Deliverability

How To Improve Email Deliverability & Avoid the Spam Folder

lemlist team

December 28, 2023

7 min. read

lemlist team

LAST UPDATED

August 6, 2024

READING TIME

7 min.

In 2023, 45.6% of all email worldwide was considered spam.

That’s almost half (!) of all emails.

No wonder spam filters kill even the most flawless emails.

The challenge, then, is how to sidestep spam filters. The answer is good email deliverability.

If you get no or very few replies, the chances are your email deliverability is bad.

Let's end that today with our ultimate guide to better email deliverability.

In A Nutshell: Email Deliverability & Spam Filters

When you hit 'send,' your email zips through complex networks, facing off against AI-powered spam filters guarding your recipient's inbox.

Email deliverability—a key metric usually expressed as a percentage—captures the success of your email's journey to the primary inbox.

Spam filters employ various techniques to ensure emails are relevant and safe to receive.

Here's a quick rundown:

Content Filters: Scan your email's text for spam words.
Header Filters: Delve into the technical details of your email, like sender information and routing paths, to spot any signs of fraud.
Blacklist Filters: Block emails from senders who have been flagged in global spam databases.
Language Filters: Watch out for emails in unexpected languages, which might indicate spam.
Rule-Based Filters: Allow users to set custom rules for what they consider spam, adding another layer of personalization to spam detection.

What Successful Email Deliverability Looks Like

The goal for effective email deliverability is clear: your email should land in the primary inbox, not the junk or spam folder.

Different email clients have varied criteria for success.

For instance, Gmail categorizes emails into tabs, such as promotions, social, and updates, in addition to the primary inbox.

Ensuring your email lands in the desired tab (the PRIMARY inbox) is crucial, especially in such a segmented environment.

Following this email deliverability checklist is one way to make sure your emails are delivered to the primary inbox.

How Do I Know Whether My Emails Are Being Delivered?

1. Do an Email Deliverability Test

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are rigorously filtering spam, which now comprises an astonishing half of all email traffic.

So, it's more important than ever to conduct email deliverability tests before starting any cold email campaign.

These tests are your secret weapon in keeping your legitimate emails from being mistakenly labeled as spam.

Maintaining a spam rate below 0.1% is essential to safeguard your sender‘s reputation.

Typically, the results of a deliverability test are presented as a score, providing a concrete metric to measure and guide improvement efforts.

The objective is to attain an acceptable deliverability rate, typically around 95% of successful deliveries, with a bounce rate not exceeding 3%.

It's also a good idea to run regular cold email audits. Use this tool to help you out! ⬇️

2. Direct Inquiry

Send a quick message to your recipients asking for confirmation of receipt.

This method is simple and direct.

Remember to give a brief contextual overview of your initial email & be polite.

Here’s an example:

Subject line

Quick Check-in: AI Campaign Paid Collab Proposal

Email body

Hi there [Graphic Designer's Name],
Just circling back to make sure my previous email hit your inbox.
To recap, I’m planning an AI content campaign for a big client of mine, would you be interested in crafting a few comic-style graphics to support it?
If you are - shoot a quick reply & I’ll send over the deets.
Thanks a bunch!
Cheers,
[Your Name]

Sending cold-emails? Try these tried and tested follow-up templates to secure more replies!

3. Watch for Bounce Notifications

Keep an eye on bounce notifications - they indicate that your emails haven't been delivered.

In Gmail, click on the 'Show original' option in sent emails by clicking on the three-dot expander.

A new tab will open and display the full header - click ‘Copy to clipboard.’

Then go to this site, paste the header text & click ‘Analyze’ for feedback on delivery status.

Outlook users can rely on delivery receipts or the 'Tracking' feature, while Apple Mail users should activate 'Delivery and Read Receipts.'

For detailed guidance on enabling read receipts, check out our dedicated post titled 'How to see if someone read your email'.

4. Try Chrome Extensions

Extensions like MailTrack and Email Tracker by Mailtag can help you gain easy oversight over when and how often your emails are opened.

5. Use Dedicated Email Software

Email automation tools let you track open rates, clicks, replies, and more.

