Branding and Messaging

Engage Recipients

To engage recipients, maintain data hygiene and use recipient data to personalize content. Review metrics to identify what works best for your audience.

• Segment your data to build highly specific audiences for your messages.
• To focus on what’s most relevant to each customer, personalize subject lines and email body content with names, purchase history, or other available details.
• Consider dynamic content and other advanced personalization tools to deliver the most relevant content to each recipient.

Avoid Spam Filters

Spam filters don't publicize their scanning criteria, so monitor your metrics to identify your best-performing content. Use these tips to keep messages out of the spam folder.

• Legal requirements: Always include business identification and an unsubscribe method.
• Spammy language: Spam filters often flag messages that include too many exclamation marks or overuse words like "free," "limited time," and "act now."
• Too many images: Filters scan for an image-to-text ratio, and can flag messages that contain mostly or only images.
• Unclear links: Avoid URL shorteners in email messages, because it's a common tool for bad actors. (They obscure full URLs behind a benign click-through link, which sends recipients to phishy, spammy web pages.) Instead, safely gather click data with branded tracking domains that present your trusted brand.
• Non-HTML code: Although there are some legitimate uses for adding scripts or embedded content to emails, it's often a flag for filters. Before you include JavaScript, RSS, or forms in a message, test the message with a small audience first.

Create a balanced message by combining relevant text, a few images, and informational links. Balance promotional language with valuable content.