Being able to communicate with your testers is a big part of any beta test. From recruiting, to selection, to thanking them at the end, you want to make sure that your emails are getting through. Otherwise, you run the risk of your testers missing out on important information as your emails languish in spam, and you get more frustrated with their lack of response.

We’ve put together a list of tips that can help you avoid the spam folder and make sure your emails get where they need to go.

1. Use spell check. It may sound silly, but misspelled words can trigger a spam filter and they’re easy to fix. So don’t forget to double check!
2. Avoid using words like: free, win, or sign up now. This is especially true for the subject line of the email.
3. Include the “opt out footer” in every email. In our software, this option is located under Advanced Options when you create the email.
4. Minimize the use of all capitals. This is especially true for words such as “UNLIMITED” or “NOW”. It’s another red flag for spam filters.
5. Be careful when you cut and paste. Often when you cut and paste from a Word document, you can bring over extra unrecognizable HTML characters that are ignored by most browsers but picked up by spam filters. To avoid adding extra or broken HTML, copy and paste your text into notepad before putting it into your HTML editor or email application. This will remove all the HTML, resulting in a much cleaner email. Many applications have a “remove formatting” button you can use as well.
6. Get on your users’ safe senders list. When you can, encourage users to add your email address to their contacts or safe senders list. This will allow your emails to bypass their spam filters completely. Keep in mind that this email address may be different than your own, particularly if you’re using a tool like Centercode to communicate with your community members.

Want more help? Below are some resources that provide more tips on how to craft emails that are less likely to get lost in the internet ether.

SpamAssassin’s Tips for Legitimate Senders to Avoid False Positives — These guys actually make an anti-spam tool and have great advice to help you draft emails that won’t get picked up by spam filters.

Microsoft Outlook Spam Triggers List — Periodically, Microsoft puts out a list of words to avoid so your emails don’t get stuck in their filters.

MailChimp’s Guide on How to Avoid Spam Filters — This in-depth guide comes from a company that specializes in mass email marketing and provides some great inside information and best practices.

Do you have an additional tips for avoiding the junk pile? Leave them in the comments below.

Get more beta tips in our resource library!