Tag Archives: Outlook

Article first published June 2017, updated June 2019

Part of email marketing is knowing what happens to your email after you push send. Your email service provider provides information about who’s opening your email or clicking links, and when these events happen. Sending an email at the right time with the right content becomes a little easier when you have this data. Recently, Microsoft Outlook made some changes that could impact how your readers interact with the emails you send. Focused Inbox is a new tab system currently in use for the Outlook app on iPhone and Android operating systems, but is now actively being rolled out to Outlook.com and Office 365 users.

Is Focused Inbox the greatest thing since sliced bread, a marketer’s nightmare, or another blip in the annals of email marketing?

In this post, we’ll look at what Outlook is changing and how, if at all, it’ll impact your email marketing strategy.

What changes is Outlook making?

Focused Inbox is an update to a previous tool called Clutter. But where Clutter moved emails to different folders, Focused Inbox utilizes tabs, making it easier for users to access all their email.

Outlook Email – Focused Inbox - Tabs

This new feature gives Outlook email users some flexibility on how mail comes into their inboxes. Email is sorted by importance and those emails deemed essential are sent to the Focused tab. The rest of the emails go to the Other tab but are still available in the inbox. The ranking is done by assessing how often emails from different people or companies are interacted with and also the type of content that’s included. So an email from a friend will go to the Focused tab, but a newsletter that’s read and interacted with every month will too. The priority placed on emails is done by how a user interacts with them, not just the type of email. Outlook users can control which emails go to the Focus Inbox tab by marking an email “Move to Focused” or “Move to Other.”

Outlook is also adding a @mention feature, which works a bit like tagging people on social media. A user will just need to type @ then add a person to share the email with, and, as long as they’re a contact, they’ll be included in the email. This is still a new feature and probably doesn’t have much marketing value yet. But stay tuned—it may down the line. The one thing to note about this feature is that the inbox preview will show a @mention at the top of the email, not the beginning text of the email as it normally would.

Outlook Focused Inbox – Managing Emails – Mention Feature

How will this impact marketing emails?

Outlook takes information about how a subscriber interacts with different emails to decide if an email is a priority or not. Different subscribers could see the same emails end up in different tabs, depending on how they interact with the emails. It’s important to know that this is based on a reader’s interaction with an email, so the more targeted the messages are that you’re sending, the more likely it’ll be on the Focused Inbox tab.

A few years ago, Gmail introduced Priority Inbox with five tabs to sort email coming to the inbox. This is very similar to the change Outlook email is introducing now. Much like what happened when Gmail made this change, marketers may feel compelled to get their readers to move their email to the Focused tab, but this is probably not necessary. Many people found it irritating to be told what to do with emails in their own inbox and ignored them.

To avoid mailing your readers too often or annoying them with inbox instructions, it’s best to keep emailing as you always have. Send the same content as you normally would, and, most likely, there’s no need to send a one-off email with directions on how to get your email in the Focused tab. Keep sending your subscribers what you promised them when they signed up and they should continue to be engaged.

Why staying up to date matters

Since it first developed over four decades ago, email has been one of the most valuable and effective forms of communication in the world. The only constant with email has been change. This infographic demonstrates just how fast email has developed.

This infographic demonstrates just how fast email has developed.

Source: Digital Doughnut

From the days when a mass email campaign meant sending to a few hundred people, all the way to the modern day where there are a few hundred email builders out on the market, it’s easy to see the amazing span of growth.

Inbox email marketing has changed right along with it. When we’re talking about Outlook email marketing or an Outlook Focused Inbox within the context of email evolution, we’re talking about changing clients. Why should you keep up to date on the changes to email and, more specifically, to the email clients you use?

The main reason is that understanding how the industry changes make it easier for you to adapt. For email marketers, adapting to change quickly is key for staying relevant. Marketers, in general, run the risk of being too promotional or too pushy if they don’t know where and how to reach their customers. Being able to adapt quickly makes it easier for marketers to stay relevant. More importantly, it makes it easier for them to engage customers in the right way.

