spam.

How to add a DMARC record: We can add this for you on request.

If you want to do this yourself, here are the instructions:

  1. Add a TXT record to your DNS settings for your DMARC policy.
  2. Type: TXT
  3. Name: _dmarc
  4. Content: v=DMARC1; p=reject

5. Use the proper “From email”

The “From email” is the email address that the recipient will see when they receive your email. For example, your sending domain might be m.eztransition.com, but you can send your “From email” as test@eztransition.com. It is even better to send from test@m.eztransition.com. Do not send from a personal email address like name@gmail.com.

Why is it important to use the proper “From email”? Because using a “From email” that does not match the primary domain you are sending from can result in poor email deliverability. Email providers see this as “spoofing” your address.

How to set it up: Whenever you are sending from EZMS, be sure that your “From email” has your primary domain in it. For example, if you set up replies.yourcompany.com, you can send from sender_name@yourcompany.com.

Here is an example:

  • Sending domain: mail.yourcompany.com
  • Proper “From email”: test@yourcompany.com
  • Improper “From email”: test@gmail.com

6. Unsubscribe Links: Your Email Safety Valve

What is it? An unsubscribe link is like an exit door for your email recipients. It allows them to opt out of receiving further emails from you if they choose to do so.

Why it Matters? Not having an unsubscribe link can severely dent your email deliverability rates. In fact, it’s more than just a best practice – it’s a legal requirement to include an unsubscribe link in every marketing email.

How to Set It Up? There are two user-friendly ways to get an unsubscribe link within EZMS. Your first option is to use the default unsubscribe link that we’ve conveniently set up for you. Alternatively, you can take matters into your own hands and manually add one to the footer of each email you create.

But here’s a pro tip: If you opt for the default list-unsubscribe-header, it’s the preferred method for many email providers. However, it comes with a caveat – it conspicuously marks your email as promotional in Gmail, consigning it to the “promotions” tab. Plus, it features a user-friendly unsubscribe button right at the email’s top. Be prepared for more unsubscribes, but that can be a blessing in disguise – these folks might not have been engaging with your emails anyway, and culling them can improve your long-term deliverability rates.

Now, there’s talk that industry requirements may eventually favor Option 1. But for now, Option 2 is your go-to. This involves manually embedding an unsubscribe link in your email footer. We recommend creating a standard template with this link and duplicating it for every new email. The bonus? It automatically marks users as “Do not disturb” for email only, ensuring they won’t receive further messages. If you need assistance setting up this template, just let us know, and we’ll take care of it for you.

7. Maintain an 80:20 text-to-image ratio

Maintaining an 80:20 text-to-image ratio in your emails is essential for several reasons:

  • Spam filters: Spam filters often flag emails with heavy images as potential spam. This is because spammers tend to use images to hide their text. To avoid being marked as spam, it’s best to keep your text-to-image ratio balanced.
  • Image blocking: Many email clients block images by default, requiring users to click to display them. If your email is image-heavy, there’s a risk that recipients may not see your content at all until they take action to display the images.
  • Accessibility: Emails should be accessible to all users, including those who use voice assistants to read emails. Voice assistants may not recognize alt text, so emails with heavy images may appear blank to these users. Additionally, text within images won’t appear in email search results.
  • Reader preferences: Some readers disable image visibility in their email clients. Without alt text for imagery, these emails may not convey any message and can appear broken.

Overall, maintaining an 80:20 text-to-image ratio can improve email accessibility, engagement, and deliverability.

Email with image vs whats seen by reader

8. Use double opt-in

Double opt-in is a process where you ask subscribers to confirm their email address before they start receiving emails from you. This is done by sending them a confirmation email with a link that they need to click on. Only after they have clicked on the link will they be added to your email list.

Why is double opt-in important? Because it helps to ensure that your email list is full of engaged subscribers who actually want to receive your emails. This is important for several reasons:

  • It improves your email deliverability. Spam filters are less likely to flag your emails as spam if they know that your subscribers have explicitly opted in to receive them.
  • It reduces the number of unsubscribes. Double opt-in helps to weed out people who are not interested in receiving your emails, which can reduce your unsubscribe rate.
  • It improves your reputation as a sender. When people know that they can trust you to only send emails to people who want to receive them, it makes them more likely to open and click on your emails.

