Why do our emails end up in spam?

Deliverability is the part of marketing that remains invisible until it stops working. Three factors determine most of it.

The domain must be authenticated

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC must be set up for the domain you send from. Recipients’ email systems use them to verify that the sender is actually authorized to send on behalf of the domain. If they are missing, your emails will end up in spam regardless of how good the content is. This is a one-time technical task for IT, and it should be completed before the first email is sent.

List quality matters more than volume

If you send to old addresses that no longer exist, or to people who never asked to receive your emails, the sender domain’s reputation will suffer. This also affects emails sent to those who actually want them. Purchased lists are the fastest way to get blocked. Clean up lists that have not been used for a long time rather than sending to everyone.

The content is also evaluated

Too many links, large images with little text, and subject lines that overpromise all count against you. Plain language and an honest subject line work better — and also produce better results among those who actually read the message.

Reputation is built over time

If you’re a new sender, start with small volumes to your most active recipients and increase gradually. Fifty thousand emails on the first day looks like spam, regardless of the content.