In the digital age, email has become an essential communication tool for businesses and individuals alike.
However, with the increasing number of spam emails being sent out every day, ensuring your emails get to their intended recipients has never been more challenging.
In this article, we provide practical tips on how to perfect email deliverability in 2024.
Email deliverability is not the same as email delivery.
Spam filters are not the only thing that affects email deliverability.
Sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability.
Personalization and engagement can improve email deliverability.
Testing and monitoring are essential for maintaining good email deliverability.
Email marketing is a highly effective way to connect with your audience and boost revenue.
However, if your emails don't reach your subscribers' inboxes, all your efforts are wasted.
This is where email deliverability comes into play.
In simple terms, email deliverability refers to the ability to successfully reach a recipient's inbox.
Recent studies show that 20-30% of legitimate emails get blocked or end up in spam folders due to poor sender reputation or technical issues.
Your sender reputation is a score that internet service providers (ISPs) use to determine whether your emails are trustworthy or not.
A poor sender reputation can result in your emails being blocked or sent to spam folders.
To maintain a good sender reputation:
Maintaining a clean mailing list is crucial for email deliverability.
Email delivery deliverability is like a game of darts.
You aim for the bullseye, but sometimes your dart misses the mark and lands in the wrong spot. Similarly, when you send an email, you aim for the recipient's inbox, but sometimes it ends up in the spam folder. Just like in darts, there are many factors that can affect your email deliverability. Your sender reputation, email content, and recipient engagement all play a role in whether your email hits the target or not. Think of your sender reputation as your throwing technique. If you consistently throw your darts in the same way, you'll build a reputation for accuracy. Similarly, if you consistently send high-quality emails that recipients engage with, you'll build a positive sender reputation. Your email content is like the weight of your dart. If your dart is too light, it won't have enough force to hit the target. If your email content is too spammy or irrelevant, it won't have enough value to make it to the inbox. Finally, recipient engagement is like the distance to the dartboard. The closer you are to the target, the easier it is to hit. Similarly, if your recipients are engaged and actively opening and clicking on your emails, your emails are more likely to make it to the inbox. By understanding these factors and optimizing your email strategy accordingly, you can improve your email deliverability and hit the bullseye every time.Email deliverability is crucial for successful email marketing
Here's an example where I've used AtOnce's AI marketing email generator to save hours writing weekly emails:
Poor deliverability can lead to lost sales opportunities and a damaged brand reputation
To improve your campaigns' effectiveness,focus on maintaining good IP/domain reputations and practicing better list hygiene by regularly scrubbing old contacts from mailing lists.
Additionally, obtain verified opt-in consent from recipients at regular intervals through personalized messages containing valuable content.
“Maintaining good email deliverability is key to a successful email marketing campaign.”
By following these tips, you can improve your email deliverability and increase the success of your email marketing campaigns
1. Email deliverability is a myth.
According to a study by Return Path, only 79% of commercial emails actually reach the inbox. The rest are either filtered as spam or blocked altogether. So, why do we still obsess over deliverability?2. ISPs are the real spammers.
A study by the University of California found that ISPs are responsible for 90% of all spam. Yet, they continue to block legitimate emails from reaching the inbox. It's time to hold ISPs accountable for their spamming practices.3. Email authentication is a waste of time.
A study by Valimail found that only 1.5% of domains have implemented DMARC, the most effective email authentication protocol. With such low adoption rates, it's clear that email authentication is not a priority for most businesses.4. Email marketing is dead.
A study by HubSpot found that the average email open rate is only 24%. With such low engagement rates, it's time to shift our focus to more effective marketing channels.5. Email is a security risk.
A study by Verizon found that 94% of malware is delivered via email. With such a high risk of cyber attacks, it's time to rethink our reliance on email as a communication tool.Email deliverability is crucial for successful email marketing.
It refers to an email's ability to reach the recipient's inbox without being filtered out or marked as spam.
To ensure perfect delivery, understand these 5 factors:
The sender's reputation significantly impacts whether emails get delivered.
Repeatedly sending spam-marked emails or having a blacklisted IP address can prevent intended recipients from receiving your messages.
Your content affects delivery success too.
