How To Get Emails Into The Inbox
Our resident email experts provide regularly education on webinars and podcasts, for what most think is a simple issue. Getting emails into clients inboxes. Unfortunately, it’s actually a complex issue and affects businesses every day.
As email is the main way cyber-attacks happen, it’s understandable that emails are more strictly filtered before they reach a user’s inbox. Providers like Google and Microsoft continue to fight spammers, but genuine senders get caught in the crossfire if they don’t get things setup right and play by the ever-expanding rulebook.
Whether you’re sending out marketing emails, carefully crafted messages, newsletters, or other types of media to your contact list, it’s becoming harder to achieve the same delivery and open rates as before. But don’t worry. There are practical steps you can take to improve your domain’s security practices and ensure your emails are trusted by recipients’ email filters.
Where to Start
There are three main areas where problems can arise: content, technical setup, and reputation. Here’s how to begin tackling them:
1. Run Some Tests
- Start simple with Mail-Tester. This tool provides feedback on your domain’s technical setup, the quality of your content, and your domain’s reputation.
- Get serious with Inbox Insights from GlockApps. This advanced tool connects to over 20 email platforms and gives you real-time data on how your emails are being treated by them.
2. Content: Don’t Look Like a Spammer
To avoid being mistaken for a spammer, keep the following in mind:
- Avoid using pictures filled with text.
- Steer clear of dark backgrounds with bright text.
- Make sure all links work as they should.
- Don’t “rewrite URLs.” For example, if it says microsoft.com, make sure it links to www.microsoft.com.
- If you’re using tracking links, add them to buttons or general words, not a web address that says something different.
- Focus on creating a good user experience! Encourage interaction, such as clicking a link or replying to the email, as this boosts your reputation.
- For more tips, check out Email Marketing Best Practices.
Getting The Tech Right
We can’t avoid the acronyms, so bear with us…
1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
- SPF is an email authentication method that helps protect your domain from spoofing and prevents your emails from being marked as spam.
- In your DNS, add a record showing where you send emails from so that email filters trust you.
- Only have one SPF record and be sure to avoid any typos or wrong spacing.
2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
- DKIM uses a digital signature to prove that your email was sent by your domain.
- Some email systems may require you to set it up when adding your domain.
- You can have multiple DKIM records.
- Test your DKIM setup by using Mail-Tester.
3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
- DMARC gives you control over how your domain is used, protecting it from spoofing.
- It works with SPF and DKIM records.Start with a passive DMARC record, and consider using a monitoring service like DMARCian if you want to enforce it.
Tools To Help With Emails Going To Junk
1. Google Postmaster Tools
- A free tool from Google, available here, that tracks data on large volumes of emails sent from your domain.
- It provides insights into Gmail delivery errors, spam reports, and more.
- You’ll need to send a large number of emails regularly to get data.
2. DMARC Monitoring
- Setup a DMARC monitoring service to get insights into delivery issues
- See what systems are sending emails from your domain and success rates
- Block systems that aren’t yours through enforcing DMARC
3. Warming Up Your New Domain
- Don’t start sending thousands of emails from a new domain right away.
- Start slow and encourage engagement, such as getting replies to your emails. Make sure they’re not being marked as junk!
- Use email warm-up tools like Lemwarm, Warmup Inbox, or Mailreach.
- Disconnect from these tools once you’re finished warming up.
Reputation: Fixing the Past and Building the Future
Your domain’s reputation is the first thing a mail server checks when you send an email. If you’ve had problems in the past (like technical issues or people marking your emails as spam) your reputation might be poor. While you can’t undo a bad reputation, you can work to improve it.
- Get your content and technical setup right now.
- Focus on engaging with your recipients so that email systems recognise your emails as valuable and wanted.
Nxt Steps
If you’re having trouble following the steps above or just need a technical expert to handle it for you, reach out to us today. Our techs will take care of your email issues and work with you to improve the deliverability of your email campaigns. Don’t let your emails end up in the spam folder; get in touch with us now!
Ben helps growing businesses turn technology into a driver of performance instead of a barrier. At Nxt Gen IT he works with SME leaders, recruiters, and fast-scaling teams to design solutions that improve reliability, strengthen security, and unlock growth.
With a background in email deliverability and cloud systems, Ben specialises in making sure businesses communicate effectively, keep data safe, and get the most from Microsoft 365. His experience spans solution design, managed IT services, and virtual CIO support, always with a focus on practical outcomes that reduce headaches for business owners.
Ben has supported organisations across the UK, from recruitment agencies struggling with inbox placement to SaaS firms scaling fast, and SMEs needing a trusted partner for their IT. He believes tech is never the end goal: growth is. His role is to make sure technology never gets in the way of it.