Emails landing in spam folders from Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) is a common challenge for many businesses. It can significantly impact campaign performance and overall email program effectiveness. Unlike simple bounce messages, identifying why an email specifically lands in spam often requires a deeper dive into various factors, from your sending infrastructure to content nuances and recipient engagement patterns.
It is not always straightforward to pinpoint the exact cause, as spam filters evolve constantly and consider hundreds of signals. This guide will walk you through the key areas to investigate when your SFMC emails are consistently getting flagged as spam or junk.
Diagnosing the root cause: Reputation and data
The first step in troubleshooting is to gather data and understand your reputation. This involves checking specific tools and metrics that provide insights into how mailbox providers perceive your sending domain and IP addresses. Without this foundational understanding, any attempts to fix the problem might be misguided.
Accessing Google Postmaster Tools is crucial if a significant portion of your audience uses Gmail. It provides valuable dashboards for IP and domain reputation, spam rate, feedback loop data, and authentication errors. These insights can help you determine if your sending reputation is suffering and, more importantly, the specific type of reputation issue you're facing.
It's also essential to distinguish between different types of spam messages. A message like 'This message is similar to messages that were identified as spam in the past' suggests a content or engagement issue that can often be remedied by cleaning up your list and improving content relevance. However, if you see 'Messages from <domain> have been identified as spam', it indicates a much more severe and persistent problem with your domain or IP reputation, potentially requiring a complete refresh of your sending infrastructure or domain.
Authentication and infrastructure setup
Proper email authentication is fundamental to deliverability. Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers robust features for setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Incorrectly configured records can lead to emails being flagged as spam, even if your content and engagement are strong. Always verify that these DNS records are correctly published and aligned with your sending domain.
SFMC also utilizes shared or private IP addresses for sending. If you're on a shared IP, the sending practices of other users can impact your deliverability. IP warming for a new SFMC instance or a private domain is critical. This process gradually increases email volume to build a positive reputation with mailbox providers. Skipping or rushing this can lead to immediate spam folder placement.
Consider enabling email relay if your organizational email security policies require messages to be routed through an internal email server. This setting within Salesforce can help ensure that emails from your domain are properly authenticated and trusted by receiving mail servers. You can find more details on troubleshooting email delivery problems in Salesforce on their help portal.
DNS authentication records
SPF: Verifies authorized sending servers.
DKIM: Ensures message integrity and sender authenticity.
DMARC: Protects against spoofing and provides reporting on email authentication.
Domain issues
Shared IP blocks: Reputational issues from other senders on the same IP.
Lack of IP warming: Sudden high volume sending without gradual ramp-up.
Domain blacklisting: Your domain appearing on a public or private blacklist or blocklist.
Content quality and list hygiene
Even with perfect authentication, your email content can trigger spam filters. Spam filters analyze various elements within your email, including keywords, link structure, image-to-text ratio, and HTML quality. Using SFMC's Content Detective feature can help identify common issues. Additionally, sending irrelevant or overly promotional content can cause recipients to mark your emails as spam, which negatively impacts your sender reputation.
Recipient engagement is a major factor in deliverability. Low open rates, high unsubscribe rates, and frequent spam complaints tell mailbox providers that your emails are unwanted. Regularly cleaning your email lists of inactive or unengaged subscribers can significantly improve your standing. Marketing to unengaged contacts increases the likelihood of hitting spam traps, which are email addresses specifically designed to catch senders with poor list hygiene.
Your sender name and subject line also play a role. Using a recognizable sender name and a compelling, but not deceptive, subject line encourages opens and reduces spam complaints. Avoid overly salesy or generic phrases that frequently appear in spam, and ensure your subject lines accurately reflect the email content. Remember, content that triggers spam filters on one ESP might not on another, but generally adhering to best practices helps.
Proactive measures and continuous monitoring
Troubleshooting deliverability issues is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and adaptation. Regularly checking your metrics, understanding recipient behavior, and staying updated with SFMC best practices and mailbox provider requirements are essential. Don't rely on a single check; instead, establish a routine for monitoring your email performance.
A proactive approach includes segmenting your audience based on engagement levels. Sending to your most engaged subscribers frequently can help maintain a positive sender reputation, while less engaged segments might receive emails less often, or through re-engagement campaigns. This targeted approach minimizes the risk of negative signals that can lead to emails going to spam.
Furthermore, test your emails before sending them to your full audience. While no tool can guarantee inbox placement, testing on various email clients and devices can uncover rendering issues or content elements that might trigger filters. For example, Google advises ensuring your shared IP isn't on any internet blocklist, as messages from such IPs are more likely to be marked as spam. Staying vigilant with these practices will pave the way for better SFMC deliverability.
Unlocking consistent inbox placement
Resolving email deliverability issues in SFMC requires a comprehensive approach. It’s not just about fixing one thing, but rather understanding the interplay of technical configurations, content quality, and recipient engagement. By diligently monitoring your reputation, ensuring proper authentication, refining your content, and maintaining a healthy email list, you can significantly improve your chances of landing in the inbox.
Remember, email deliverability is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistent effort in these areas will yield long-term benefits and help your SFMC campaigns achieve their full potential. If you're still facing challenges, consider reviewing your overall Salesforce Marketing Cloud setup and practices.
Focusing on building trust with mailbox providers through legitimate sending practices and valuing your subscribers' inboxes will always be the most effective strategy for consistent inbox placement.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Actively monitor your domain and IP reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
Segment your email lists and target engaged subscribers to improve positive interactions.
Regularly clean your email lists to remove inactive users and reduce spam trap hits.
Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured for all sending domains.
Carefully review email content for spammy keywords, excessive links, or poor HTML.
Common pitfalls
Ignoring Google Postmaster Tools or only checking it sporadically.
Sending to unengaged lists, leading to high spam complaints and low opens.
Not implementing or incorrectly configuring email authentication protocols.
Rushing IP warming processes for new sending domains or IPs in SFMC.
Using generic or overly promotional subject lines and sender names.
Expert tips
Consider a dedicated IP address if you send large volumes and have control over your sending reputation.
Implement a consistent re-engagement strategy for inactive subscribers.
Utilize SFMC's built-in Content Detective and List Detective features regularly.
Work with Salesforce support to confirm your email relay settings are optimized.
Analyze bounce reasons beyond just 'spam' to find specific deliverability issues.
Marketer view
A marketer from Email Geeks says that Google Postmaster Tools is essential for monitoring sender reputation.
December 7, 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
An expert from Email Geeks indicates that mail going to spam, particularly at Gmail, often centers around the source's reputation and specific content patterns. Reputation is measured by IP, domain, and brand, and it is improved by sending mail to recipients who interact positively. Content issues can be resolved by removing problematic elements, especially if using a shared service that spammers also utilize.
