Which SPAM words can land your email in the junk folder?

Today, email marketing is a delicate balance between attracting attention and avoiding poor deliverability.

SPAM filters are designed to weed out unwanted communications and can be triggered for a variety of reasons including persistent behaviour, data quality and spammy content. It’s advisable, therefore, to carefully choose the words you use within your subject lines and the body of your emails.

Whilst there are countless lists of words to avoid, it’s worth noting that SPAM filters have become more sophisticated. Most can assess and judge the context in which you use these keywords. So, if some are imperative to your messaging, use them carefully and in a genuine, meaningful way.

The best practice when planning an email campaign is to do so from a position of high audience value. If you’re following these principles, the following words and phrases should be largely unnecessary. Despite this, here are some behaviours, phrases and trigger words to ensure your emails avoid the SPAM folder:

Overly pushy behaviour

In a landscape of high-value communications and marketing, the quality of your email content should speak for itself. Avoid pressuring your audience by using any of these SPAM trigger words:

Needless urgency

Suggesting your audience takes action, and offering clear CTAs in your emails are good practices.

Taking this to extremes, however, is classed as unwelcome behaviour. Avoid unnecessary urgency from the outset. If there is enough value in what you have to offer, a natural sense of urgency will occur organically.

Avoid using any of the following:

Lowering the value of your services

The value of your offering should speak for itself, and this quality drives email engagement in your campaigns.

Position your content in a way that encourages your audience to understand this value for themselves, not with any of the following words or phrases:

False or unrealistic offers

Word your emails realistically and honestly—your audience will immediately tell if your positioning is too good to be true. Words like the ones below can make your message seem fake or at least far-fetched, and ultimately land your email in SPAM folders:

Take care with opt-outs

Finally, despite the requirement to provide a clear and accessible way to opt-out of email marketing, ‘unsubscribe’ is a SPAM trigger word, especially if located within 5 characters of a link. ‘Opt-out’ is also considered a SPAM word, both automatically alert filters to the fact that it is contained within a marketing email. Consider, therefore, the positioning of the words within your opt-out line, and phrase it carefully.

At Data HQ we work hard to understand your end-to-end email campaign goals, and always help you optimise their content, as well as ensuring you always have the highest quality data that delivers high-quality results.

Further reading: Data HQ's complete guide to email marketing