Here's a top 10 list for not getting marked as spam.
1) Don't email people with shit names for sale. This is the best way to get marked as spam.
2) Make sure the people you're emailing would have a
legitimate interest in the domain. Use your head and do due diligence when creating your list of potential leads. Open rates can be a good indicator here. I usually have a 40-60% open rate on my outbound emails (see #6 below for tips on email tracking).
3) Use proper grammar and punctuation. Can't stress this enough. Also, personalize the messaging when you can -- for example, use an opening like "Hi Firstname," instead of just "Hi," or "Hello,".
4) Introduce yourself by first and last name in the first sentence and identify yourself as the owner of the domain. Typically, people do not want to do business with a nameless, faceless person behind a gmail or hotmail account (#6 below).
5) Add contact details at the end, including a phone number.
6) Send from a professional email on a custom domain (e.g.
[email protected]) -- don't use a Gmail / Hotmail, etc. Note: You can still send through Gmail -
see here. I use a custom email address through Gmail, in combination with "
Yet Another Mail Merge" add on, which is free for up to 50 emails per day, integrates with Google sheets for automation, and gives you tracking info on opens, bounces, clicks.
7) Don't add text links in the body of your message. If you want to point them to a URL, add it as text without hyperlinking.
8) Limit spammy language like "cheap" "for sale" and similar. Instead of for sale, it's "available for acquisition," or more professional messaging. Make it seem like you do this for a living.
9) Optimize your email title (e.g., my go-to is "DomainName.com is now available for acquisition"). Stuff like "Want to buy DomainName.com?" isn't ideal.
10) I'll add a P.S. / unsubscribe type line that says "I hope you don't mind my reaching out -- if you don't reply to this message, you will not be contacted again about this opportunity" or similar.