Since its inception, email has been serving as a powerful communication tool for businesses and individuals. However, receiving a spam email isn’t a pleasant experience. Back in the early days of the internet, these unwanted messages used to clog our inboxes.
Now, email service providers take strict measures to keep the spam email out of your inbox. This is done by identifying an email as spam if it contains certain elements, like emojis, unprofessional language, or spam trigger words.
If you are a business owner or marketer and want to prevent your emails from ending up in a spam folder, this article can be helpful. Here, we have talked about spam trigger words, their impact, and how to avoid them. We have also curated a list of such words to help you keep your emails free from them.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive in!
What are Email Spam Trigger Words?
Spam words or spam trigger words are phrases or words that are usually found in a spam email. These words are included to seek the recipient’s attention. With email filters becoming more advanced, emails containing spam words are automatically directed to a spam folder.
How Could a Valid Email End Up in a Spam Folder?
Can a legitimate promotional email end up in a spam folder? The answer to this question is yes. Sometimes, even a single spam trigger word could lead your email to a spam folder. Besides, some other factors could also affect the deliverability of your emails.
Some of these include:
Poor Email Design
Creating an unresponsive, broken, or useless email is surely destined for a spam folder. So, when designing an email, keep it clean and easy to read. In addition, your email campaign should be a continuation of an email marketing trend. This is what spammers don’t bother to do, as they aren’t sending emails for marketing purposes.
Besides, try adding the recipient’s name to give your email a more personalized feel. Also, avoid using excessive capitalization or punctuation marks like “CLAIM FREE PRIZE!” By giving your email a legitimate feel, you can avoid it landing in a spam folder.
Unhealthy Email List
This is one of the most common reasons why your emails are considered spam by email providers. You need to create a valid email list or prune it after some while. On average, nearly 23% of the contacts in an email list are likely to decay in an email list. To remove bad contacts, don’t forget to use an email verifier (at least quarterly).
No Unsubscribe Button
Another cause of poor email deliverability is not adding an unsubscribe button. For instance, if you don’t offer an exit to the recipients, it’s likely that they will flag you as spam. Once it’s done, the email provider will categorize you as a spammer. If you wonder how can spam act to ruin your email campaign, things can be quite devastating. In other words, seeing your emails in a spam folder is a server punishment for a marketer.
117 Email Spam Trigger You Should Avoid
There are numerous words that you should avoid using in your marketing emails or at least use them rarely. To help you with this, here’s a list of the most common spam trigger words:
1. Order Status
2. Buy
3. Order shipped
4. Free
5. Urgent action needed
6. Urgent
7. XXX
8. Money
9. $$$
10. Home-based
11. Earn $$$
12. Extra income
13. Affordable
14. Cheap
15. Exclusive deal
16. Click
17. Important information regarding
18. Act fast!
19. Click this link
20. Cash
21. Dear/Dear friend
22. Credit
23. Debt
24. Your income
25. Collect
26. The following form
27. 100% or One hundred percent
28. Save big
29. You won’t believe this
30. New customers only
31. Online biz
32. Be your own boss
33. Make Money
34. Opportunity
35. Earnings
36. Work from home
37. Passive income
38. No cost
39. Save big
40. Credit card debt
41. No credit card required
42. Eliminate debt
43. Social security number
44. Package
45. Lifetime
46. Weight loss
47. Trial offer
48. #1
49. Prize
50. No hidden cost
51. Priority
52. You won!
53. No catch
54. Free sample
55. +++
56. Bonus
57. Prizes
58. Limited time
59. Miracle
60. Email list
61. Mass email
62. Click here
63. Increase sales
64. Miracle solution
65. Link
66. Spam email
67. Amazing
68. Compare rates
69. Cash bonus
70. Re:
71. Order shipped
72. Order confirmation
73. Ad
74. Opt-in
75. Score with
76. Risk-free
77. Will not believe your eyes
78. Stock statement
79. Open cargo
80. Invest
81. Best deal
82. Customer base information
83. Prescription
84. Affair
85. Don’t delete
86. Cancel
87. Read this
88. Last chance
89. No gimmick
90. No obligation
91. No strings attached
92. Refund
93. Promise
94. Drug
95. Reply
96. Stuff
97. Loan
98. Free cash
99. Strong
100. You’ve been selected
101. Free Money
102. Instant Access
103. Don’t hesitate
104. Terms and Conditions
105. SUPER OFFER
106. QUICK QUESTION
107. Dear [Name]
108. Eliminate bad credit
109. Zero chance
110. Allowance
111. Password
112. Avoid bankruptcy
113. Email harvest
114. Big bucks
115. Clearance
116. Offshore
117. Meet singles
Are there Ways to Prevent Emails from Being Marked as Spam?
It’s likely that the recipient won’t pay attention to your emails when you have been marked as spam. However, you can improve the deliverability of your emails and prevent them from landing in a spam folder by playing smart.
Below are the ways to enhance the legitimacy of your emails:
Carefully Create an Email Subject Line
It sounds great to write a catchy subject line but this might trigger spam filters if not done carefully. Even a lighter subject like “Not a spam” could sound fishy. Most likely, even if such an email passes through the spam filters, a recipient could possibly mark it as spam.
To avoid this, you can take advantage of an email marketing platform. It allows you to test the email subject line by using a line tester. For some additional assurance, you can use high-end email deliverability tools. These tools can identify the issue and help you improve both your email design and content.
Your Email Copy
Usually, an email starts with a common word “Hey [Your Name]”, and then the brand message. At this stage, try to steer clear by not using spam trigger words like “super offer”, “amazing”, “limited time”, etc.
Besides, using too many emojis also raises concerns. Furthermore, including a specific amount or using dollar signs could damage the validity of your email copy. If things like these appear in an email body, the recipient would likely mark it spam.
Call-to-Action (CTA)
When writing a call-to-action (CTA), you need to be extra cautious. Usually, brands mistakenly use spam trigger words, which is why their emails are diverted into a spam folder. You should avoid using intense words like “Click to Claim,” “Hurry Up,” or “Act Now”. Recipients hate spam words like these.
Also, when a reader reaches the signature part of your email, try to act real. This is so, as a well-written and concise email signature adds some much-needed credibility to a marketing email. For instance, an eCommerce store could include customer service email or list social media profiles.
On the other hand, individuals can create a better impression by including their LinkedIn profile or contact. Creating a customized email and segmenting it properly takes a lot of time and effort. Even after doing such hard work, your email could end up in a spam folder if it lacks a perfect signature. Therefore, consider the factors discussed above to avoid spam detectors.
Is It Possible to Use Email Spam Trigger Words in the Right Context?
As a marketer or business owner, you might wonder if there is any way to use spam trigger words and be safe. In most cases, people try to avoid these words to avoid any issues. However, you can include these words in your email copy as long as they are in line with the context or subject of your email.
To use some of the spam words, you need to consider the following aspects:
- You are using a verified and valid email list while running your email marketing campaigns
- Your bounce rate is below 2%
- The contact data is thoroughly segmented, allowing you to send the most relevant content to a particular recipient
- Your email templates work on both mobile and desktop devices
If you don’t keep these factors in mind, even a single spam trigger word could send your email directly into a spam folder.
Final Thoughts
Knowing and avoiding spam trigger words is the key to directing your emails toward the recipient’s inbox. So, carefully design and create your email content to make it look like a valid email. Since email filters are continuously evolving, it would be highly recommended to stay informed with the latest updates. To seek online biz opportunity your business deserves, follow the best email marketing practices and stay away from a spam folder.
