New Rules Are Here: Essential Steps to Keep Your Emails Out of the Spam Folder in 2024

It’s the end of the year, and I would like to remind all of my marketing, communications, and small business owner friends and followers: you need to get your email situation in order by February 2024 when new Gmail policies to prevent spam go into effect. Do not ignore this.

Failure to comply with these new rules can see all of your company’s sent emails wind up in the spam box. Unless you’re a bulk emailer (more than 5,000 emails a day), following the 5 steps I have set out below should protect your business from being blacklisted. Note that bulk emailers have even more requirements.

1.????? Clear Unsubscribe Options

Action: Ensure that every email includes a visible, easy-to-click unsubscribe link (known as one-click unsubscribe). Test this feature regularly to ensure functionality. For new joiners, I recommend double opt-in.

Result: This enhances user trust and engagement, and also keeps your email list healthy by removing uninterested recipients, which are more likely to report you as spam.

2.????? Maintain a Clean Email List

Action: Regularly remove subscribers who haven't engaged with your emails in the last two months, and remove bounced emails promptly. Be cautious with individuals on multiple email lists; if they unsubscribe from one list, I suggest removing them from all lists to be safe. Automate this process with email marketing software.

Result: This improves engagement rates and sender reputation, reducing the risk of being marked as spam.

3.????? Monitor Email Performance with Specific Thresholds

Action: Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools or similar to monitor your spam rate. Google says for all senders to keep the spam rate below 0.10% and to avoid ever reaching a spam rate of 0.30% or higher. I realize these are very low numbers, but its the new policy we must follow.

Result: Keeping your spam rate low is critical to avoiding Gmail's spam filters. Regular checks enable timely adjustments.

4.????? Engage with Quality Content:

Action: Regularly survey your audience for their interests and preferences and tailor your email content accordingly.

Result: This increases the likelihood of your emails being opened and read, boosting engagement and sender reputation.

5.????? Implement Email Authentication Protocols:

Action: Set up SPF and DKIM email authentication for your domain, and ensure sending domains or IPs have valid forward and reverse DNS records. This will require some technical know-how, so consult your IT team or domain provider if any of that was new to you.

Result: This step confirms your identity as a sender and significantly reduces the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam.

Conclusion

As we prepare to welcome a new year, it's essential for us as marketers, communicators, and business owners to adapt and stay ahead in this evolving digital landscape. The changes coming in February 2024 represent not just policy shifts by a major email service provider (Gmail has a whopping 29.5% of the global market share for email clients), but also an opportunity to enhance our communication strategies and reinforce the trust our clients place in every email we send.

I encourage you to embrace these new guidelines from Gmail. Share them with your marketing teams, IT professionals, and anyone involved in your email communications without delay.