Subject Line Spam Trigger Words

Email subject lines are just one part of the email delivery equation. Emails are delivered to inboxes based on subject lines, spam trigger words, content, and reputation. In many cases, engagement is also applied to this filter.

And subject lines don’t only consist of letters and characters anymore, now we have emojis.

A couple of years ago, we sent an email newsletter – back when we were still sending full-length emails instead of snippets (oh, the testing we do here!) – that was chock-full of subject line examples. Although we weren’t shocked, the email ended up in the junk boxes of more users than usual.

It wasn’t because any of the subject line examples in the email were spammy, but because filters look at your email as a whole. So although we’re dubbing these subject line spam trigger words, you can rest assured these also apply to your content.

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Spam trigger words to avoid or reduce

Every email marketer should have a list of no-no’s next to their desk. While we know a subject line trigger word thrown in every once in awhile won’t hurt your delivery rate (if you’re already in good with the delivery gods), you still need to be practical about finding good synonyms.

Using words like “free” are discouraged by some, but we simply recommend not using them often, or in combination with other trigger words such as “trial,” “quote,” “sample,” “access,” etc., which can land you in the junk box. In fact, using the word “free” typically increases open rates when it does get delivered.

The way spam filters work is they assign ratings to your email newsletter. Using the word “free” in the subject line with an otherwise perfectly harmless email might slide you through to home plate if you have a good delivery record.

However, do it again the next day or combine that subject line with an ALL CAPS subject line and use an * to disguise another trigger word within your email, and it could be off to the garbage can for you. Luckily, most email service providers have their own proprietary spam-checking tools they’ll provide you for free.

But if you want to know which words you should avoid, run through this list:

THE MOST NOTORIOUS SPAM FILTER TRIGGERS

$$$ 100% free Act Now Ad Affordable Amazing stuff Apply now Auto email removal Billion Cash bonus Cheap Collect child support Compare rates Compete for your business Credit Credit bureaus Dig up dirt on friends Double your income Earn $ Earn extra cash Eliminate debt Email marketing Explode your business Extra income F r e e Fast cash Financial freedom Financially independent Free Free gift Free grant money Free info Free installation Free investment Free leads Free membership Free offer Free preview

Guarantee ‘Hidden’ assets Home-based Homebased business Income from home Increase sales Increase traffic Increase your sales Incredible deal Info you requested Information you requested Internet market Leave Limited time offer Make $ Mortgage Rates Multi-level marketing No investment Obligation Online marketing Opportunity Order Now Prices Promise you Refinance Remove Reverses aging Save $ Search engine listings Serious cash Stock disclaimer statement Stop snoring Thousands Unsubscribe Web traffic Weight loss

THE NOT AS NOTORIOUS  SPAM FILTER TRIGGERS

4U Accept credit cards Acceptance Accordingly Act now! Don’t hesitate! Additional income All-natural Amazing Apply Online As seen on Auto email removal Avoid bankruptcy Be amazed Be your own boss Being a member Beneficiary Beverage Big bucks Bill 1618 Billing address Billion dollars Brand new pager Bulk email Buy direct Buying judgments Cable converter Call free Call now Calling creditors Cancel at any time Cannot be combined with any other offer Can’t live without Cash bonus Cashcashcash Casino Cell phone cancer scam Cents on the dollar Certified Check or money order Click below Click here link Click to remove Click to remove mailto Compare rates Compete for your business Confidentially on all orders Congratulations Consolidate debt and credit Copy accurately Copy DVDs Credit bureaus Credit card offers Cures baldness Dainty Dear email Dear friend Dear somebody Diagnostics Different reply to Dig up dirt on friends Direct email

Direct marketing Discusses search engine listings Do it today Don’t delete Dormant Drastically reduced Earn per week Easy terms Eliminate bad credit Email harvest Email marketing Expect to earn Fantastic deal Fast Viagra delivery Financial freedom Find out anything For free For instant access For just $ (some amt) Free access Free cell phone Free consultation Free DVD Free grant money Free hosting Free installation Free investment Free leads Free membership Free money Free offer Free preview Free priority mail Free quote Free sample Free trial Free website Full refund get it now Get paid Get started now Gift certificate Great offer Guarantee Have you been turned down? Hidden assets Home employment Human growth hormone If only it were that easy In accordance with laws Increase sales Increase traffic Insurance Investment decision It’s effective Join millions of Americans