Why adaptive marketers are better marketers

Going back to the Focused Inbox and its use of tabs for organizational purposes, we can see the goal of modern email clients. Email companies are looking to become more efficient. There are more emails being sent than ever before, so clients must think of better ways to help their customers keep organized and focused.

The goal for marketers is an easy one. They want to better serve their customers or, in this case, their subscribers. Keeping them engaged means delivering the relevant, impactful content they want. The more control you have over your inbox and your mailing list, the better grasp you’ll have over the needs of your readers.

The goal for marketers is an easy one. They want to better serve their customers or, in this case, their subscribers.

Source: Campaign Monitor

The growth of email systems means more than being able to see how your campaigns are doing. It means being able to structure them well before you ever click send. If you keep up with the changes to email clients, you can find more inventive ways to use it and better ways to engage your subscribers.

Remember, better engagement = more ROI.

Marketers should always keep the bottom line in mind. When you’re engaging your subscribers more effectively, your campaigns will be more profitable. Better engagement can translate into more leads and higher sales.

Even if your emails are just focused on informing your readers rather than directly offering them a product, remember, you’re still promoting your brand with each email you send. You’ll be able to increase the chance of interaction and optimize your content to provide a return on investment.

Wrap up

Focused Inbox is just a way to help email subscribers organize their chaotic inboxes. For marketers, it shouldn’t mean too much of a change to your current email marketing strategy. Keep sending the content your subscribers signed up for and, if they’ve been reading and enjoying your emails, they’ll still be able to do that, and your business will still see the benefit.

Want to see which email clients are the most popular? Check out this guide for more information.

As a marketer, nothing is more frustrating than working hard on a campaign, only to find it didn’t deliver the results you were expecting. There are a variety of reasons this could be happening, but for email marketers, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is the spam filter.

Tracking open rate is one of the most important email marketing tracking metrics marketers should be monitoring.

A low open rate could be a sign of several issues with your marketing, including poor subject line copy. However, it could also indicate your subscribers simply aren’t seeing the email. This could be because the email’s been directed to their junk folder instead of their inbox.

This inevitably leads to marketers asking, “Why are my emails going to junk mail in Outlook?”

Your emails have been thoughtfully crafted and you feel like you’re doing everything correctly, so why are you emails ending up in the junk folder?

In this article, we will look at some of the most common reasons Outlook and other email providers direct legitimate marketing emails to the junk folder. More importantly, we will provide some helpful tips to ensure your emails don’t end up in the junk folder.

Why are my emails going to junk mail in Outlook?

  1. Your subject line is preventing engagement
  2. Your email was reported as spam
  3. Your emails are breaking the rules
  4. Your emails aren’t being opened
  5. Your email list is out-of-date

Your subject line is preventing engagement

The subject line is the first impression your emails make on subscribers, and it’s important the impression is a good one.

Subject lines no longer play a major part in spam/junk folder determination. Instead, all major mailbox providers now weight engagement as their top influencer for where your email ends up. The takeaway: subject lines may not influencer providers, but they do influence users: an exciting subject line encourages opens and clicks, which then lend to positive signals to mailbox providers.

The takeaway: high engagement means your emails will probably continue to get through. With low engagement? Your emails could end up as spam or junk. That’s why testing and personalizing subject lines on a regular basis is so important.

Writing a good subject line is your first line of defense against these filters. Avoid sending subject lines that may look spammy to readers: words written in all caps, punctuated with numerous exclamation points, or using notable “spammy” terms like “guaranteed winner” and “free gift.” Writing an effective subject line can help your emails look trustworthy to users, thus elevating engagement.

Personalizing your subject line is also a great way to stand out to readers. In fact, personalized emails are 26% more likely to be opened by subscribers.

Your email was reported as spam

At some point or another, a subscriber will likely mark one of your emails as spam. Because of this, marketers should be tracking subscriber behavior to note any potential issues.

Email providers and ISPs are also tracking spam reports. This means future email campaigns may be sent to the junk folder whether or not the individual recipient actually marked your emails as spam.

Only send emails to those who have provided consent

Spam complaints most often occur when users receive emails without their consent. Sending mail to bought lists will heighten your chances of being filtered into spam. Plus, bought lists are simply unethical.

