Cracking the code of SPAM in your emails

Unwanted. Annoying. Persistent. SPAM emails have become the bane of our digital existence, infiltrating our inboxes with relentless determination. This post will uncover the secrets behind the SPAM epidemic, providing you with strategies to combat it, and revealing the key to ensuring your own emails don’t end up in the depths of the SPAM folder.

What is Spam?

SPAM is an array of unwelcome messages, often sent in bulk, that are typically through email but can occur through other communication channels such as text messages, instant messaging or social media platforms. The messages tend to be promotional in nature and are sent to a large number of recipients without their consent.

SPAM messages can take various forms, which may include advertising items or services, promoting scams or fraudulent activities, spreading malware or viruses, or seeking to trick recipients into disclosing personal information. SPAM messages can include a wide range of material, but they are generally unwelcome and can be disruptive, unpleasant, or potentially hazardous.

Why do we get it?

There are various reasons behind the arrival of SPAM:

1. Email Harvesting:
   Spammers are like scavengers, always on the lookout for email addresses. They scrape websites, purchase email lists, and even take advantage of malware-infected computers. They acquire a large number of email addresses and then unleash a mass of emails without asking for the recipient’s permission.
2. Botnets and compromised computers:
   Botnets are armies of malicious computers controlled by spammers. They operate in the background, sending out massive amounts of spam emails without the awareness of their unfortunate owners. Computers become involved in botnets through malware infections, falling for phishing attempts, or having minimal security measures.
3. Online transactions and subscriptions:
   The joys of internet buying and service registration; having no idea your email address could end up in the hands of spammers. Unfortunately, some firms sell customer information to third parties (including spammers). This can result in an influx of unwanted emails.

How to reduce it

1. Use a Reliable Email Provider:
   Select an email service provider with strong SPAM filtering and reputation systems. Trusted providers, like Gmail and Outlook, use advanced algorithms to route a major portion of SPAM messages to the SPAM folder.
2. Enable Spam Filtering:
   Check that your email provider’s SPAM filtering feature is turned on. This detects and separates SPAM emails from your regular inbox, allowing you to inspect the SPAM folder on a regular basis and recover any real emails that were mistakenly classified as SPAM.
3. Exercise Caution with Email Sharing:
   Be cautious about freely disclosing your email address on public platforms or websites. To reduce the possibility of your primary email address entering into the hands of spammers, consider using alternate email addresses or temporary email services for online registrations or subscriptions.
4. Unsubscribe from Unwanted Emails:
   Unsubscribe from newsletters, advertising communications, and mailing lists that are no longer relevant to your interests. Your email address is less likely to be shared with spammers if you limit your exposure to such mailings.
5. Avoid Responding to SPAM:
   It’s critical to resist the urge to answer SPAM emails, even if it’s just to ask to be removed from their mailing lists. Responding confirms the validity of your email address, thereby increasing SPAM. Rather, delete and ignore SPAM messages without responding to them.

How to prevent your emails from being marked as SPAM

After spending your time crafting an email, only to find out it has been banished to the SPAM folder, is not what anyone wants to find out. Below is a little guide on how to prevent this ever happening to you:

1. Whitelists:
   Being on a whitelist is like receiving a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Encourage your recipients to add you to their contacts or whitelist, ensuring your emails are treated like VIPs and bypass those SPAM filters.
2. Dodge the stigma of SPAM:
   Create well-designed emails that are engaging and authentic. Avoid using SPAM-triggering words or excessive punctuation that might make those filters raise red flags.
3. Link with Care:
   Most SPAM filters are suspicious of long links. Instead, use friendly and concise URLs to ensure that your receivers know exactly where they’re going. Maintaining transparency and trustworthiness can assist your emails reach the inbox rather than the SPAM bin.
4. Attachments:
   Be mindful when sending an attachment in your email, reduce their size and stick to familiar file types. When possible, consider using alternative methods like cloud storage or sharing links instead.
5. Using Authentication:
   Protect your email identity with tools such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These authentication protocols act as shields, verifying your legitimacy and preventing those filters from mistaking you as a fraud.
6. Embrace Simplicity in Your Email Design:
   While a touch of creativity is encouraged, keep your email design simple. Avoid excessive flashy elements that might trigger the SPAM radar. Remember that a clean and aesthetically appealing email is more likely to make it into the inbox.

Wibble are here to help

At Wibble, we offer a highly reliable email hosting service with a three-level SPAM filter in place. We are proud to offer fantastic uptime. This is an enterprise service at a much lower cost.

Leave it to us unless you have the time and ability to properly set up and operate your email hosting. Email hosting is a complicated process. There may be problems with delivery, receiving, SPAM, and a variety of other technological concerns. We can handle everything.

If you want to learn more about our web design and web development services, get in touch.