Explore lemlist if this option interests you, here’s a snapshot of our campaign analytics dashboard:

How To Improve Email Deliverability

We have a comprehensive email deliverability checklist ready if you want a step-by-step breakdown instead.

For now, here’s a nifty overview of the email deliverability basics you need to follow:

1. Warm Up Your Email Domain

Sending emails in bulk?

Just like warming up before a physical activity, your emails need to ease into the sending process.

Begin by sending a few emails per day and gradually increase the number.

This 3-4 week warm-up period acclimatizes your emails to the digital environment, boosting your deliverability score.

2. Choose a Professional Email Service Provider (ESP)

Investing in a professional ESP can significantly enhance your email deliverability.

Think of an ESP as a skilled postman, ensuring your emails are delivered correctly and efficiently.

If you’re unsure about the difference between an ESP, an email client, and email automation software - here’s a nifty breakdown:

Email Services Comparison

Feature	Email Service Provider (ESP)	Email Client	Email Automation Software
Primary Function	Provides email hosting services, including the infrastructure for sending, receiving, and storing emails.	A software application used to access and manage emails from one or more ESPs.	Automates email outreach campaigns, often for sales and marketing purposes.
Examples	Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail	Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, Apple Mail	lemlist, Mailchimp, HubSpot
Key Services	Email hosting, spam filtering, security, webmail access	Email management, organization, reading, and composing emails	Automated follow-ups, audience segmentation, email personalization
User Interface	Often provides a web-based interface for email access	Desktop applications, web-based services, or mobile apps	Web-based platforms for managing and automating email campaigns
Integration with Other Services	Typically limited to the provider's ecosystem (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)	Can integrate with multiple ESPs and may include additional features like calendars and task lists	Often integrates with CRM systems, social media platforms, and other marketing tools
Customization and Personalization	Basic customization of email settings	Extensive customization of email management and organization features	Advanced customization for email campaigns, including content personalization
Use Case	Ideal for individuals and businesses for basic email communication needs	Suited for users needing to manage multiple email accounts in one place	Best for businesses focusing on marketing and sales outreach with a need for automated email sequences and tracking

3. Personalize Your Emails

Personalized emails foster a connection with the recipient, thereby increasing engagement.

Aim for a reply rate of about 10 to 15% as a healthy benchmark.

Here’s an amazing resource to master email personalization at scale!

4. Maintain Email List Hygiene

Regularly update your email list to ensure you're not sending emails to outdated addresses.

Remember, about 30% of the workforce changes jobs annually.

Keeping your email list fresh can drastically reduce bounce rates.

Ensure to verify all emails before using them. lemlist's Email finder and verifier can help you with that.

5. Optimize for Mobile

With 42% of emails opened on mobile devices, mobile optimization is crucial.

Emails not optimized for mobile are often deleted or marked as spam.

6. Avoid Common Email Pitfalls

Here are some quick don'ts to keep in mind:

Personal Emails for Professional Use: This is a big no - always use a professional email address.
Overzealous Sending: Sending too many emails at once can harm your deliverability.
Content Imbalance: Strike the right balance between text and visuals - keep your emails under 100 words and limit to one image.
Neglecting A/B Testing: This is crucial for understanding what resonates with your audience.
Link Overload: Limit to one link per email to avoid being flagged by spam filters.
Red Flag Words: Avoid spam trigger words.
Ignoring Unsubscribe Requests: For newsletters - always include an unsubscribe link and respect opt-out requests.

7. Technical Foundations

Using a custom domain?

Understand and implement authentication protocols like DNS, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

These act as security checkpoints for your emails, ensuring safe passage to the inbox.

You can either set these records up yourself or use tools such as these to help you.

DMARC generator

SPF generator

8. Adhere to Regulatory Compliance

Stay compliant with regulations like GDPR to avoid hefty fines.

Use accurate enrichment tools (like lemlist's built-in email verifier) to bolster compliance further.

9. Quality Over Quantity

Focus on sending quality emails rather than mass emailing.

Targeting the right people is key to higher engagement rates (= better email deliverability!)

So, if you're pushing bulk campaigns, ensure your contact lists are correctly segmented.

FAQs

Is it safe to use images in my emails?

Yes, images won't automatically doom your emails to the spam folder.

However, balance is key - we wrote an entire post about whether images send your cold emails to spam if you’re interested.

