What is email spam?
Simply put, the term ‘email spam’ refers to all types of unsolicited emails.
If you want a more in-depth understanding of this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: Is this type of email always malicious?
The short answer is no. Email spam is not always malicious in nature. Again, as we have seen in the previous section, the term simply refers to all types of unsolicited emails, which, of course, are not always designed to scam or steal the information of the recipient. This, however, does not change the fact that email spam is almost always frowned upon.
Now, we are all familiar with what malicious emails look like. They almost always talk about an amazing opportunity that you can take advantage of in exchange for virtually nothing or threaten you with some ridiculous consequence if you refuse to follow their instructions.
But what exactly are examples of non-malicious unsolicited emails? Well, it can be something as simple as an old friend you have not talked with in years checking up on you after getting your email address from someone else.
Other examples include:
- A job seeker trying to inquire about any openings in your company
- An investor looking to put money in your brand
- A brand reaching out regarding a possible collaboration
Question #2: What happens when I send spam email?
When you send email spam, you run the risk of being reported for being a spammer, which may not be a big deal if just one or two people make the report, but can become a serious problem for you if you get flagged by a lot of your recipients.
You see, whenever a recipient marks one of your emails as spam, they are typically just given the option to permanently block your email address, ultimately preventing you from being able to email them using the same address ever again. It does not necessarily significantly affect your sender’s reputation.
In contrast, when a lot of people mark your emails as spam, it sends a clear message to their internet and email service provider that you are indeed a spammer, which, in turn, can land you in all sorts of email blocklists, ultimately preventing your emails from ever reaching the inbox of your recipients—which brings us to our next point:
Question #3: How do internet and email service providers identify email spam and block it?
Internet and email service providers typically check sender email and IP addresses against email blocklists to identify email spam before it reaches its intended recipients. If the sender’s email or IP address appears on one or more of these lists, their email is either automatically sent back or sent straight to the intended recipients’ spam folders.
Here’s a helpful article from Campaign Monitor, you can check with.
Question #4: How do I avoid being flagged as an email marketer?
There are several ways to avoid being flagged for spam as an email marketer, including:
- Using double opt in
- Keeping your email list clean
- Sending relevant emails
- Reminding your recipients why they are receiving emails from you
Let us take a look at each one in more detail:
First, using double opt in simply means asking leads twice if they want to receive communication from you before adding them to your email list. This does not only ensure that each lead you add actually wants to be added, but also reduces the number of inactive leads and invalid email addresses that get into your email list—which brings us to our next point:
You should also always purge your email list (or lists) of invalid addresses because they cause emails to bounce and internet and email service providers treat a high bounce rate as a possible sign that the sender is a spammer.
Another way to avoid being flagged for spam is to ensure that the emails you send out are the exact ones that your recipients signed up for. If they opted in to receive healthy recipes, for instance, do not suddenly start sending them cryptocurrency tips and investment opportunities.
Finally, it is also good practice to remind your recipients why you are emailing them. It can be something as simple as ‘you are receiving this email because you signed up for our weekly Healthy Meals newsletter’.