This document provides 10 steps for improving inbox placement of marketing emails: 1) Avoid purchased lists, 2) Limit risky words in content, 3) Partner with a reliable email service provider (ESP), 4) Get certified by organizations like Return Path, 5) Avoid deceptive practices, 6) Ask ESPs to whitelist your domain, 7) Send from a limited number of verified sender addresses, 8) Avoid risky elements in emails, 9) Monitor deliverability using a seeded list, and 10) Maintain regular contact with customers.

1. Inbox Placement In Just 10 Easy Steps
Thanks to this great post from Blog.KISSmetrics.com and brought to you by
Blogs4Bytes.WordPress.Com, we look at these simple foolproof steps to avoid
the spam folder for mailer marketing campaigns, where the focus always has &
shall always be Inbox Placement!
1. AVOID PURCHASE LIST
Purchased lists are ticking time
bombs, waiting to devastate your
reputation as a sender. Riddled with
dead emails and spam traps, they
quickly inform mailbox providers
that you break the rules by sending
unsolicited emails.
2. AVOID PURCHASE LIST
Spam filters analyze your content.
There are no magic keywords to
enhance deliverability, but limiting
the use of risky words—such as free,
buy, promo, etc.—reduces the
likelihood of your emails landing in
the spam folder.
3. TEAM UP WITH A RELIABLE ESP
ESPs that send only solicited emails
& ban spammers from their
platforms have greater credibility
with mailbox providers and
customers experience undisturbed
inbox delivery by following the steps
outlined in this post.
4. GET CERTIFIED
If you are on a dedicated IP, look at
the certification provided by a
Return Path.com. They audit your
mailing practices & can get you a
Sender Score Certified status
guarantying that you inbox at most
of the major ISPs out there.
5. AVOID DIRTY TRICKS
Avoid getting caught red-handed in
any of these practices may cause
permanent damage to your
deliverability ratios – Hash-busting,
Deceptive Subject Lines, Misleading
Claims & Image Text.
6. WHITELIST ME, PLEASE
Your Email Marketing Service (EMS)
asks mailbox providers, such as
Gmail & Yahoo Mail, to white list
your domain or IP. That’s why it’s
important to send marketing emails
via a reputable EMS rather from
your own email server.
7. IT MATTERS WHERE YOU ARE “FROM”
Stick to a limited number of verified,
recognizable From field names. Build
a good reputation for those
addresses by sending only engaging,
solicited emails, and you’ll notice
the difference
8. NO RISK, NO PROBLEM
Your email campaigns may contain
risky elements that are detrimental
to the deliverability of your
messages and therefore make a
brief checklist like subject line
testing, using ALL CAPS, etc.
9. MONITOR YOUR DELIVERABILITY
Want an easy way to monitor
deliverability that costs you
nothing? Add a "seeded" list of
email addresses using ISPs that your
customers use most often, such as
Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, and
Hotmail.
10. STAY IN TOUCH!
Sending emails once every two or
three months can be more
detrimental than sending multiple
emails daily. Why? Your Customers
might forget all about you.