5 Tips for Staying Out of the Spam Folder

As the mobile market expands, so does the way we communicate. While texting and chatting apps like Skype and and WhatsApp have proven extremely popular, email is still the dominant form of communication between businesses. The problem is, the spam folder exists. Mashable reported that over 70% of emails are considered junk, bulk, or spam mail, and it's been estimated that 100 billion spam emails are sent daily.

Clearly, a method for crafting quality emails that make it to people's inboxes is much-needed. By segmenting your emails effectively, you can reduce unsubscribe rates, avoid the spam folder, and drive higher traffic to your site. Here are 5 tips to help you make it happen.

ALSO READ: Teaser Emails: Increase Reader Conversion By 100%

1. Know your audience.

Generic email blasts can be a death sentence for your campaign. You want to reach a large potential market, but if your email is catered to an audience that's too broad its recipients will spot the lack of personalization. When gathering data on your audience:

• Identify your target demographics
• Identify specific problems and solutions for HR managers and sales professionals
• Understand the cultural background of your market
• Stay up to date on relevant surveys that cover the demands and trends of your niche market
• Communicate with your sales department to identify buyer likes, dislikes, and needs

While your email may be visually stimulating, if recipients can't identify with its content it's getting filtered as junk mail—or worse, ending in an unsubscribe. You must truly understand your audience and relay that effectively.

2. Gather relevant data.

Collecting data on your customers can result in a ton of information. Much of it will provide you with a clearer picture of your audience—behaviors, job titles, buying habits, geography, etc.—but the amount of data can quickly overwhelm. Determine which data points are essential to your campaign and which points are good for research but really have no place in your email creation process. If, in collecting your data, you find something unique that can help you reach your target market, leverage that.

3. Create identifiable personas.

Consider the music industry. There are many genres, and someone selling country wouldn't use a metalhead as their marketing persona. The same principle applies to any business. Consumers buy products and services for various reasons, and you should pinpoint what those are thencreate unique personas that speak to your audience based on this info. The more personas your audiences identifies with, the easier it will be to craft successful, captivating messaging.

4. Tailor your content.

Personas should be integrated into your website in addition to your email marketing. It doesn't do any good to identify commonalities among your audience if your messaging is still generic. Customize emails based on their target personas, meeting those consumers' needs and demands by implementing the data you've collected over time.

5. Keep adjusting.

Email optimization isn't one and done. Effective segmentation requires continuous analysis and iteration. Markets shift and consumer preferences change, so your strategy must adapt along with them.

… But don't forget the basics!

While segmentation is critical, you shouldn't neglect the fundamentals of email marketing. Focus on the content, but don't forget about aesthetics and presentation in the process. Continue to evolve and personify, and you should see a steady increase in open rates—and ultimately sales.