Grow your list organically through content upgrades, newsletter content, and giveaways. You can even go one step further and require double opt-in. This will require users to confirm that yes, they really did register to receive your emails.

Make sure your content is relevant

There are a number of reasons why someone may mark your emails as spam. One such reason is irrelevant content. While this may not fit the dictionary definition of email spam, people will use the spam flag anyway, simply to filter their inboxes and reduce clutter.

This highlights the importance of segmenting your email list and sending relevant content to the subscribers it will appeal to most.

Let them know who you are

Another reason people may mark your email as spam is because they don’t immediately recognize who the email is from.

Good design can combat this kind of spam report. Clearly list your company name or logo at the top of your email and include other identifying features. This will ensure that subscribers can immediately see who the email is from.

The example below is a great example of identifying your business in an email.

why are my emails going to junk mail in outlook?

Really Good Emails

The game title is listed right at the top of the email, along with a bright image of a recognizable character. There is less chance someone would be confused about the sender of this email and, therefore, less chance it will be marked as spam.

Your emails are breaking the rules

In an effort to reduce spam and make consumers more aware of who is contacting them with marketing messages, governments around the world have enacted digital contact laws and regulations.

In the United States, these regulations are described as CAN-SPAM. Businesses that want to contact email subscribers for marketing purposes must follow these rules.

For example, you must include your business’ physical address as a part of your email. Customers need to know where you can be found, and this information must be clearly shown in your marketing campaign.

Also, a visible, easy-to-find opt-out button or link needs to be included with every email. There are also rules about creating false or misleading headlines.

While you may be hesitant to clearly show an unsubscribe link, being in compliance with CAN-SPAM is essential. Be sure to offer great content as part of your email marketing campaigns, and you won’t have to worry about people choosing to unsubscribe in large numbers.

why are my emails going to junk mail in outlook?

Really Good Emails

Your emails aren’t being opened

Email service providers closely track which emails are opened at a high rate and which ones aren’t. Emails that are immediately deleted or archived without being opened could be considered spam, even if the recipient has not marked the email as such. This further highlights the importance of creating an engaged email subscriber list.

Low open rates may be a sign that your subject lines are not effective.

You may be lacking personalization, the offer may not be exciting, or the subject line could appear to be worded similarly to spam as we discussed above. The subject line is your chance to grab the attention of your subscribers and convince them to open your email.

If email providers see that your emails are being opened at a healthy rate, then they’re less likely to direct your emails into the junk folder automatically.

Tracking open rates can reveal which subject lines seem to resonate with subscribers and which ones do not. As you send more emails, you can see how your subscribers are reacting to your subject lines simply by monitoring your open rate and tracking the average over time.

Your email list is out-of-date

Over time, your email subscribers may change their email address, stop using the account, or go off the grid. Whatever the reason, sending emails to addresses no longer in use can contribute to emails marked as spam.

As a result, you should regularly evaluate your email list for subscribers who no longer engage with you.

An engagement campaign is a quick way to see who is still invested in your emails.

This is usually an offer that requests them to opt back into your email list. Sometimes, a special offer may be included with an engagement campaign to build more excitement.

If subscribers do not respond to the engagement campaign, then they can be removed from your email list. This helps increase your open rate, removes inactive accounts, and allows you to focus more on subscribers still engaged with your brand.

Regularly completing this kind of email list review ensures your list remains healthy for the long term.

why are my emails going to junk mail in outlook?

Really Good Emails

Wrap up

So, why are my emails going to junk mail in Outlook?

This is the frustrated cry of countless email marketers who know their content isn’t junk. However, there are algorithms and predictive technologies working to protect email users from spam.

And sometimes, these tools get a little overactive.

If you find your emails are ending up in the junk folder more often, you may want to consider the above tips to ensure that you get better placement right into the inbox of your subscribers.

At Campaign Monitor, we give you the tools to design better emails and track important metrics that can help you avoid the spam folder and grow conversions from your subscribers.

Want to start creating better email marketing campaigns? Try Campaign Monitor for free!