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There is a growing trend of opt-in emails getting sent to the spam folder. You can thank your busy passive subscribers for that. According to a recent report by ReturnPath, a respected industry think tank, 70% of emails marked as spam are opt-in marketing emails. You read that correctly: readers are sending newsletters they opted into right to their spam folder.
Why would they do that?! It is the quickest way to rid inboxes of newsletters and prevent emails in the future. Valid opt-in email marketing gets junked when readers are tired of looking at your emails and are too busy to go and opt-out. It happens to everyone, and email service providers listen. They listen so well that your emails start going to the spam folder automatically – not just for that recipient, but for all recipients using that email provider.

Here is what you can do:
Devise an introductory email that asks them to add you to their safe sender list
Make it easier for people to unsubscribe – add a link to the header and to the footer
Give subscribers options for how often they will get your email
Stop marketing to subscribers who aren’t reading – remove them from your sending list
Pay attention to the amount of complaints you get
Keep it interesting and worthy of attention – especially the subject line

Don’t let the trend discourage you. With some list maintenance and careful content planning, you can stay right in the inbox, where you belong.