How can I intentionally send a newsletter to the spam folder?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that not using double opt-in could impact your spam results. Those who confirm their email list are more engaged.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog shares that using URL shorteners can sometimes flag an email as spam, as spammers often use them to hide malicious links. Direct, full URLs are preferable.
Email marketer from Mailchimp Blog explains that using spam trigger words, like 'free' or excessive punctuation in the subject line or body of the email, can increase the likelihood of the email being flagged as spam.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests including the GTUBE string in the message body to help send emails to spam.
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains using a high image-to-text ratio makes it more likely to be flagged as spam because spammers will often fill their email with images to avoid text based spam filters
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that sending from a new IP address or domain with no established reputation is a surefire way to land in the spam folder. Lack of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) also contributes.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that poorly coded HTML emails with excessive use of images, especially without alt text, and broken links are red flags for spam filters.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares a way to send free emails from the command line using a $2 VPS with a fresh IP.
Email marketer from MarketingProfs shares not segmenting your email list could impact your spam results. The more targeted your list is, the more positive engagement you'll receive.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks suggests sending mail from an AWS instance without setting up reverse DNS or authentication to send emails to spam.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that getting your sending IP or domain listed on public blacklists (like Spamhaus or SORBS) will almost guarantee your emails land in the spam folder.
Expert from Email Geeks recommends using SWAKS from your home broadband network direct to MX to send a raw message out to help send emails to spam.
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that Spam Eating Monkeys (SEM) are systems that automatically report unsolicited emails, helping to train spam filters. Sending emails likely to be caught by SEMs will increase the chances of spam placement.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from RFC Editor shares that using incorrect or malformed MIME types in the email header can confuse spam filters and increase the spam score, as it deviates from standard email formatting.
Documentation from RFC Editor explains that using unusual or malformed headers, or including excessive or non-standard header fields, can raise suspicion and cause spam filters to flag the email.
Documentation from SpamAssassin explains that SpamAssassin is an email spam filter program. It identifies spam using a variety of mechanisms including header and text analysis, Bayesian filtering, DNS blocklists, and collaborative filtering databases.
Documentation from DKIM.org explains that a missing or invalid DKIM signature can lead to emails being marked as spam, as it fails to verify the sender's identity and authenticity.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that not setting up a DMARC policy allows spammers to more easily spoof your domain, which can negatively affect your sender reputation and lead to deliverability issues, including being marked as spam.