Your Email might be going to Spam — Here’s Why

Hey growth strategists,

This is Arun from The GTM Guild. We talk about growth, innovative ways to use GTM, and cold email.

You’ve crafted a killer email. The subject line is snappy. The content is gold. The CTA? Clear and persuasive. But if no one sees it because it lands in spam or promotions, does it even matter?

Let’s talk about a lesser-known driver of email success: engagement.

While content and list hygiene get all the attention, the real differentiator in email deliverability today is how subscribers interact with your emails.

First, What Is Email Deliverability?

Deliverability = the percentage of your emails that actually land in the inbox (not spam, not promotions).

Marketers often confuse this with delivery rate, which just tells you if the message reached the server.
Inbox placement is what really counts.

Engagement Signals: The Algorithm’s Inbox Filters

Inbox providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo are smarter than ever.
They monitor how users engage with your emails and use those actions (or lack thereof) to decide if you’re worthy of the inbox.

Here’s what they’re tracking:

• Opens: Did the user actually open your email?

• Clicks: Did they interact with a link or CTA?

• Replies: Did they respond? Even once?

• Forwards: Did they share it with someone else?

• Time spent reading: Did they skim or scroll?

• Manual actions: Did they move your email from Promotions to Primary?

All of these send strong signals to ISPs about whether you’re delivering value — or just adding to the noise.

Why Your Sender Score Depends on Engagement

Your sender score is like a credit score for your email domain/IP. It ranges from 0 to 100 and directly influences your inbox placement.

Low engagement → low sender score → higher chances of landing in spam.
High engagement → higher trust → more inbox love.

So if you’re seeing declining open rates, your focus shouldn’t just be on subject lines or send times — it should be on interaction.

So How Do You Boost Engagement?

Glad you asked. Here’s a tactical breakdown:

1. Clean Your List Often

Remove inactive subscribers regularly. Keeping dead weight hurts your metrics and sender rep.

Pro tip: Use sunset policies. If someone hasn’t opened in 90 days, try a re-engagement campaign — then remove them if they stay cold.

2. Segment Ruthlessly

One-size-fits-all emails are dead. Group your audience based on behavior, interests, purchase history, or stage in the funnel.
Personalized emails always get better engagement.

3. Test and Tweak Your CTA

Your CTA drives clicks — but is it too early in the email? Too aggressive? Not compelling?

Try variations like:

• “Explore the guide” instead of “Download now”

• “See what’s new” instead of “Buy now”

4. Use a Real Reply-To Address

Encourage conversation. If people reply, it’s a huge deliverability booster.
Even something as simple as “Hit reply and let me know what you think” can do the trick.

5. Interactive Elements

Use surveys, polls, clickable images, or dynamic content. Not only does this improve UX — it also drives more interactions, signaling value.

6. Ask for Whitelisting

Especially with new subscribers, ask them to “drag this to your Primary tab” or “add us to your contacts.”
That tiny action has a big impact.

7. A/B Test Subject Lines AND Preview Text

Many marketers forget the preview text. That first line next to your subject is often the decider. Make it count.

Engagement is the New Deliverability Strategy

In 2025 and beyond, engagement isn’t just about performance — it’s your passport to the inbox.

You can no longer afford to think of email as a broadcast channel.
It’s a feedback loop — and your audience is constantly voting with clicks, opens, and replies.

Want your GTM campaigns to perform?
Start treating email like a conversation, not an announcement.

Bonus GTM Tip:
Pair your engagement metrics with lead scoring. If someone clicks 3+ times or replies to a sequence, they’re warm. Nurture them accordingly.

Until then, keep your emails human.

– Team GTM Guild