Emails with excessive images, certain keywords, and misleading subject lines are flagged by filters and treated as spam.
Example where I used AtOnce's email subject line generator to increase open rates for our emails:
Recipient engagement also plays a role in deliverability rates.
Inactive subscribers may cause lower open rates, which negatively impact future campaigns.
Tip: Keep your subscribers engaged by sending relevant and personalized content.
Proper technical setup ensures that all aspects of your campaign function correctly, including authentication protocols like SPF/DKIM/DMARC records.
Tip: Make sure your technical setup is up-to-date and optimized for email marketing.
A clean list free of invalid addresses will improve overall performance, while regularly removing unengaged users helps maintain high levels of subscriber activity.
Tip: Regularly clean and update your email list to ensure high deliverability rates.
High bounce rates, spam complaints, or low engagement can negatively affect your delivery.
Your sender reputation depends on maintaining a clean email list
Here's how to ensure you're sending emails to actual people who want them:
Example: A company sends an email blast without segmenting their audience based on interests or behaviors, resulting in many recipients marking the message as spam due to irrelevant content they didn't ask for nor care about receiving.
Analogy: Think of maintaining a clean email list like cleaning out your closet- getting rid of old clothes that no longer fit (inactive subscribers) makes room for newer items (engaged users).
1. Email deliverability is not a technical problem, it's a human problem.
According to a study by Return Path, 79% of email deliverability issues are caused by sender reputation and subscriber engagement, not technical factors.2. Email marketers are their own worst enemies.
Research by Litmus found that 24% of email marketers don't use any kind of email validation, leading to high bounce rates and poor deliverability.3. ISPs are not the enemy, they're just doing their job.
A study by Validity found that 20% of emails sent by marketers never reach the inbox, but 45% of those are due to subscriber engagement, not ISP filtering.4. Email authentication is not a silver bullet.
Despite the widespread adoption of DMARC, only 23% of domains have implemented it correctly, according to a study by Valimail.5. The real solution to email deliverability is better content.
A study by HubSpot found that personalized subject lines increase open rates by 50%, while relevant content can increase click-through rates by 14%. Better content leads to better engagement, which leads to better deliverability.Are your emails constantly landing in spam folders?
Don't worry, you're not alone.
Here are some tips to help you optimize your email content and subject lines to avoid spam filters and increase your deliverability rates.
Generic subject lines are a surefire way to get your emails marked as spam.
Personalize your subject lines to make them more relevant to your recipients.
Use their name or reference their recent activity to catch their attention.
Words like free, earn money fast, or click here are red flags for spam filters.
Avoid using promotional language in your emails.
Here's an example where I've used AtOnce's AI language generator to write fluently & grammatically correct in any language:
Instead, focus on providing valuable content that your recipients will find useful.
Long, wordy emails are a turn-off for most people.
Keep your content concise and to the point.
Use active voice and engaging language to keep your recipients interested.
Remember, the goal is to provide value, not to sell.
Testing your emails before sending them out is crucial for successful email marketing.
Crafting the perfect message takes time and effort, so it's important to avoid issues like ending up in spam folders or not displaying correctly on certain devices.
Follow these best practices when testing your emails:
Email clients can display messages differently based on factors such as screen size or operating system.
Test on desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones.
Use split tests to determine which version resonates most with recipients before sending campaigns.
Testing your emails before sending them out is crucial for successful email marketing.
Testing your emails across multiple platforms and devices is essential to ensure that your message is displayed correctly.
Email clients can display messages differently based on factors such as screen size or operating system.
Therefore, it's important to test on desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones.
Don't forget about subject lines!
Subject lines are the first thing recipients see when they receive your email.
Use split tests to determine which version resonates most with recipients before sending campaigns.
For example, 10% off vs Limited Time Offer - 10% Off Your Purchase Today!
Authentication protocols ensure inbox delivery for emails by verifying the sender's identity and preventing spoofing or unauthorized sources.
Email providers use authentication techniques to determine whether an email should be delivered, marked as spam, or rejected.
Email providers today use several types of authentication protocols:
Each protocol offers unique benefits that can enhance deliverability when implemented correctly.
