What are the most common spam complaints and how do you avoid them?

1 Know the rules

The first step to avoid email spam filters is to follow the laws and regulations that govern email marketing. Depending on where you and your subscribers are located, you may need to comply with different rules, such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the US, the GDPR in the EU, or the CASL in Canada. These rules typically require you to have a valid sender address, a clear subject line, an easy way to unsubscribe, and a permission-based opt-in process. Make sure you understand and respect the rules that apply to your email campaigns.

2 Segment your list

The second step to avoid email spam filters is to segment your list based on your subscribers' interests, preferences, and behaviors. Segmenting your list allows you to send more relevant and personalized emails that match your subscribers' needs and expectations. This can improve your open rates, click-through rates, and engagement rates, and reduce your bounce rates, unsubscribe rates, and spam complaints. You can segment your list based on various criteria, such as demographics, location, purchase history, email activity, or survey responses.

3 Clean your list

The third step to avoid email spam filters is to clean your list regularly and remove any inactive, invalid, or unresponsive subscribers. Cleaning your list helps you maintain a high-quality and engaged audience that is more likely to open and interact with your emails. It also helps you avoid sending emails to spam traps, which are email addresses that are used by email service providers or anti-spam organizations to identify and block spammers. You can clean your list by using a reputable email verification tool, or by sending a re-engagement campaign to your inactive subscribers and asking them to confirm their interest.

4 Test your emails

The fourth step to avoid email spam filters is to test your emails before you send them to your entire list. Testing your emails can help you identify and fix any issues that might trigger spam filters, such as broken links, images, or code, or spammy words or phrases. You can test your emails by using a spam checker tool, or by sending them to a small sample of your list and checking the deliverability, open rates, and feedback. You can also test your emails on different devices, browsers, and email clients to make sure they look good and function well.

5 Monitor your metrics

The fifth step to avoid email spam filters is to monitor your metrics and track your email performance. Monitoring your metrics can help you measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns and identify any areas for improvement. Some of the key metrics to monitor are deliverability, open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, bounce rates, unsubscribe rates, and spam complaints. You can monitor your metrics by using your email marketing platform's analytics, or by integrating your email campaigns with a third-party tool, such as Google Analytics.

6 Ask for feedback

The sixth and final step to avoid email spam filters is to ask for feedback from your subscribers and listen to their opinions. Asking for feedback can help you understand what your subscribers like and dislike about your emails, and how you can improve your email content, design, and frequency. It can also help you build trust and loyalty with your subscribers, and make them feel valued and appreciated. You can ask for feedback by using a simple rating system, a survey, or a reply option in your emails.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?