Summary
Bigpond emails bouncing with a content-based spam reason stems from a multifaceted interplay of factors. Experts suggest a content-based block is the primary cause, advising a review of recent mailings for potential issues. Bigpond's heightened spam thresholds, as well as content reputation systems, might also be at play. Content elements like excessive capitalization, spam-like keywords, suspicious attachments, URL shorteners, and poor image-to-text ratios contribute to triggering spam filters. A lack of personalization and poor email list hygiene are also significant factors. Furthermore, inconsistent sending practices, failure to implement email authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and exceeding sending limits exacerbate the issue. User complaints and similarities to known spam campaigns may also contribute to content filtering. To mitigate these bounces, it is essential to review and refine email content, maintain consistent sending practices, implement email authentication, adhere to sending limits, use double opt-in, and consistently test email content.
Key findings
- Content-Based Block: The primary cause of the bounces is a content-based block, suggesting problematic elements in the email content.
- Tight Thresholds & Content Reputation: Bigpond's strict spam thresholds and content reputation systems (comparing content to known spam patterns) might be contributing to the issue.
- Problematic Content Elements: Specific content elements, like excessive capitalization, spam-like keywords, URL shorteners, and poor image-to-text ratios, can trigger spam filters.
- Lack of Personalization: Lack of personalized, relevant content can increase the likelihood of being flagged as spam.
- Poor List Hygiene: Sending emails to outdated or invalid addresses contributes to poor sender reputation and deliverability.
- Sending Practices and Authentication: Inconsistent sending practices and failure to implement email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) negatively affect deliverability.
- Sending Volume: Exceeding sending limits, particularly to Gmail addresses, and sending too frequently, can be interpreted as spamming.
Key considerations
- Content Review and Refinement: Thoroughly review email content for any problematic elements, spam trigger words, or patterns that might trigger spam filters. Test content across multiple platforms.
- Monitor Bigpond Thresholds: Stay informed of Bigpond's spam thresholds and adjust sending practices as necessary.
- Personalization and Relevance: Focus on creating relevant, personalized content to avoid being flagged as spam.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists to remove invalid or inactive email addresses.
- Implement Authentication Protocols: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your emails.
- Consistent Sending Practices: Maintain consistent sending practices to build and maintain a positive sender reputation.
- Volume Management: Adhere to sending limits and avoid sending too many emails in a short period of time.
- Double Opt-In: Use double opt-in to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested in receiving your emails and reduce spam complaints.
- Investigate Content Reputation: Review email content for resemblances to known spam campaigns and adapt content to avoid the spam filters.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Bigpond emails are bouncing due to content-based spam reasons, pointing to several potential factors. These include tight spam thresholds at Bigpond, user complaints, and specific content elements like emojis, URL shorteners, poor image-to-text ratio, lack of personalization, spam trigger words, and poor email list hygiene. Sending too frequently or sharing an IP address with spammers can also negatively impact deliverability. Implementing double opt-in and testing email content are recommended best practices.
Key opinions
- Tight Spam Thresholds: Bigpond's spam filters may have very sensitive thresholds, reacting to even small increases in certain metrics.
- Content Elements: Specific content elements like emojis, URL shorteners, and a poor image-to-text ratio can trigger spam filters.
- Personalization: Lack of personalization and generic content can increase the likelihood of being flagged as spam.
- List Hygiene: Poor email list hygiene, including sending to outdated addresses, hurts sender reputation and increases bounce rates.
- Sending Frequency: Sending emails too frequently can be interpreted as spamming.
- Shared IP: Sharing an IP address with spammers can negatively impact deliverability.
Key considerations
- Monitor Bigpond Thresholds: Be aware of Bigpond's spam threshold sensitivities and adjust sending practices accordingly.
- Content Review: Carefully review email content, avoiding spam trigger words, excessive URL shorteners, and ensuring a balanced image-to-text ratio.
- Personalize Content: Personalize email content to make it more relevant and engaging for recipients.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists to remove invalid or outdated addresses.
- Frequency Capping: Implement a strategy for sending email, to manage how frequently you send content to your users.
- Dedicated IP: Consider using a dedicated IP address to avoid sharing reputation with other senders.
