Despite the popularity of social media, email continues to be the outreach tool of choice for many businesses. Better conversion rates, no worries of getting lost in a news feed, and the ability to automate campaigns are just some of the reasons email continues to be an effective marketing tool. However, it can only work when someone reads it. Emails that are classified as spam are likely never to be seen. So here are five tips to give your emails the best chance of landing in your recipient’s inbox.

1. Keep your list clean. Make sure those you email have given you permission to do so. Or at the very least, include an opt out button within each email. Not only is this the law, but it will reduce the chance of you being flagged as a spammer.
2. Keep the subject line relevant. While studies have shown the ideal length of a subject line can vary by industry and audience, what everyone can agree on is what it should say – or not say. Keep the focus on what the reader wants to know. And most importantly, avoid using CAPS, explanation marks!!!, and words such as free, sale, opportunity, and contest.
3. Minimize graphics and images. Images that contain text cannot be read by spam filters, thus increasing the chance of the email being labeled as spam. Over use of images may also make reading your emails on mobile devices more difficult.
4. Use a proper reply address. Make sure the “from” address is the real sender of the email. For example, if the sender is [email protected], don’t make it look like it came from a different server. Emails that claim to be from one server but are sent from another are more likely to end up in the spam folder.
5. Use an email marketing platform. Using your computer’s email program to send and manage mass emails not only raises red flags, it’s also more cumbersome to schedule, allow for opt outs, and to know who’s reading them. Online platforms such as Constant Contact or Mail Chimp not only streamline the email management process, they are also in good standing with all the major email servers.

Marc Gordon is a recognized marketing expert, speaker and strategist. His articles appear in over 200 publications worldwide. Visit marcgordon.ca or his online show at marctv.net for more business tips.