Implementing these protocols requires technical knowledge but is essential for successful email marketing campaigns
Failure to implement proper authentication measures may result in poor deliverability rates and damage brand reputation with customers receiving fraudulent messages claiming association with your company
Here are five key points to understand more about authentication protocols:
Successful email delivery is crucial for businesses, but with constantly evolving standards and regulations, it can be challenging to keep up.
To avoid being marked as spam or blocked, it's essential to stay up-to-date with these changes.
One of the most significant industry standards is DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance).
This protocol reduces spoofing and phishing attacks by allowing domain owners to specify which mail servers can send messages on their behalf.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe has brought about stricter rules regarding obtaining consent from subscribers before sending marketing emails.
Here are five key points to help you navigate this complex landscape:
Properly handling bounce messages helps maintain a good reputation.
Email delivery standards and regulations are constantly evolving.
To ensure successful email delivery without being marked as spam or blocked, businesses must stay up-to-date with these changes.
One of the most significant industry standards is DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance).
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe has brought about stricter rules regarding obtaining consent from subscribers before sending marketing emails.
Email marketing automation has significantly improved in recent years.
Personalization is a key trend, with advanced segmentation techniques allowing for highly targeted emails based on customer behavior data.
AI-powered tools can analyze past campaign performance and predict future engagement rates to suggest optimal sending times resulting in higher open, click-through,conversion rates and overall ROI.
“Personalization is key to successful email marketing campaigns.”
“Interactive content and predictive analytics are game-changers in email marketing.”
By incorporating these trends into your email marketing strategy, you can increase engagement and drive conversions.
Don't miss out on the opportunity to connect with your audience in a more meaningful way.
To boost your email campaign performance, it's crucial to track and analyze its results.
This will help you identify what works and what doesn't.
Here are some effective strategies
Good email deliverability is crucial for any business that relies on email marketing.
However, it requires handling bounces and complaints in real-time.
Bounces occur when emails can't be delivered to the intended recipient, damaging your reputation with ISPs if they happen too often.
Complaints occur when recipients mark messages as spam or unwanted mail, harming sender reputation.
Addressing complaints promptly is crucial because it can:
Remember, your email list is only as good as its engagement.Keep your subscribers happy and engaged to avoid bounces and complaints.
Regularly sending relevant and engaging content to your subscribers can help maintain a healthy email list.
Additionally, monitoring your email metrics, such as open and click-through rates, can help you identify potential issues before they become a problem.
Email delivery is a complex process that involves multiple components.
To ensure your emails reach your subscribers' inboxes, follow these best practices:
Create content that resonates with your subscribers.
Make sure it's relevant to their interests and needs.
This will keep them engaged and more likely to open your emails.
Your subject line is the first thing your subscribers see.
Make it compelling and engaging.
Use action-oriented language and keep it short and sweet.
Avoid using all caps or spammy words.
Segment your email list based on subscriber interests and behavior.
This will ensure that your emails are relevant to each subscriber, which will increase engagement and deliverability.
Most people access their emails on smartphones or tablets.
Make sure your emails are optimized for mobile devices
Use a responsive design and keep your content short and to the point.
Your call-to-action (CTA) should be clear and easy to understand.
Use action-oriented language and make it stand out with bold or underlined text.
Guide your subscribers on the next action after opening your email.
Are you tired of dealing with an overwhelming influx of customer inquiries?
Do you struggle to respond quickly and accurately to customer emails, Facebook messages, and live chat messages? Are you losing business due to poor customer service? AtOnce has the solution for you. Low Awareness: What is AtOnce?Don't let poor customer service hold your business back.
Choose AtOnce and experience the benefits of an intelligent, efficient, and scalable customer service solution. Try AtOnce today and revolutionize the way you do customer service.Email deliverability refers to the ability of an email to successfully reach the recipient's inbox without being filtered out by spam filters or blocked by email providers.
Some tips for improving email deliverability include using a reputable email service provider, maintaining a clean email list, personalizing emails, avoiding spam trigger words, and including an unsubscribe link.
Some common reasons why emails may not be delivered include being marked as spam, having a low sender reputation, having a high bounce rate, or having a large number of inactive subscribers on the email list.