Email is the most efficient way to get your message across, but it can also be a massive pain if you need to know what you're doing. Like any other form of communication, some people want to see your email, and people don't. And while spam filters aren't perfect at preventing spam from entering inboxes, they do an excellent job of keeping out unwanted messages. If you're emailing someone important—an editor at one of your favorite publications or a potential employer—and suddenly find yourself stuck in their spam folder, we've got some tips for getting out of there!

Get Permission

To ensure that your emails won't land in spam, you must get permission from the audience before you send them an email.

You can do this via either a pop-up window or by asking for permission in the footer of your email. It's also helpful to include a link where people can unsubscribe from future messages if they don't want to receive more emails from you. If someone still opts out after all of these requests, then it's safe to say that they have no interest in hearing from you anymore and are likely never going to reread another one of your newsletters.

Avoid Spam Trigger Words

You probably know the basics of spam trigger words—words that are likely to trigger spam filters. If you're sending a mass mailing, these may be words you want to be included in your email anyway (like "free," "money," or "special offer"), but if you're sending an important one-to-one message, they can be disastrous.

Here's an example of an email with some common spam triggers:

Hi there! This is a quick note from me about this month's special promotion. It might interest you, so we wanted to tell you about it. Don't worry about anything else—focus on this promotion!

Don’t Use All Caps in the Subject Line

A good rule to remember is: If you have to use all caps, then you must re-evaluate that word's importance.

CAPS are hard to read and can be perceived as shouting. If your subject line is long and has a lot of words in all CAPS, it will look like a wall of text and make recipients want to ignore it instead of open it.

Furthermore, search engines don't like emails with all capital letters because they think that makes your email seem spammy. So if you want people to find your emails when they Google something related to them, keep their subject lines friendly and readable by mixing upper- and lowercase letters throughout.

Use Exclamation Points Sparingly

• Use exclamation points sparingly. Using more than one or two in a row is an easy way to make your email look spammy, especially if you're using them for emphasis. If you want to emphasize something, use bold or italics instead of multiple exclamation points; even that might be overkill!
• Subject lines aren't part of the body copy and should not contain any links or formatting. The subject line should be concise and descriptive so that people know what the email is about without reading any further. If someone opens your message and sees nothing but random capital letters spelling out a word, they'll probably think it's spam—even if what you're saying is true!
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Write a Unique Subject Line for Each Email

When writing the subject line, remember that it is your first contact with the person receiving your message to ensure email deliverability. It is, therefore, essential to make it exciting and enticing enough for them to open the email. Also, try to use a different subject line for every email. If used too often, this can also be a trigger word for spam filters because people might think you are using automation software to send out mass emails.

Another thing to avoid when choosing a subject line is using words or phrases that look like spam triggers (for example: "please click here!"). Some companies may even block websites containing such terms because they are associated with malicious online activity.

Use Both Text and HTML

It's essential to use both text and HTML. If you only use text, your email might be blocked by the spam filters of certain email providers.

HTML can be used to add images or links to your email. For example, if you're sending an email containing a link to an online store (for example), using HTML will ensure that the connection is visible and clickable in all browsers.

Additionally, if someone receives your email as plain text (which may happen if they are using Apple Mail), then using HTML allows them to see how it looks with images on mobile devices like iPhones or iPads.

Include Your Physical Address

Your physical address should be included in the email. If you still need one, have a correct postal address, not just one that's easy for people to remember.

If you need a physical address where people can reach you, ensure that your email includes an incorrect postal address so spam filters will reject it.

Only Send It to People Who Want Your Mail

Your email should only be going out to people who want it. If you're sending out newsletters or even just one-off emails that you think might be interesting to your audience members, ensure they have an explicit opt-in process. Here are some ways to do this:

• Use double opt-in: This means that when someone signs up for your newsletter or other relevant communications from you, they'll receive an email asking them to confirm their subscription before it goes through (so no one else can sign up for it). You can do this by having them click on a link in the email or check off a box on a web page that says "Yes! I want these updates!"
• Ask permission upfront: Before sending any mailings out, ask people if they'd like it and give them an easy way to say yes or no—for example, with checkboxes on web forms; if someone checks off the box saying they want more information about what you offer, then send them information about what you offer!

Monitor Your Reputation

Your most important step to avoiding the spam folder is monitoring your reputation. This can be done by checking your open, click-through, and bounce rates—all of which are available through most email providers. You should also use a tool to check for spam keywords in your emails before sending them out.

If you want to ensure your emails don't get caught in a spam filter, these three steps are crucial:

• Monitor your reputation.
• Check for spam keywords.
• Ensure you're following best practices regarding formatting (use HTML code when necessary).

The Best Way to Avoid Spam Filters Is to Keep Them Accurate and Get Permission From Your Audience First

The best way to avoid spam filters is to keep them accurate and get permission from your audience first. Make sure people are aware of what they are signing up for, and make sure you have a precise unsubscribe mechanism.

The double opt-in system is the best way to do this. The idea is that every time someone signs up for something using your email list, they have to confirm their subscription by clicking on a link in an email sent out by you, not some other company selling stuff on the internet (you know who we're talking about). You can use a service like MailChimp or AWeber to help set this up in your account.

Take Away:

The best way to avoid spam filters is to keep them accurate and get permission from your audience first. If you can't do that, at least ensure that all of your emails are written in plain text, so they're easy for humans to read. Don't rely too much on graphics or images either, because those aren't going to help when it comes time for them to be read by bots!