Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • E-Girls & E-Boys: Where Tech and Fantasies Combine

  • VR Porn for Women: 8 Top Sites Reviewed by an Actual Woman [UPDATED]

  • Looking for Love in All the Virtual Places: Dating in the Metaverse

  • Digital Desires and Social Media Double Standards

  • State of the Sexbot Market: The World’s Best Sex Robot and AI Sex Doll Companies [UPDATED]

  • Sexual Telepresence: More Than the Sum of Our Parts

  • Beta Phase Contenders for the Newest Erotic Chatbot Crown: Nomi & Kindroid

  • Can We Prevent AI-Generated Explicit Content From Propagating Bigotry?

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Sex Tech > Email Deliverability Is a Problem in Sex Tech Bigger Than ‘Risky Keywords’

Sex Tech
Home›Sex Tech›Email Deliverability Is a Problem in Sex Tech Bigger Than ‘Risky Keywords’

Email Deliverability Is a Problem in Sex Tech Bigger Than ‘Risky Keywords’

By Carolyn Stransky
November 30, 2021
512
0

As legitimate emails land in the spam folder, business opportunities are falling by the wayside.

google, mail, and phone icons
Learn what is keeping business emails out of the inbox.

Working in sex tech comes with some hazards: An overflowing chest of toys, pornography on your work laptop—and more seriously, your emails constantly ending up in the spam folder. 

Given the nature of the industry, and how unavoidable the word “sex” is, landing in spam happens to journalists, researchers, company founders, and employees alike.

Missed business opportunities

“Honestly, we have yet to figure out a perfect solution to this issue. Domains associated with an adult site are often immediately flagged and put in spam, which costs us business,” says Jen Shires from Sssh.com. 

After emails from her Sssh.com account failed to deliver, Shires opted to try using her personal Gmail account for professional communications. 

“When we give up our company emails and use Google, we still end up in the spam folder,” she elaborates. 

“Once we had a journalist from Time Magazine emailing us back and his incoming reply that was part of a thread ended up in quarantine—which meant a lost opportunity.”

Future of Sex Editor-in-Chief Jenna Owsianik faced a similar issue accessing legal help to get a trademark for her online publication Sex For Every Body in Canada. 

“This happened to me using my personal Gmail,” Owsianik says. “Having the word ‘sex’ in my trademark name made my email get flagged by [the attorney’s] system.”

Not using a company email, however, raises issues with credibility.

“We've already had imposters and scammers trying to pose as Sssh employees in the past, and other adult companies, including Playboy, have gone through this too,” says Shires. 

“Unfortunately, we're resigned to looking in our spam folders daily until a more tenable solution emerges.“

Why does this happen?

According to Monica Lent, software engineer and founder of Affilimate, this issue likely isn’t specific to the adult industry. 

“What's tricky is that emails related to sex tech and sexual wellness probably contain a lot of the same words that legitimately spammy emails do. I'd imagine that other industries, like gambling, crypto, and so forth have a similar issue,” says Lent. 

“Even I, as someone running a startup in the affiliate marketing industry, sometimes worry that using the wrong words in my email could lead to deliverability issues.“

Lent added that the same issues also arise when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO).

In 2012, Hubspot conducted an experiment to see if including the word “sex” prevents your emails from reaching the intended audience. Their findings showed that spam filters take more into account than the use of a risky keyword. 

However, Hubspot’s email deliverability specialist Evan Murphy noted: “If you have a bunch of risky keywords and combine that with other issues—bounces, complaints, or a lack of engagement overall, you could see those compounding issues result in deliverability problems.” 

What can you do?

Even if the term “sex” isn’t specifically triggering the spam filter, focusing on email deliverability could be the solution. 

In an upcoming article, we'll share tips and resources you can use to keep your business emails in the inbox.

Image source: Torsten Dettlaff

Carolyn Stransky

Carolyn (she/her) is a queer software engineer and journalist based in Berlin, Germany. She's been reporting for Future of Sex since late 2020 and served as Acting Editor from April to November 2022. She's currently our Deputy Editor.

Beyond Future of Sex, Carolyn also writes about the intersections of technology and sexuality for outlets like Autostraddle, Curve Magazine and elsewhere.

You can find her most places on the Internet @carolstran.
Previous Article

Sex Tech News: 2 Berlin Events, 1 ...

Next Article

Sex Robot-based Dating and the Path to ...

Related articles More from author

  • The RealTouch device was discontinued after a patent suit.
    Remote SexSex Tech

    Are Patents to Blame for Stalling Teledildonics?

    August 22, 2014
    By Jenna Owsianik
  • Sex Tech

    PayPal Stops All Payments from Pornhub and We Shouldn’t Be Surprised

    November 27, 2019
    By Libby
  • 250 london sperm bank app
    Sex Tech

    ‘Order a Daddy’: Sperm Delivery App Lets Users Pick Ideal Donor

    October 11, 2016
    By M. Christian
  • Advertising maven Cindy Gallop stands on stage giving a presentatino on Make Love Not Porn.
    Sex Tech

    Is There a Double Standard for Funding Women in Sex Tech?

    March 4, 2018
    By Jenna Owsianik
  • Sex Tech

    Larkin Love Explains How the Adult Clip Industry is ‘Female-friendly’ [VIDEO]

    July 16, 2019
    By Jenna Owsianik
  • Sex toys on a carpet
    Sex Tech

    These Australian Companies Help You Recycle Your Used Sex Toys

    December 21, 2021
    By Carolyn Stransky

  • Robin is a virtual assistant for driving.
    Robots

    Men Are Attempting to Use Chatbots to Fulfill Their Sexual Desires

  • Clay-type model of a hacker in a hoodie at a desk. On the screen you see the stereotypical green code.
    Remote Sex

    Smart Sex Toy Device Security Remains a Priority

  • Virtual reality
    Robots

    Sex and Artificial Intelligence: Will Computers Satisfy Our Fantasies?

Virtual Lust is a 3D interactive sex game.
3DXChat
Discover the best virtual sex parties and 3D sex worlds.
  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
  • Project QT is the most popular RPG sex game at hentai sex game portal Nutaku.

    The Best RPG Sex Games of 2021

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Sex Games and Most Realistic Sex Simulators of 2023 [UPDATED]

    0
  • Screenshot of FeelConnect app future of interactivity intimacy available on Apple and Google Store

    The Best Sex Game Apps for Couples for 2021

  • Screenshot of a sexbot from adult entertainment game

    The Best Adult Games on Steam

Fantasy sex game Dream Sex World lets you explore your wildest desires.
Multiplayer sex world Red Light Center continues to impress with its massive userbase and incredible sex graphics.
A blonde and light-skinned love doll face sppears next to the text Go now realdollxthe future is real.
  • 27KFollowers

Like Us on Facebook

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up for our monthly newsletter sharing the very best of the future of sex from our publication and others across the web.

DreamSexWorld offers a stunning XXX 3D world filled with incredibly interactive erotic experiences.

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

RLC_ad_v2

Tweets by @FutureofSex
Future of Sex Report

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2022 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT