Why do my emails end up in the spam folder?

Emails ending up in spam means tired parents may never see your helpful tips. Here is why it happens and what helps.

What the spam folder is

It is where email providers file emails they see as unwanted or harmful. Their spam filters sort emails based on many signals.

Why emails land in spam

• Suspicious content: words which look like spam, or heavily promotional messages.
• An unknown or unauthenticated sender: parents have not saved your address, or your domain is not authenticated with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Since February 2024, Gmail, Yahoo and Microsoft send emails from unauthenticated domains straight to spam.
• Sending volume: large or sudden bursts of emails can trigger filters.
• Complaints: when parents report your emails as spam, providers start filing future emails there too. Track your Gmail reputation and spam reports in Google Postmaster Tools. See How to create a Google Postmaster Tool account for your domain.
• Bought or untargeted lists: these are typical of spam, and not allowed on SleepPRO™.

Landing in spam means parents rarely see your emails, even when they are helpful and wanted. This can cost you bookings.

What helps

Keep your address healthy. A sender address with a history of spam or delivery problems has a damaged reputation. Follow good email practices and avoid unapproved mass sending.

Send healthy content. Filters scan for spam words, harmful links and suspicious attachments. Write relevant, well-written emails. Avoid link shorteners such as bit.ly.

Watch your numbers. Keep an eye on your most important emails. An open rate under 10% or a click rate under 1% is a warning sign. Send what parents want to read, use a clear sign-up process and turn on double opt-in. Notice when your families are most likely to read your emails.

Keep a steady rhythm. Too many emails, or suddenly doubling your volume, looks like spam. For a launch, segment your list and build up gradually before the launch date.

Test first. Send a test email before every send. It cannot predict inbox placement, but it helps catch big problems. See How to send a test email.

Make unsubscribing easy. An unsubscribe is not a bad thing. It means a parent no longer needs your emails, perhaps because their little one now sleeps through. A clear unsubscribe link stops them from reporting you as spam instead.