Avoid these 250 trigger words to stop your emails going to spam
Outline
- Introduction
- Manipulative words and phrases
- Don’t get caught by email spam filters again
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Did you know that 14.7% of emails get caught by spam filters? (EmailToolTester). This might seem like a small number but if you consider that only 21.5% of emails get opened, this shifts to be a really big deal.
If your subject headlines are filled with email spam trigger words, your business is bound to suffer. You can prevent this by carefully picking the words in your email’s subject line.
Typically, the trigger words can be grouped into these 6 broad categories:
Manipulative: creating unnecessary urgency or pressure.
Needy: sounding desperate or exaggerated claims.
Sleazy: being too pushy.
Cheap: no pre-qualifications, everybody wins.
Far-fetched: statements that are too good to be true.
Shady: ethically or legally questionable behavior.
At Ortto, we’ve compiled a list of 250 spam trigger words that you should avoid like the plague. It’s important to note that although a single incidence of these words may not be enough to trigger the spam filter gods, you should still avoid them wherever possible.
Manipulative words and phrases
There is nothing wrong with urging your reader to take action, but spam filters often penalize emails with subject lines that create unnecessary urgency and pressure.
If everything you send is “urgent,” then nothing is, at least in your recipient’s mind.
On the other hand, if there’s enough value in what you have to offer to your readers, urgency will happen organically. In the meantime, avoid using the following email spam trigger words:
Access now
Act now
Act Immediately
Action Required
Apply now
Apply online
Buy
Buy now
Buy direct
Can’t live without
Call
Call now
Click here
Clearance
Deal ending soon
Do it now
Do it today
Don’t delete
Don’t hesitate
Drastically reduced
Exclusive deal
Get it now
Get it today
Get started now.
Hurry up
Important information regarding
Instant
Limited time
New customers only
Now only
Offer expires
Once in a lifetime
One time
Order now
Order today
Please read
Special promotion
Take action
Take action now
This won’t last
Urgent
While stocks last
While supplies last
Needy words and phrases
Your email subscribers are looking for immediate value when they see your subject line; they want to know exactly what they’ll get when they click on your email. If you’re truly offering something of value, there’s no need for you to be desperate or make exaggerated claims. Just like the following email spam trigger words:
100%
50% off
All-new
Bargain
Best price
Bonus
Digital marketing
Direct marketing
Email marketing
Fantastic deal
Free access
Free consultation
Free hosting
Free gift
Free trial
Have you been turned down?
Giving away
Great offer
Join millions of Americans
Incredible deal
Prize
Promise you
Pure profit
Satisfaction guaranteed
Will not believe your eyes
Sleazy words and phrases When spam filters spot subject lines with words that are sexual, they automatically spam them. There’s no doubt about that. If you’re operating a dating site, your business could suffer because of this. The best approach is to be discreet and leave suggestive words out of your subject lines.
Here are a few examples:Cutie
Hot babes
Hottie
Kinky
Mature
Meet girls
Meet singles
Meet women
Sex
Sexy babes
Steamy
Cheap words and phrases
It’s human nature to long for unique things, something that no one else has. So if your email subject lines keep giving off an “everybody wins” vibe, the value of your product diminishes in the eyes of your customers. On top of that, your email is likely to end up in spam.
By avoiding these email spam trigger words, your value proposition will increase in the eyes of your customers:Acceptance
Access
Avoid bankruptcy
Boss
Cancel
Card accepted
Certified
Very Cheap
Compare
Compare rates
Congratulations
Credit card offers
Cures
Dear [personalization variable]
Dear friend
Drastically reduced
Easy terms
Free grant money
Free hosting
Free info
Free membership
Friend
Get out of debt
Giving away
Guarantee
Guaranteed
Have you been turned down?
Hello
Information you requested
Join thousands
No age restrictions
No catch
No experience
No obligation
No purchase necessary
No questions asked
No strings attached
Offer
Opportunity
Save big
Winner
Winning
Win big
Won
You are a winner
You’ve been selected!
Far-fetched words and phrases
Phrases such as “while you sleep” are simply too good to be true. Today, readers can spot a lie from miles away so if they feel that your offer is hard to believe, there’s a strong chance that email spam filters will also pick up on it.
Generally, you don’t want to oversell so try to limit the use of the following words and phrases that can make your message seem far-fetched:
0% risk
100% free
100% more
100% satisfaction
Additional income
All-natural
Amazing
At no cost
Be your own boss
Big bucks
Billion
Billion dollars
Cash
Cash bonus
Consolidate debt and credit
Consolidate your debt
Double your income
Earn
Earn cash
Earn extra cash
Earn per week
Eliminate bad credit
Eliminate debt
Extra
Fantastic deal
Fast cash
Fast money
Financial freedom
Financially independent
Free investment
Free money
Full refund
Get paid
Get out of debt
Get rid of debt
Home
Home-based
Increase Income
Increase sales
Increase traffic
Lose
Lose weight
Make money
Money back
No catch
No credit check
No fees
No hidden costs
No investment
No purchase required
No questions asked
No strings attached
Online business opportunity
Potential earnings
Pure profit
Removes wrinkles
Reverses aging
Risk-free
Satisfaction guaranteed
Serious cash
Stop snoring
Vacation
Vacation offers
Weekend getaway
Weight loss
While you sleep
Work from home
Shady words and phrases
As long as there are gullible people in the world, there will always be shady individuals trying to take advantage of them. Your intentions may be good but the use of these words will have you landing on the spam folder. These words are associated with ethically or legally questionable behavior so use them with caution:
Addresses
Beneficiary
Billing
Casino
Celebrity
Cheap meds
Collect child support
Compete for your business
Congratulations
Copy DVDs
Cures baldness
Diet
Fast Viagra delivery
Growth hormone
Hidden
Human growth hormone
In accordance with laws
Instant weight loss
Investment
Junk
Legal
Life insurance
Loan
Lottery
Luxury car
Medicine
Message contains
Miracle
Money
Multi-level marketing
Nigerian
No medical exams
No refunds
Offshore
Online degree
Online pharmacy
Passwords
Refinance
Request
Rolex
Score
Social security number
Spam
Stops snoring
This is an ad
This isn’t spam
This isn’t junk
Undisclosed recipient
University diplomas
Unsecured credit
Unsolicited
US dollars
Valium
Viagra
Vicodin
Warranty
We are legal
Xanax
Trying to navigate spam filters can be frustrating, especially if you’re in an industry that relies heavily on some of the words listed above (for example, banking, finance, and ecommerce).
However, all that may be required from you is to think creatively and use your storytelling skills. Go beyond feature-oriented terms and focus on the benefits you can provide to your readers.
Don’t get caught by email spam filters again
Like most people, you may not be sending spam on purpose. But if you happen to use one of the words on this list a few too many times, your email is likely to be caught by a spam filter before your subscriber even has a chance to look at it.
This curated list of 250 email spam trigger words will guide you as you design email subject lines for your customers. Feel free to bookmark and reference this list as many times as possible.
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