- Double Opt-in: Use double opt-in to ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive emails.
- Pre-Send Testing: Test email content across various email clients to identify potential rendering or spam trigger issues.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that sending too many emails in a short period can be interpreted as spamming. It's important to maintain a reasonable sending frequency and avoid overwhelming recipients with too many messages.
26 Sep 2023 - Mailjet
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares an observation from a previous job that emojis in the subject line and links to videos correlated with significantly less engagement and inbox placement, recommending testing without emojis.
1 May 2022 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Bigpond emails bouncing with a content-based spam reason likely indicates an issue with the email's content itself or a content reputation system being used by the ISP. Experts suggest the problem is more likely related to the content's characteristics than to specific elements like emojis. They recommend reviewing email content for resemblances to known spam campaigns and considering Bigpond's usual filtering practices. The bounces are also likely due to content reputation where content is being compared to known spam patterns. Slight similarities to spam will cause issues.
Key opinions
- Content-Based Block: The primary reason for bounces is likely a content-based block, meaning the email's content is triggering spam filters.
- Content Reputation: Bigpond may be using a content reputation system, comparing email content to known spam patterns.
- Unlikely Emoji Issue: While Gmail has emoji restrictions, it's unlikely emojis are the primary cause of Bigpond's bounces.
- Specific Spam Campaigns: Bigpond might be implementing strict content filtering to combat specific spam campaigns targeting their users.
Key considerations
- Review Email Content: Thoroughly review recent email content, identifying elements that might trigger spam filters.
- Content Reputation Awareness: Understand that even slight similarities to known spam content can lead to bounces.
- Bigpond's Usual Practices: Start by understanding the historical filtering practices of Bigpond when troubleshooting.
- Monitor Spam Campaigns: Stay informed about recent spam campaigns targeting Bigpond users and adjust content to avoid resemblances.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that while Gmail has restricted emojis, it's more likely that the Bigpond issue is related to content rather than emojis.
12 Jan 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Bigpond, like many ISPs, might be using a content reputation system. This means your email's content is being compared to known spam content patterns. Even slight similarities can trigger a content-based bounce.
16 Sep 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Bigpond emails are bouncing due to content-based spam reasons, attributed to various factors outlined in documentation. These include specific content elements like excessive capitalization, spam-like keywords, and suspicious attachments. Inconsistent sending practices, such as varying 'From' addresses or using shared IP addresses with poor reputations, can also negatively impact deliverability. Furthermore, failing to implement email authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC makes emails appear suspicious. Lastly, exceeding sending limits, especially to Gmail accounts, can lead to temporary or permanent blocks.
Key findings
- Content Elements: Excessive capitalization, spam-like keywords, and suspicious attachments in email content can trigger spam filters.
- Inconsistent Sending: Varying 'From' addresses and using shared IP addresses with poor reputations negatively impact deliverability.
- Email Authentication: Lack of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC implementation makes emails appear suspicious.
- Sending Limits: Exceeding sending limits, particularly to Gmail accounts, can result in temporary or permanent blocks.
Key considerations
- Content Review: Carefully review email content for excessive capitalization, spam-like keywords, and suspicious attachments.
- Consistent Sending: Maintain consistent sending practices, including using consistent 'From' addresses and monitoring IP address reputation.
- Implement Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to properly authenticate emails and improve deliverability.
- Adhere to Limits: Adhere to sending limits, particularly when sending to Gmail accounts, to avoid blocks.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor explains that failing to implement email authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can make emails appear suspicious and more likely to be filtered as spam. These protocols help verify the sender's identity.
6 Feb 2022 - RFC Editor
Technical article
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that inconsistent sending practices, like varying 'From' addresses or using shared IP addresses with poor reputations, can negatively impact deliverability and cause content-based filtering. They recommend maintaining consistent sending habits.
18 Dec 2023 - Spamhaus
How are email bounce rates calculated and what is considered a good bounce rate?
How can I effectively avoid spam filters when sending emails?
How do I identify what spam filter a company is using?
What causes '550 relaying denied' bounce errors and how to resolve them?
What causes a 550 5.4.1 bounce error and how should it be handled?
Why are emails to Bigpond bouncing or being marked as spam?
