‍Cold emails are 40 times more effective than social media for prospecting. But here’s the catch: you can get blocked if you are not careful enough. For SDRs or marketers, questions like how to send cold emails without getting blocked? or, how to send bulk email without getting blacklisted? are quite common. Sending cold emails to mass recipient base can feel like a challenge but with the right approach and infrastructure, you can successfully send bulk cold emails without getting blocked. In this blog post, we'll explore the best practices to ensure your emails are delivered without getting blocked.

What is Email Deliverability and How It Impacts Cold Email Campaigns? 

Email deliverability refers to the ability of an email to reach its intended recipients' inboxes successfully. It determining whether your emails are reaching your audience or ending up in spam folders. Successful email deliverability relies on several factors and best practices.

Firstly, using a valid email address and employing proper authentication techniques is essential. Authentication methods SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help verify the legitimacy of the sender, increasing the likelihood of successful delivery. It's important to maintain a professional email address and create well-crafted subject lines to avoid triggering spam filters.

When engaging in cold emailing efforts, incorporating a clear call to action is crucial. Regularly monitoring email list hygiene ensures that you are targeting an engaged and receptive audience.

Tracking email deliverability rate is an ongoing process that allows you to identify any issues promptly. By analyzing this metric, you can assess the success of your email campaigns and take corrective action if needed. Monitoring deliverability ensures that your cold emails have a higher chance of reaching their intended recipients, contributing to the overall success of your email marketing efforts. With the right strategies and tools, you can build an effective email marketing campaign that fosters higher engagement and conversion rates.

Read more: Email Deliverability Success Stories: Insights from the Field

Why Do Email Accounts Get Blocked for Sending Cold Emails? 

There is a common misconception that sending cold emails can result in the blocking of your email account. However, the truth is that email accounts are not blocked solely because of sending cold emails. Instead, violations of guidelines and certain practices can lead to account blocks. Let’s look at the 7 reasons why your email accounts may get blocked if you send bulk cold emails:

1. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records

Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Domain Key Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) are essential records used by email service providers to authenticate senders and their emails. Failure to set up these records while sending bulk cold emails can lead to blacklisting by email service providers.

2. Multiple Recipients in CC or BCC

Including too many recipients in the CC and BCC fields can be flagged by email service providers, triggering spam filters. Monitoring the number of recipients in these fields helps providers assess whether it aligns with typical email-sending patterns, potentially resulting in account blocking.

3. Recipients Marking Emails as Spam

If cold emails are irrelevant, poorly personalized, or deemed promotional, recipients may mark them as spam. High spam complaint rates negatively impact sender reputation, and exceeding a certain threshold may lead to account blocking by email service providers.

4. Sending to Unverified Lists

Sending cold emails to unverified lists can result in a high email bounce rate, indicating that emails fail to reach the intended recipients. If the bounce rate increases significantly, email service providers may interpret it as potential spamming or poor list management, potentially leading to account blocking.

5. Exceeding Daily Email Quota

Email service providers impose daily email sending limits to prevent spam. Consistently exceeding these limits raises suspicions of spamming or unauthorized email activity. Frequent violations of daily email-sending quotas may lead to email account blocking.

6. Using Spam-Triggering Words

Email service providers utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze email content and identify potential spam. Emails containing spam-triggering words like "DEAL," "OFFER," or "FREE" may be flagged as potential spam, impacting deliverability and increasing the risk of adding your account in email blocklist.

7. Choosing the Right Email Service Provider

The choice of an email service provider significantly influences email deliverability and account security. Opting for an unreliable provider may negatively impact email sender reputation and increase the likelihood of account blocking. Selecting a reputable and compliant provider is essential to avoid such issues.

In the next section, we will explore how to send cold emails without getting blocked.

How To Send Bulk Cold Emails Effectively Without Getting Spammed

Cold email outreach can be a powerful strategy for business growth if executed correctly. However, to ensure success and avoid being banned, it is crucial to follow best way to send bulk email without getting blacklisted. Let’s discuss five key practices that can help you send mass cold emails.

1. Use a Reputable Email Service Provider (ESP)

Choosing a reputable ESP is the foundation of successful cold email outreach. Reputable ESPs employ advanced algorithms to detect spam and phishing emails, ensuring compliance with email laws and regulations. By using a reputable ESP, you benefit from their expertise in identifying whether your emails might be flagged as spam. Additionally, a reputable ESP helps establish trust with recipients' ESPs, enhancing your sender authenticity.

