Summary
Intentional typos can negatively impact email deliverability through several pathways. While occasional typos may not significantly affect deliverability, a consistent pattern, especially if used to bypass spam filters by misspelling common trigger words, can trigger penalties and damage sender reputation. Email providers might flag such messages as unprofessional or untrustworthy, which leads to lower engagement rates. While direct impact on deliverability is debatable, high typo rates signal low quality and contribute to a negative sender reputation over time. Testing and monitoring engagement metrics can provide insights into the impact of intentional typos on specific audiences. Email formatting standards, while not directly addressing typos, establish content and header quality that impacts deliverability when ignored. Using correct spelling and grammar is essential for good email content.
Key findings
- Spam Trigger: Intentional typos to bypass spam filters can trigger penalties.
- Sender Reputation Damage: Typos can damage sender reputation, potentially lowering deliverability.
- Reduced Engagement: Typos may lower engagement as recipients see the email as unprofessional.
- Nuanced Impact: Minor, infrequent typos may have minimal impact compared to widespread errors.
- Quality Signal: High typo rates signal low-quality content to spam filters.
- Indirect effects: Deliverability may be indirectly affected due to the negative effects on engagement.
Key considerations
- Pattern Consistency: Consistent intentional typos are more likely to be flagged than occasional mistakes.
- Audience Perception: Consider how intentional typos affect the audience's perception of credibility and professionalism.
- Engagement Monitoring: Monitor engagement metrics like CTR and CTO to assess the impact of typos.
- Alternative Strategies: Explore alternative creative messaging that doesn't rely on typos to maintain professionalism and clarity.
- Format Compliance: Adhere to email formatting standards to maintain deliverability.
- Testing needed: Run A/B tests on a section of your audience to determine tolerance for typo use.
What email marketers say
13 marketer opinions
Intentional typos can affect email deliverability in several ways. While occasional typos may not cause significant harm, a consistent pattern can be interpreted as an attempt to bypass spam filters, leading to penalties and lower engagement. This is because email providers may flag messages as unprofessional or untrustworthy. High typo rates signal low quality and can negatively impact sender reputation over time. Testing and monitoring engagement metrics are recommended to understand the impact of intentional typos on specific audiences.
Key opinions
- Spam Filters: Intentional typos, particularly those resembling spam trigger words, can be flagged by spam filters.
- Sender Reputation: Frequent typos can damage sender reputation, potentially leading to lower deliverability rates.
- Engagement: Typos can negatively impact engagement as recipients may perceive the email as unprofessional or untrustworthy.
- Context Matters: The impact is nuanced; minor, infrequent typos are less likely to cause harm compared to widespread misspellings.
- Testing: Testing the impact of intentional typos on your specific audience is recommended to understand their tolerance and engagement.
Key considerations
- Frequency: Consider the frequency of intentional typos; a consistent pattern is more likely to trigger spam filters than occasional errors.
- Audience Perception: Be aware of how your audience perceives intentional typos; if they find it annoying or unprofessional, it can negatively impact engagement.
- Alternatives: Explore alternative strategies for creative messaging that don't rely on typos, such as using proper keywords and grammar.
- Monitoring: Monitor engagement metrics (CTR, CTO) to assess the impact of intentional typos on email performance.
- Brand Image: Consider how intentional typos align with your brand image; if professionalism and credibility are key, avoid typos.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit explains that occasional typos might slip through, but a consistent pattern of intentional typos can be seen as a tactic to bypass spam filters, leading to penalties. They recommend avoiding such practices.
18 Jun 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares they are not aware of overuse of a word, or even non-words, having a direct impact on deliverability, but if the audience isn't into it and stops engaging, you'd have an indirect impact.
9 Aug 2022 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Experts agree that intentional typos negatively impact email deliverability. Using typos to bypass spam filters or as a stylistic choice reduces credibility and engagement. Spam filters detect deliberate patterns and penalize senders. Maintaining accurate spelling enhances sender reputation and improves message filtering.
Key opinions
- Spam Evasion: Typos used to evade spam filters will likely be detected and penalized.
- Credibility: Intentional typos reduce the perceived credibility of email messages.
- Engagement Impact: Emails with typos experience reduced engagement rates.
- Reputation Damage: Creative spelling negatively impacts a sender's reputation.
Key considerations
- Legitimacy: Ensure emails appear legitimate to avoid filtering issues.
- Clarity: Prioritize clear and error-free communication to build trust.
- Brand Image: Consider the impact on your brand's perceived quality.
- Intent: Assess whether the intent behind the typos aligns with audience expectations.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that typos, especially when used to bypass spam filters by misspelling common spam trigger words, can negatively impact deliverability. They advise that while a few errors are normal, a deliberate pattern will likely be detected and penalized.
6 Mar 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that intentional typos in email can reduce engagement. Messages using creative spelling are often considered less credible and will negatively impact a sender's reputation and the way future messages are filtered.
21 Sep 2021 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Email deliverability documentation emphasizes the importance of sender reputation, adherence to best practices, and correct spelling and grammar. While intentional typos are not explicitly addressed, poor writing quality and deviations from established email formatting standards can negatively impact engagement and sender reputation, potentially affecting deliverability over time.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation: Maintaining a good sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability.
- Best Practices: Adhering to email content best practices helps improve deliverability.
- Grammar & Spelling: Correct spelling and grammar are important for maintaining engagement and avoiding negative impacts on email filtering.
- Format Standards: Deviations from established email formatting standards can potentially affect deliverability.
Key considerations
- Content Quality: Ensure email content is well-written and free of errors to maintain recipient engagement.
- Format Adherence: Adhere to established email formatting standards to avoid deliverability issues.
- Long-Term Impact: Understand that poor grammar and spelling can contribute to a negative sender reputation over time.
- Holistic Approach: Take a holistic approach to email deliverability, considering all aspects of sender reputation, content quality, and formatting.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor explains that RFC 5322 defines the Internet Message Format, but it doesn't specifically address the impact of typos on email deliverability. However, it establishes standards for email headers and content, and deviations from these standards (including poorly formatted text) can potentially affect deliverability.
14 Jul 2022 - RFC Editor
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools does not explicitly mention intentional typos, it emphasizes the importance of maintaining a good sender reputation and adhering to best practices for email content. Poor grammar and spelling can contribute to a negative sender reputation over time.
14 May 2022 - Google Postmaster Tools
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