How to set up double opt-in: Send us an email we can create an automation with a custom double optin flow

9. Stop sending to unengaged emails

Unengaged emails are emails that do not open or click on your links. When you send emails to unengaged subscribers, it can harm your email deliverability. This is because email providers like Gmail and Yahoo see it as a sign that your emails are not relevant or interesting to your subscribers.

There are a few reasons why you should stop sending to unengaged emails:

  • It improves your email deliverability. Email providers are more likely to deliver your emails to the inbox of subscribers who are engaged with your content.
  • It reduces the number of spam complaints. If your subscribers are not opening or clicking on your emails, they are more likely to mark them as spam. This can damage your reputation as a sender and make it more difficult for your emails to be delivered to the inbox.

If you have been sending to the same person who has not taken action for weeks, send to them less frequently or not at all.

10. Send regularly… but not too regularly

How often you send emails is a delicate balance. You want to send emails often enough to stay top-of-mind with your subscribers, but not so often that they start to ignore you or mark your emails as spam.

A good rule of thumb is to send emails on a regular schedule, but to vary the frequency depending on your subscribers’ engagement levels. For example, you might send a daily email to subscribers who have opened and clicked on your emails in the past week, but only send a weekly email to subscribers who have not been engaged with your content in the past month.

It’s also important to consider your subscribers’ expectations. If you only send out a monthly newsletter, your subscribers may be surprised and annoyed if you suddenly start sending them daily emails. It’s always a good idea to let your subscribers know how often they can expect to receive emails from you.

11. Email warmup

When you first start sending emails from a new domain, it’s important to warm up your domain reputation. This means gradually increasing the number of emails you send over time. This will help to ensure that your emails are delivered to the inbox and not marked as spam.

Here are some tips for warming up your email domain:

  • Start by sending a small number of emails to opted-in subscribers.
  • Gradually increase the number of emails you send each day and week.
  • Avoid sending too many emails at once.
  • Send high-quality content that your subscribers will find engaging.
  • Monitor your email deliverability and make adjustments as needed.

Here is a specific email warmup schedule that you can follow:

  • Week 1: Send 100 emails per day.
  • Week 2: Send 300 emails per day.
  • Week 3: Send 500 emails per day.
  • Week 4: Send 750 emails per day.
  • Week 5: Send 1,000 emails per day.

After five weeks, you should be able to send emails at your regular volume without any problems.

Drip mode in EZMS

Drip mode in EZMS allows you to send emails to your subscribers over a period of time. This can be a great way to warm up your email domain or to send a series of emails to your subscribers about a new product or promotion.

To send emails in drip mode, simply create an email automation and select the “Drip” option. You can then specify how often you want to send emails and how long you want the drip campaign to last.

12. Cold Emails: A Cautionary Tale

When we talk about cold emails, we’re referring to emails sent to individuals who haven’t willingly opted in to receive your messages. These lists are often acquired through purchases or scraping.

Why You Shouldn’t Use EZMS for Cold Emails: The short and clear message here is this: Please refrain from sending cold emails using EZMS. It’s not the right tool for this job. In fact, using it for cold outreach may lead to your emails being marked as spam, which could result in providers banning your domain.

Alternative Solutions for Cold Outreach: Cold emailing is its own unique skillset, and this blog post isn’t the place to delve into it. There are dedicated tools and systems designed for cold email campaigns. If you’re considering cold outreach, it’s worth exploring these specialized solutions to ensure your campaigns are both effective and compliant with email best practices.

Conclusion

By following the email best practices and email sending recommendations in this blog post, you can improve your email deliverability, reduce unsubscribes, and protect your domain reputation. This will help you to reach more of your subscribers and achieve your email marketing goals.

Here are some additional tips for successful email marketing:

  • Create high-quality content. Your email content should be informative, engaging, and relevant to your subscribers’ interests.
  • Segment your email list. This will allow you to send targeted emails to different groups of subscribers.
  • Personalize your emails. This will help to make your emails more relevant to your subscribers and less likely to be flagged as spam.
  • Test and optimize your email campaigns. Track your email deliverability, open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates. Use this data to improve your email campaigns over time.

