Tip of the Week #42- How to Keep Your Emails Out of the Spam Folder

You’ve crafted what felt like the perfect email...but then it landed in spam. If you’re seeing low open or click-through rates despite engaging content, the problem may not only be the message—it might be how it's being sent.

Email deliverability is still one of the most critical parts of successful marketing—especially now that platforms are phasing out open rate tracking. So let’s talk about how to get your emails delivered, seen, and clicked.

📋 Step 1: Build a Smart Contact List

Before sending anything, you need to filter your contacts smartly. Go to Contacts and build a Smart List using these criteria:

  • ✅ Email is valid
  • ✅ DND is not enabled for Email
  • ❌ Tag is NOT “Client” (We’re targeting leads, not current members in my example)

This ensures your email only goes to people who can actually receive it and are more likely to engage.

✉️ Step 2: Choose the Right Email Editor

Go to Marketing > Email Campaigns, and select the Plain Text Editor. While the visual editors might look fancier, plain text emails are:

  • Faster to load
  • Easier to read on any device
  • Much less likely to get flagged as spam

⚠️ Step 3: Avoid Spam Trigger Words (Major Key for 2025)

Even with a clean list and a great message, certain words can get you flagged. These are called spam trigger words, and they’re red flags for email service providers (ESPs) like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.

🔍 What Are Spam Trigger Words?

These are commonly used terms in scammy or overly aggressive emails—things like:

  • Sales/Promo: "Buy now", "50% off", "Discount", "Free"
  • Urgency: "Act now", "Urgent", "Limited time", "Don’t miss out"
  • Finance: "Cash bonus", "Lowest price", "Investment opportunity"
  • Risky Claims: "Risk-free", "Guaranteed", "No cost"
  • Health Triggers: "Lose weight", "Cure", "Secret formula"

Using too many of these—even in context—can send your email straight to spam. And with email engagement more important than ever, this could tank your campaign.

📌 Pro Tip: Tools like MailTester, GlockApps, and SpamAssassin can scan your emails for trigger words and give deliverability scores before you send!

🔐 Step 4: Authenticate and Use the Right Sender Email

Use a domain-based sender email (like you@yourgym.com )—not a free one like Gmail or Yahoo.

Also, ensure your domain has these email authentication protocols:

  • ✅ SPF
  • ✅ DKIM
  • ✅ DMARC

Good news: Gym Lead Machine handles this for you!

🧼 Step 5: Send in Small Batches

Don't mass-send thousands of emails at once. Instead:

  • Send 200–250 emails per hour
  • This keeps your sending behavior looking more “natural” to ESPs

You can configure this easily during the scheduling phase in your campaign settings.

📤 Step 6: Include an Unsubscribe Link

Not optional! This improves trust, helps you stay compliant, and gives uninterested leads a way out—without marking you as spam.

👀 Step 7: Ask for Inbox Placement Help

Yes—ask your contacts to help your emails hit their inbox:

  • In your first text or confirmation message (after someone fills out a form), ask them to check their spam or promotions folder.
  • Encourage them to move your email to their main inbox.
  • Bonus points: Ask for a quick reply to that email (replies increase deliverability!).

💡 Extra Pro Tips to Boost Deliverability

These are best practices our team at Gym Lead Machine (and my friend Tom from Tech Support) highly recommend:

  • ✅ Clean your email list regularly—remove invalid or unengaged contacts
  • ✅ Don’t rely too heavily on links or images
  • ✅ Personalize content with first names or gym-related tags
  • ✅ Balance education and promotion—don’t just pitch

🧠 Bonus: Strategies to Stay Engaging and Out of Spam

Even without spammy words, your message still needs to connect. Here's how:

✏️ Use Creative Replacements:

Instead of “Buy now” → “Check it out” Instead of “Free” → “Complimentary” Instead of “Limited time” → “Only for our subscribers”

🤝 Personalize Your Messages:

Use custom fields like:

  • [First Name]
  • [Gym Name]
  • [Favorite Program] (if you track it)

🎯 Write for Value, Not Just Sales:

Educate. Inspire. Invite. The less pushy, the better your chances of inbox placement.

✅ Summary: Your Deliverability Checklist

Before hitting send, double-check that you:

  • ✔ Built a clean Smart List
  • ✔ Used a verified sender email from your domain
  • ✔ Avoided spam trigger words
  • ✔ Included an unsubscribe link
  • ✔ Set up email authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC)
  • ✔ Scheduled batch sending (200–250/hr)
  • ✔ Asked contacts to check spam folders and reply

Let us know if you'd like this guide or if you have any questions about optimizing your email campaigns!