Do I need a custom tracking domain?

Not essential, but a custom tracking domain can safeguard your main domain's reputation.

We created an entire guide on custom tracking domains; check it out!

Can using emojis in subject lines impact email deliverability?

Emojis are like spices – a little can bring life, but too much might spoil the dish.

Test their impact and use judiciously to avoid spam filters.

Here's a data-backed guide on how to use emojis in cold emails.

What impact does the length of an email have on its deliverability rate?

Length isn't a deal-breaker, but crisp, focused emails usually win the race.

Keep it valuable and to the point.

How can I maintain a good sender reputation when sending emails to new or unfamiliar recipients?

Start gently, increase the volume gradually, and keep your content engaging.

Check out lemwarm for automated IP warmup!

Does sending emails at specific times or on certain days affect deliverability?

Yes! Experiment with different send times to catch your audience when they're most receptive.

lemlist team

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	G2 Rating	Price	Best for	Standout feature	Con
SmartWinnr	4.9 star star star star star	$30/mo $75/mo $2,999/mo	Large, distributed sales teams	AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs	Lack of tracking system
Performio	4.6 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Sales operations and finance teams	Powerful configurability	Limited training resources and complex to navigate
Varicent	4.4 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Mid-market and enterprise businesses	Comprehensive incentive management	Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
QuotaPath	4.7 star star star star star-half	$15/user/mo $40/user/mo Enterprise: custom price	Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes	Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes	Steep learning curve
Anaplan	4.6 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Collaborative teams	Connected planning	Complexity and steep learning curve
Xactly	4.6 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Companies with complex sales structures	Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy	Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
Qobra	4.7 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts	Simplicity and ease of use	Lack of features like redirection
ElevateHQ	4.7 star star star star star-half	$30/user/mo $35/user/mo Custom: upon request	Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software	Ease of use and adoption	Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
Everstage	4.8 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights	A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility	Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
Sales Cookie	4.9 star star star star star	$30/user/mo $50/user/mo	Smaller sales teams	Powerful automation	Lesser user base and average user interface
Spiff	4.7 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Companies with scalable needs	Automated Commission Calculations	Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app

ERP vs. CRM

ERP

CRM

Summary

Backbone of a business's internal operations.

Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.

Goal

To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.

To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.

Focus

Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).

All interactions with leads and customers.

Manages

Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.

All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.

Users

Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.

Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.

Benefits

Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.

Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.

Price

$150 per user per year on average.

$10 to $30 per user per month on average.

PRM Tool	Rating	Feature	Pro	Con	Mobile App	Integrations	Free Plan	Pricing
Airtable	4.65 star star star star star-half	Org-wide alignment	User-friendly layout and database	Suboptimal as a personal CRM	square-check	Lack of tracking system	square-check	Team: $20/month Business: $45/month
Dex	4.7 star star star star star-half	Social Media Integration	Easy contact data collection	No marketing/sales features	square-check	Lack of tracking system	square-xmark 7-day trial	$12/month
Notion	4.75 star star star star star-half	Block Functions	High customization capability	Not a dedicated CRM	square-check	Limited	square-check	Plus: €7.50/month Business: €14/month
Monica	N/A	Open-source	Open-source flexibility	Requires extensive manual input	square-xmark	Limited	square-check Self-hosted	$9/month or $90/year
Hippo App	3.1 star star star	Simple iOS app	Ideal for non-tech-savvy users	iPhone only	square-check iOS only	Limited	square-xmark 1-month trial	$1.49/month or $14.99/month
Contacts+	3.6 star star star star-half	Smart Contact Management	Feature-rich and flexible	Reported bugs	square-check	Rich	square-xmark 7-day trial	Premium: $13.99/month Teams: $17.99/month
Folk	4.4 star star star star star-half	Customizable Interface	Customizable for teamwork	Pricey for personal use	square-check	Rich	square-xmark	Standard: $24/member Premium: $39/member
Close	4.7 star star star star star-half	Integrated Calling	Integrated Calling	Too sales-oriented & pricey	square-check	Rich	square-xmark 14-day trial	Startup: $59/user/month Professional: $329/user/month
Covve App	4.8 star star star star star	Business Card Scanning	Business Card Scanning	Mobile only	square-check	Limited	square-check	$9.99/month
Nimble	4.45 star star star star star-half	160+ app integrations	Comprehensive integrations	No free app version	square-check	Rich	square-xmark 14-day trial	$29.90/month or $24.90/month (billed annually)