Email marketing is a powerful tool that can help you to reach your target audience and achieve your business goals. By following the tips in this blog post, you can create and send effective email campaigns that will help you to grow your business.

Is Email Marketing Important? 5 Reasons You Should be Sending Emails

Is Email Marketing Important? 5 Reasons You Should be Sending Emails

Businesses must take a multi-pronged approach to online marketing. That means you must put resources into search engine optimization, inbound marketing, social media, and email marketing.

For many businesses, that last entry proves challenging. It’s something you hear about but may not really understand. You may even ask, “What is email marketing?” In essence, it means delivering content and product or service promotions via email. It sounds simple enough, but is it important? It does matter. Keep reading, and we’ll give you five reasons why you should employ email marketing.

1. Build Relationships

It doesn’t mean selling all the time. In fact, it’s counterproductive if you handle it that way. The best strategy blends a combination of useful or targeted content with more obviously promotional materials. This lets you demonstrate that you understand your customer’s needs, which builds and reinforces the relationship.

2. Solid Return on Investment

As marketing strategies go, email marketing offers one of the best returns on investment you’ll see. The major expense is the actual content in the emails, which someone must write. The actual delivery cost virtually nothing. You see a much better open rate, conversion rate, and revenue earned rate than any other marketing channel.

3. You Can Automate It

Channels like social media require a lot of real-time attention if you want good results. At a minimum, you must check on and post to your social media accounts daily. Email marketing doesn’t operate in the same way. You can create months’ worth of content in advance. Then, you use email marketing automation for delivery. It’s more work initially but spares you from daily responsibilities.

4. You Target a Warm Market

One of the biggest benefits is that you target a warm market. Anyone on your email list or sub-list already proved their interest in your product or service by signing up in the first place. That means you can often prompt action with deals you don’t offer the general public, such as big discounts or package deals.

5. Seamless Integration with Other Marketing Efforts

It can help grow your business because it integrates seamlessly with other marketing efforts. You can send out one-time emails supporting product launches that link out to videos of your new products, sales pages, or other content. You can also use it as a way of delivering more or specific product information to your list than you provide elsewhere.

Email Marketing and Your Business

Email marketing is an unusually effective strategy that can boost sales, business growth, and brand awareness. It lets you reinforce relationships with customers. It’s also a profoundly cost-effective approach that delivers an excellent return on investment. It’s also an option that allows for easy automation once you finish writing or outsourcing the writing for the email campaign.

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EZtransition specializes in online marketing, such as email marketing automation. If you’re considering moving into digital marketing or email marketing, contact EZtransition today for more information or to get started.

Automate your email campaigns to supercharge your business

Automate your email campaigns to supercharge your business

A whopping 75% of marketers admit to using automation tools in their businesses. Email marketing is an excellent way of creating brand awareness. The method is affordable, effective, and the conversion rates are high if you send compelling emails. However, the emails might be overwhelming to handle if your business is large. In that case, you may consider email automation for the auto-replies. If you would like to grow your email marketing strategy, read on to know why automation would be a great idea.

Saves Your Time

Email automation saves you precious business time. The only work you do is set the emails you would like to use and then create your ideal message. After that, your automation tools send the right messages to the right people at the right time. Besides sending, the automation tools autoreply the mails, further saving time. You can use that time to carry out other routine activities in your business.

Helps You to Measure the Results

You can measure or track your email marketing performance when using the automation tools. You can see the number of people who saw your emails, who opened them, and who replied. Such metrics can help you determine the weak elements of your email marketing that you should drop. You can also note the great strategies which bring the most conversions.

Encourages Email Personalization

Great email automation software can help you personalize your emails. Some tools, for instance, allow you to add specific subject lines for the recipient. The personalized Meta tags/subject lines can boost the emails’ opening by up to 35%. If you plan to send the emails to recipients of different levels, the automation tools can help you personalize them to meet your clients’ needs.

Makes Message Segmentation Easier

Did you know that market segmentation can improve your click by more than 50%? And reduce your marketing costs too?  You can segment your market according to the geographical location, age, gender, or their behaviors. The manual targeting would be hard and complicated if you were to reach everyone, but automation can make the segmentation easier. The automation tools help you to deliver your messages to your desired group within the shortest time possible.