2. Authenticate Your Emails

Email authentication is a critical aspect of email deliverability. Implement SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) records to validate the legitimacy of your emails. SPF ensures the sending server is authorized, DKIM adds a digital signature for email integrity, and DMARC provides an extra layer of authentication and reporting. These protocols enhance your credibility with ESPs, reducing the likelihood of your cold emails being marked as spam.

3. Warm Up Your Email Account

Sudden increases in email sending volume, especially with a new email account, can trigger spam filters and lead to emails being routed to the spam folder. To mitigate this risk, warm up your email account gradually by starting with a small number of emails per day and increasing the volume over time. Sending emails to already engaged contacts before launching your cold email campaign signals to ESPs that your account is legitimate and trustworthy. This approach establishes a positive sender reputation and improves the deliverability of your cold emails.

4. Create a Hyper-Targeted Prospect List

Generic, mass cold emails often yield poor results and increase the risk of being marked as spam. Instead, invest time in research to create a hyper-targeted prospect list. Develop ideal customer profiles to understand your prospects' needs, interests, and pain points. This information enables better personalization of your cold emails, leading to higher engagement rates and reducing the likelihood of being flagged as spam.

5. Verify Email Addresses Before Sending

Before launching your cold email campaign, take the crucial step of verifying email addresses on your prospect list. Sending emails to invalid or inactive addresses increases the bounce rate, negatively impacting your sender's reputation and email deliverability. Email verification ensures that your emails reach the intended recipients' inboxes, eliminating the risk of bounced emails and enhancing the overall performance of your cold email outreach campaign.

6. Personalize Your Emails

Personalization is key to successful cold email outreach. Take the time to understand your recipients and tailor your emails accordingly. Address them by their names, mention specific details about their interests or industry, and convey genuine interest in helping them. This personal touch establishes a connection, builds trust, and reduces the likelihood of your email account being blocked.

Utilizing tools like Smartlead can streamline and scale the personalization process, ensuring each prospect receives a tailored message.

7. Avoid Spam-Triggering Words

Certain words and phrases are commonly associated with spam and can trigger spam filters. Words like "Free," "Guaranteed," "Urgent," "Deal," and "Discount" should be avoided. Instead, use clear and professional language that conveys value and relevance. By steering clear of spam-triggering words, you enhance the chances of your emails bypassing spam filters and improve campaign performance.

8. Limit the Number of Links

Excessive links in cold emails can raise suspicions among recipients and trigger spam alerts. To maintain legitimacy and protect your email deliverability, limit the number of links in your emails. Focus on providing valuable content and direct prospects to a single, relevant link. This not only ensures inbox delivery but also enhances the overall user experience.

9. Keep Email Sending Volume Low

To optimize email deliverability and reduce the risk of being flagged as spam, it's advisable to keep your cold email sending volume low. Aim for under 50 emails per day per email account. While many Email Service Providers (ESPs) may have higher sending limits, keeping the volume low helps maintain sender reputation and ensures that emails reach the intended recipients' inboxes. If outreach needs exceed this limit, consider using multiple email accounts.

10. Maintain Proper Text-to-HTML Ratio

Balancing the text-to-HTML ratio is crucial to avoiding spam filters. Excessive HTML code compared to text content can raise suspicions. Strive for a predominantly text-based email, incorporating HTML sparingly for essential formatting or visual enhancements. This practice reduces the likelihood of triggering spam filters and enhances trust from ESPs, increasing the chances of successful email delivery.

11. Include an Unsubscribe Link

One crucial practice to prevent email account blocks is to include an unsubscribe link in your cold emails. This feature allows recipients to easily opt out if they are not interested in receiving further emails. Not only does this show respect for the recipient's preferences, but it also aligns with legal requirements.

Respecting opt-out requests is not only beneficial for maintaining a positive sender reputation but is also a legal obligation. Ignoring opt-out requests can lead to increased spam complaints, which may result in potential email account blocks. Therefore, make sure to include a prominent and easy-to-find unsubscribe link in your cold emails.

12. Monitor Deliverability and Track Key Metrics

Monitoring deliverability is crucial to the success of your cold email outreach campaign and ensure that your email accounts don't get blocked when you send bulk cold emails. Keep a close eye on your email bounce rate, with the ideal rate being 2% or less. If you experience two or fewer bounces out of 100 cold emails sent, your email deliverability is not significantly impacted. However, a bounce rate higher than 2% signals a need to verify the email addresses on your prospect list before sending additional emails.

In addition to monitoring deliverability, track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, reply rates, and spam complaints. Low open rates indicate a need for improvement in your subject line, email content, and overall sender reputation. Analyzing these metrics allows you to identify areas for enhancement and refine your cold email strategy for better engagement and success.

Conclusion 

Cold emails are a great way to reach potential customers, but can be challenging. In this article, you learned how to send cold emails without getting blocked.

Apart from the factors we discussed, it is also essential to understand the rules, regulations & best practices regarding cold emails in your country. Once you know the laws well, you can start building a list of prospects to send emails to.

When sending cold emails, keeping your emails compliant with anti-spam laws is essential. An email verification service can help ensure your emails reach the intended recipient. 

FAQs About How To Send Cold Emails Without Getting Blocked

Q.1 What are the best practices for warming up a new email account before sending cold emails?

Warming up a new email account is essential to ensure high deliverability and avoid being marked as spam. Start by sending emails to people you know and engage in genuine conversations to establish a positive sender reputation. Gradually increase the volume of emails you send each day, avoiding sudden spikes that could alert spam filters. Focus on sending high-quality, relevant content to recipients who are likely to respond or engage with your emails. Additionally, make sure your email address is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to boost credibility. Monitoring your email engagement metrics, such as open and response rates, can help you adjust your strategy and ensure that your emails are being well-received.

Q.2 Is it better to use a personal email address or a company domain for cold outreach?

Using a company domain for cold outreach is generally better than using a personal email address. A company domain conveys professionalism and credibility, making it more likely that recipients will trust and engage with your emails. Moreover, using a company domain allows you to maintain brand consistency and take advantage of domain authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), which can enhance your email deliverability and protect your domain’s reputation. However, ensure that your company domain is properly warmed up and has a good sender reputation to avoid spam filters.

Q.3 How can I personalize cold emails at scale without it being obvious?

Personalizing cold emails at scale can be challenging, but it is achievable with the right approach. Use dynamic fields to insert personal details such as the recipient’s name, company name, or specific references to their business or interests. Segment your email list based on relevant criteria, such as industry or job title, and craft targeted messages for each segment. Incorporate insights or common pain points relevant to the group, and use storytelling to make the emails feel more personal and less like a mass message. Tools like mail merge or email automation platforms can help you manage and personalize your outreach efficiently while maintaining a personal touch.

Q.4 How do email service providers (ESPs) like Gmail or Outlook detect and filter spam?

Email service providers (ESPs) like Gmail and Outlook use a combination of algorithms and machine learning to detect and filter spam. They analyze various factors, including the sender’s reputation, email content, and recipient engagement. ESPs check for authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify the sender's identity. They also scan the email content for spammy language, excessive links, and suspicious attachments. Recipient behavior, such as marking emails as spam or deleting them without reading, also influences how ESPs categorize incoming emails. By continuously learning from these signals, ESPs refine their spam filters to protect users from unwanted or malicious emails.

Q.5 What should I do if my cold emails are consistently landing in the spam folder?

If your cold emails are consistently landing in the spam folder, start by reviewing and improving your email practices. Ensure your email domain is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Check your email content for spammy language, excessive use of links, and large attachments, as these can trigger spam filters. Clean your email list regularly to remove inactive or incorrect addresses, and focus on sending emails to recipients who are likely to engage. Monitor your email engagement metrics and make adjustments based on feedback. Additionally, consider using a dedicated IP address for your emails to isolate and protect your sender reputation.

Q.6 Are there any free or affordable tools I can use to help with cold email outreach?

Yes, there are several free or affordable tools available to assist with cold email outreach. Tools like Mailchimp and MailerLite offer free plans with basic email marketing features, while services like Hunter and Voila Norbert can help you find and verify email addresses. For personalization and automation, tools like Woodpecker, Lemlist, and GMass provide cost-effective solutions. These tools can help you manage your email campaigns, track engagement metrics, and optimize your outreach efforts. Utilizing these tools can improve your efficiency and effectiveness in cold email outreach without breaking the bank.