	Capterra Rating	Free Trial	Free Plan	Starting Price (excluding the free plan)	Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)	Best for
HubSpot CRM	4.5 star star star star star-half	square-check 14-day	square-check	€15/month/seat billed annually	€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat	Versatility and free plan
Salesforce CRM	4.2 star star star star	square-check 30-day	square-xmark But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations	€25/user/month	€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)	Best overall operational CRM
Zoho CRM	4.3 star star star star star-half	square-xmark	square-check Limited to 3 users	Comprehensive incentive management	€52/user/month billed annually	Small-medium businesses and automation
Pipedrive	4.5 star star star star star-half	square-check 14-day	square-xmark	€14/seat/month billed annually	€99/seat/month billed annually	Sales teams and ease of use
Agile CRM	4.1 star star star star	square-xmark	square-check Limited 10 users	$9.99/user/month billed annually	$64.99/user/month billed annually	Free plan for very small teams up to 10

CRM goal	Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown	1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).	2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.	3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.	4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.	5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions	Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.	Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.	Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.	Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.	Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes	Increased sales and revenue	Improved marketing automation ROI	Marketing and sales alignment	Data-driven marketing optimization

Table

CDP Software

CRM Software

Approach

Data-centric

Customer-centric

Focus

Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.

Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.

Functionality

Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.

Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.

Goals

Personalized customer experiences across all channels.

Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.

Benefits

Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.

Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.

Data Handling

Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.

Deals primarily with identified customer data.

Use Cases

Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.

Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Examples

Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP

HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM

CRM

Free plan

Best feature

Best for

Con

1. HubSpot CRM

square-check

Sales automation

Sales teams

Up to 1,000 contacts

2. Insightly

square-check

Custom fields

Basic needs

Not enough info about the free plan

3. Agile CRM

square-check

Deal and sales pipeline tracking

Small teams

Up to 10 users

4. Zoho CRM

square-check

Lead and contact management

Businesses of all sizes

Limited to 3 users

5. ClickUp

square-check

Unlimited tasks and unlimited members

Personal use

Up to 100MB storage

6. EngageBay

square-check

Live chat

Small and midsize enterprises

Up to 1,000 branded emails per month

7. Bitrix24

square-check

Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams

Big teams

Up to 5GB of cloud storage

8. FreshSales

square-check

Easy to use and simple setup

Beginners

Up to 3 users

9. Mailchimp

square-check

Very beginner friendly

Marketing teams

Send up to 500 branded emails per month

Type of Affiliate Marketing

Unattached

Related

Involved

Format

Paid advertising

Social media or YouTube channels

Dedicated website or blog

Focus

Quick income

Your niche

Your audience

Engagement with your audience

square-xmark

square-check

Very close connection with your audience

Pro

Little effort

Higher credibility thanks to your niche

Long-lasting and scalable

Con

Paid ads cost a lot

Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote

Require time, effort, and dedication

What you should look at next

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How To Improve Email Deliverability & Avoid the Spam Folder

In A Nutshell: Email Deliverability & Spam Filters

What Successful Email Deliverability Looks Like

How Do I Know Whether My Emails Are Being Delivered?

1. Do an Email Deliverability Test

2. Direct Inquiry

3. Watch for Bounce Notifications

4. Try Chrome Extensions

5. Use Dedicated Email Software

How To Improve Email Deliverability

1. Warm Up Your Email Domain

2. Choose a Professional Email Service Provider (ESP)

3. Personalize Your Emails

4. Maintain Email List Hygiene

5. Optimize for Mobile

6. Avoid Common Email Pitfalls

7. Technical Foundations

8. Adhere to Regulatory Compliance

9. Quality Over Quantity

FAQs

What you should look at next

What's the Difference Between SPF and DKIM? [2024 Update]

Low open rates? Take a free email deliverability test

Understanding email bounces - soft vs hard bounces

Outlook Attachment Size Limits (and how to work around them)

DMARC - What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Set It Up

What you should look at next

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