Improves Engagement

You may not have all the time to wait for your clients’ emails to reply to them.  With automation tools, you can readily initiate conversations with your clients at any time. Customers can also receive direct autoreply messages, which make them feel appreciated. The appreciation can boost your reputation and give you a competitive edge.

Saves Costs

It’s the goal of every entrepreneur to save money in marketing communication. Although you may spend some cash in purchasing the automation software, the long-term cost savings are more than manual texts’ costs. For maximum cost savings, it’s advisable to consult a cost analysis before buying the automation tools. After that, you may choose the best tools, which promise the highest returns.

Find an Email Automation Expert

Digital marketing requires well-thought decisions. Don’t rush to invest in a communication strategy when you are not prepared. EZtransition can help assess your business needs and get you started with an email automation strategy. EZtransition creates powerful web platforms for small local businesses that can help double revenue.

Contact us today to book our services and learn more about us.

How to Tame Crazy Email Inbox: 5 Hacks to Get More Organized

How to Tame Crazy Email Inbox: 5 Hacks to Get More Organized

Remember the first time you created an email account? Do you remember that empty white space that was so fresh you couldn’t wait to start receiving mail? It wasn’t until when promotional newsletters, emails from your manager, and Youtube links of cat videos sent by your mom started to bombard your entire inbox. And before you knew it, inbox zero quickly escalated to a thousand unread messages. We know you’re tired of it. In this article, tame the stress of your crazy inbox by following these five hacks to help you tame your email inbox.

Schedule a time for checking emails

Humans get easily distracted. The second our phone vibrates, we tend to drop everything and check our phone for notifications. We’re somehow designed to be like that. More so for emails, checking messages every now and then at any time of the day can consume precious time and productivity. 

With this in mind, schedule an hour or two (depends on the number of emails you get) to sit down on your computer to read and respond to emails. Reserve that time for working on your emails only. As for the rest of the day, turn off your email notifications so you can just focus on work. This way, you won’t find yourself frequently checking your mail again and again.

Make a habit of deleting or archiving messages

Once you’re done reading a message, decide whether to delete or archive it. Most likely, marketing newsletters are sent to the trash when they don’t have value. If you think there are messages that you’ll someday use for referencing purposes, send them to the archive folder. To tame your email inbox, make this a habit and your future self will thank you.

Unsubscribe buttons are your friends

If you’re reading this blog, chances are your inbox is bombarded with an enormous amount of marketing newsletters. Do yourself a favor and start unsubscribing to these newsletters! Especially to the ones that you just ignore or delete all the time. Lucky for you, Gmail has integrated an unsubscribe button for cases like this. You can find this button on the upper right hand of your opened email messages.

You can find Gmail’s unsubscribe button on the upper right hand of your opened email messages, as shown above.

Get a task manager to get you more organized

People tend to spend a lot of time on their email inbox because they use it as a task list. For emails with tasks that will take you much of your time to reply or accomplish, don’t let those emails just decay in your inbox. Get a task manager instead. With task managers, you have the option to input tasks that are instructed to you in an organized list. Any.do, Todoist and Google Tasks are great tools for managing everyday tasks. They will help you stay on track and get your to-do list in order and organized. You can kiss procrastination goodbye!

Create a separate email for login accounts and for email correspondence

If you use the same email account for responding to your boss at work and for your Netflix premium membership, then I think it’s time for you to create another account to separate those two. Having two separate accounts for these two different purposes is a terrific way to tame your email inbox and have a systematic structure for your incoming mails.

Other than that, you should also consider your security and privacy. It’s dangerous if you use the same email for work and for your login accounts. Since people have the option to use their email address to log in to their personal profile or account, hackers are free to use this against you. Hackers can easily use your email address to reset your password or go on a hacking spree on all of your accounts. That just might be everyone’s worst nightmare!

Given these points, start to reserve a time for checking mail and get into the habit of deleting or archiving messages. Start unsubscribing to newsletters that don’t matter to you. To help you get more organized, start utilizing a task manager for your tasks. And lastly, create a different email account to separate account logins and email correspondence. Follow these five hacks and you’ll get your inbox, or your life rather, back in order.