Types of spam traps & how to avoid them

Email marketing has become an integral part of digital marketing, with businesses relying on email campaigns to reach out to their subscribers and promote their products or services. However, with the increasing use of spam filters, email marketers need to be careful with their campaigns to avoid being marked as spam. 

One of the most significant threats to email marketing campaigns is spam traps. Spam traps are email addresses that are created to identify spammers and block them from sending emails. Here, we take a look at the different types of spam traps and how to avoid them.

Recycled spam traps

Recycled spam traps are email addresses that were once valid but have been abandoned by their owners. Internet service providers (ISPs) and anti-spam organisations acquire these email addresses and convert them into spam traps.

If a marketer sends an email to a recycled spam trap, they are likely to be marked as a spammer. To avoid recycled spam traps, marketers should regularly clean their email lists and remove inactive subscribers. Marketers can also use a double opt-in process to verify the authenticity of new subscribers.

Typo spam traps

Typo spam traps are email addresses that contain common misspellings of popular domains. For example, a typo spam trap for Gmail could be gmial.com. These email addresses are not used by real people but are created to catch spammers who use automated email lists that contain typos.

To minimise the risk of falling foul to a typo spam trap, marketers should check their email lists for typos and spelling errors. Marketers should also use email verification tools that detect and correct typos before sending emails.

Pristine spam traps

Pristine spam traps are email addresses that have never been used by real people. These email addresses are created by anti-spam organisations and ISPs and are not available for public use. If a marketer sends an email to a pristine spam trap, it is a clear indication that they are using illegal and unethical methods to acquire email addresses.

To avoid this type of trap, marketers should avoid buying email lists from third-party vendors and also use ethical methods to acquire email addresses, such as opt-in forms and lead magnets.

Malicious spam traps

Malicious spam traps are email addresses that are actively used by spammers to collect email addresses for illegal activities. These email addresses are often hidden in web pages and forums that are popular among spammers.

 If a marketer sends an email to a malicious spam trap, they are likely to be blacklisted by ISPs and anti-spam organisations. To avoid malicious spam traps, marketers should avoid buying email lists from unknown sources and never post their email addresses on public forums and websites.

Final thoughts

Spam traps are a significant threat to email marketing campaigns and marketers need to be aware of the different types of spam traps and take necessary measures to avoid them. Regularly cleaning email lists, using email verification tools, and using ethical methods to acquire email addresses are some of the best ways to avoid spam traps. By avoiding spam traps, marketers can increase their email deliverability and ensure that their email campaigns reach their intended audience.