Laser printer Limited time only Long-distance phone offer Lose weight spam Lower interest rates Lower monthly payment Lowest price Luxury car Mail-in order form Maintained Marketing solutions Mass email Medium Meet singles Member stuff Message contains disclaimer MLM Money back Money making Month trial offer More Internet traffic Mortgage rates Multi-level marketing Name brand New customers only New domain extensions Nigerian No age restrictions No catch No claim forms No cost No credit check No disappointment No experience No fees No gimmick No inventory No investment No medical exams No middleman No obligation No purchase necessary No questions asked No selling No strings attached Not intended Offshore Offer expires Offers coupon Offers extra cash Offers free (often stolen) passwords Once in lifetime One hundred percent free One hundred percent guaranteed One time mailing Online biz opportunity Online pharmacy Only $

Opportunity Opt-in Order now Order status Orders shipped by priority mail Organization Outstanding values Paste Pennies a day Percent Perpetual Please read Potential earnings Presently Print form signature Print out and fax Produced and sent out Profits Promise you …! Pure profit Real thing Reciprocal Refinance home Removal instructions “Remove” Remove subject Removes wrinkles Reply remove subject Requires initial investment Reserves the right Reverses aging Risk-free Round the world S 1618 Safeguard notice Satisfaction guaranteed Save $ Save big money Save up to Score with babes Section 301 Sincerely Somebody Special promotion Statements Stop snoring Urgent

Sources: Web Marketing Today, Spam Assassin, Andrea O’Neill, MailChimp

Here are some tips that Vertical Response says may not set off official spam filters, but they tend to set off human spam filters:

• Don’t write subject lines ALL IN CAPS.
• Don’t make spelling mistakes.
• Don’t plea with people to “Open Me!”
• Don’t deceive readers with a false promise.
• Don’t give away everything in your subject line.
• Don’t use one word – like “Hi!” – as your subject line.
• Nix the punctuation!!!
• Don’t add Re: to your subject line to deceive readers.

What about Emojis?

In regards to emojis, Experian says that 56% of brands using emojis in subject lines have higher open rates. However, Constant Contact warns against using too many of them in a subject line, which could trip spam filters and human filters.

A good point from Mailgun is that “some emojis aren’t standardized the way letters and numbers are, different apps, operating systems, and services will use different emoji graphics. While many emojis are in unicode, and will translate across different devices, not all of them are. You can always check what they will look like on various devices with websites like Emojipedia, but you still run the risk of not having enough emoji support. Plus, the emoji you’re using could not exist on other keyboards yet, and your recipient will only receive an ◻︎ in its place.

Other Spam Trigger Opinions from the Mail Police

MailChimp identified three words that won’t trip the spam filter, but still get low open rates due to being deemed spammy by readers: Help, Percent Off, and Reminder. Interestingly, they also found personalization doesn’t increase open rates, but locality does. Here are some examples of MailChimp’s best and worst email subject lines:

With an open rate of 93%, “Preliminary Floor Plans for Southern Village Neighborhood Circle Members” impressed MailChimp, who said the high open rate was due to timely information and an implied benefit for quick action.

“Your April Website Stats” was another success story with an open rate of 92.6% because it had timely and useful information.

A really bad example, with a 1.9% open rate, was “SALE ends soon – up to 50% off all bras at Kara!” which is promotional email, so it already has odds against it, but another one with only a slightly better rate was “Help Baylor create the ideal college experience.” As MailChimp put it, “help means ignore.” Another Help headline was “Help Spread The News!” with similarly dismal rates.

MailChimp really doesn’t like the word “Help” in subject lines, in general.

MailChimp also says including your company name in the subject line of your email newsletter increases open rates. Vertical Response, however, says it’s redundant. Based on our own testing a few years back, we’ve found Mailchimp to be accurate. Seventeen out of 20 of their top-performing subject lines included a company name.

Oh, and have you discovered our 21 best email subject lines yet? Read that article next.

Could your email marketing strategy use attention? Set up a time to chat with us about how to build a successful subscription website with an effective email marketing strategy that will help you increase your audience, revenue, and profits.

This article was originally published in 2008 has been updated to reflect current best practices.

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