A Marketer's Guide to Email Deliverability

So, you’ve decided on the content of your next email campaign. You’ve written, edited, rewritten, deleted, started again, tried Chat GPT, suffered from imposter syndrome for a while, and finally crafted THE perfect email.

The next step is to ensure that perfect message reaches all your intended recipients at the right time, on the right day AND that your email is read with interest and acted up with considered haste. Sounds simple, huh?

But…what happens when your carefully crafted messages land in the dreaded spam folder, never to be seen by your target audience? Mastery of email marketing isn’t just about writing content and sending emails – it’s about making sure they arrive when and where they’re intended to go.

Why Does Deliverability Matter?

Email deliverability should really be the foundation of your entire email marketing strategy. Without it, your efforts are like shouting into the void!

Good deliverability means:

More Eyes on your Message: Higher open and click-through rates lead to increased engagement with your brand.
Better ROI: Drive conversions, generate leads, and boost revenue.
Stronger Brand Reputation: Consistently landing in your recipients’ inboxes builds trust with your audience and helps with reputation scoring.

What Affects Email Deliverability?

A myriad of factors can determine whether your emails reach the inbox, some of which are under your control, whilst others are “bigger picture” when it comes to email marketing. Here are some key areas to consider:

1. Sender Reputation

Your sender reputation is like your credit score for email. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) use it to assess your credibility as a sender. Factors influencing your reputation include:

Email Volume and Frequency: Sending too many emails too quickly can raise red flags.
Spam Complaints: High complaint rates signal that your emails are unwanted.
Bounce Rate: A high bounce rate indicates that you’re sending to invalid or inactive email addresses.
Engagement: Positive engagement (opens, clicks, replies) improves your reputation.

2. Data Hygiene

Your email list is only as good as its data. Keeping it clean and up-to-date is essential.

Regularly Remove Unengaged Subscribers: Target those who haven’t opened or clicked an email in a while.
Implement a Double Opt-In Process: Confirm subscribers’ consent to receive emails.
Validate Email Addresses: Use tools to verify email addresses and remove invalid ones.
Segment your Lists: Send relevant content to specific audience segments to increase engagement.

3. Email Content

The content of your emails plays a significant role in deliverability.

Avoid Spam Trigger Words: Steer clear of phrases commonly associated with spam.
Use a Balanced Text-to-Image Ratio: Too many images can trigger spam filters.
Ensure your HTML Code is Clean: Messy code can impact deliverability.
Personalize your Emails: Use your subscribers’ names and tailor content to their interests.

4. Authentication

Email authentication protocols verify that you are who you say you are, preventing spoofing and phishing. Consider implementing these protocols:

SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to your emails, verifying their authenticity.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Tells receiving mail servers what to do with emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks.

5. Monitor and Adapt

The email landscape is constantly evolving, so it’s crucial to monitor your deliverability metrics and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Track your Sender Reputation: Use tools to monitor your reputation and identify potential issues.
Analyze your Bounce Rates: Investigate the causes of high bounce rates and take corrective action.
Monitor Spam Complaint Rates: Identify and address the reasons why subscribers are marking your emails as spam.
Stay Informed about Industry Changes: Keep up-to-date with the latest deliverability best practices and algorithm updates. For example……

……In 2024, Gmail and Yahoo implemented stricter requirements for email senders to combat spam and improve user experience. These changes emphasize the importance of authentication, data hygiene, and providing easy unsubscribe options. So….

Authenticate your Email: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Make Unsubscribing Easy: Include a clear and prominent unsubscribe link in every email.
Keep Spam Rates Low: Aim for a spam rate of less than 0.3%.

Take Control of Your Deliverability

Getting your email deliverability right is an ongoing process that requires attention and effort. By understanding the factors that affect deliverability, using the correct tools and services, such as Click, and implementing recognized best practices – our Marketing Services team can help you with those – you can exponentially improve your chances of your critical messages reaching inboxes and maximizing the impact of your email marketing campaigns.

Don’t let your emails get lost in spam – take control of your deliverability today and start seeing better results with Click!

Click’s marketing automation, email delivery tools, and integration with your Microsoft Dynamics CRM will help you create campaigns that stand up to every benchmark! Contact us today for more information about our email marketing tools.

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