Key Takeaway:
Understand how AI has affected spam filters and email marketing metrics.
Learn 30 phrases to avoid in your holiday emails this year.
Discover the secret weapons of alternative phrasing, spam checkers, and email testing.
This holiday season, your email marketing success hinges on one thing: deliverability. With AI tightening its grip on spam filters, your messages could be in danger. Learn how to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your emails reach the inbox, not the spam folder during Q4.
“Today’s spam filters are sophisticated, using AI to understand email content and user behavior in real-time. These advanced filters mean that you need to be extra cautious in holiday campaigns. Avoid spammy phrases to help make sure that your emails land where you need them to.”
– Technology Therapy® Group
The Rise of AI-Powered Spam Filters
Spam filters have advanced significantly since their early days, moving from basic keyword detection to Bayesian filtering, which became popular in the early 2000s. Bayesian filtering marked a major leap by analyzing the probability that certain words or phrases indicated spam, learning from user feedback to improve accuracy over time.
Today, spam filters are even more sophisticated, using AI to understand email content and user behavior in real-time. For example, Gmail’s AI-powered spam detection employs machine learning to analyze patterns in spam and phishing emails, successfully blocking nearly all unwanted messages. Outlook, meanwhile, uses AI to check sender reputation, keywords, and user engagement history, filtering suspicious emails before they reach the inbox. These advanced, AI-powered filters mean that you need to be extra cautious in holiday campaigns. Avoid spammy phrases to help make sure that your emails land where you need them to.
Comparing AI-Generated vs. Human-Written Email Content
Spam filters aren’t the only area of email marketing that AI has influenced. Email content is another area that it has shaped and is continuing to shape.
You might be wondering whether AI-written emails or human-written ones get better results. According to a recent GetResponse survey, both had similar spam report rates. Though the research also indicated that human-written emails tended to see higher open rates and fewer unsubscribes, whereas AI-generated emails excelled in click-through and click-to-open rates.
This gives plenty to think about as you craft your holiday marketing emails this year. Striking the right balance — using AI to enhance engagement without tripping spam filters — could be the key to messages that reach and resonate with your audience.
Spam Phrases to Avoid in Your 2024 Holiday Emails
Whether you’re using AI to help write your marketing emails this holiday season, or relying on 100% human-written content, there are certain spam phrases you’ll want to steer clear of this Q4. We’ve rounded up 30 of the top phrases you’ll want to eliminate from your email copy before you hit the “send” button.
“When crafting your holiday emails, tap into the powers of using alternative phrasing, spam checkers, and email testing.”
– Technology Therapy® Group
Leveraging Alternative Phrasing, Spam Checkers, and Email Testing
When crafting your holiday emails, tap into the powers of using alternative phrasing, spam checkers, and email testing. These tools will work wonders in improving your emails’ deliverability during Q4.
Alternative Phrashing Ideas
- Instead of “free gift,” try “exclusive offer,” “complimentary item,” or “on the house”
- Swap “save big” with “seasonal promotion” or “exclusive discount”
- Try “claim your offer,” “shop now,” and “discover more,” instead of “act now”
Spam Checker Suggestions
Depending on what email system you use to correspond with clients, you might already have a built-in spam checker. You could also invest in a popular spam checker such as Barracuda, MailReach, SpamTitan, IRONSCALES, or Avanan. Additionally, you could also plug email copy into tools like ChatGPT or Gemini and ask them to highlight any phrases that an email system might flag as spam.
Email Testing Tips
A/B testing your holiday emails is a great way to improve the deliverability of your messages during Q4. Some rewording of an email’s content might be all it takes to get it past your recipient’s spam filter. If you use *Klaviyo, take advantage of the platform’s “test send” feature. To do this, set up an email with a “test send” in between each piece of content. This will let you know exactly what is causing a certain email to be flagged as “spam.”
Slay with Smarter Emails This Holiday Season
By incorporating these insights and tools, you’re well on your way to boosting your deliverability rates for Q4 and making sure customers can access your store’s seasonal discounts and offerings. But make sure to connect with us at TTG if you need extra help with your email campaigns or copy this season.
Rope in the Pros
Tap into expert insights from the TTG team to transform your email strategy. Say hello to better email marketing results this holiday season!
*DISCLAIMER: Links included in this article might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, TTG may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you!
