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How can I effectively use SparkPost's delivery index and other KPIs to measure and improve email marketing health and deliverability?

Summary

Effectively improving email marketing health and deliverability, with consideration to the SparkPost Delivery Index, requires a holistic, multi-faceted strategy. While the SparkPost Delivery Index serves as a benchmark, it shouldn't be the sole focus. The most meaningful measure of email health is tying performance back to revenue or ROI. Essential KPIs include open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, complaint rates, and unsubscribe rates. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is critical, as is maintaining a clean email list with double opt-in. A/B test subject lines, segment your lists for personalization, and preview emails across devices. Monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and proactive deliverability testing with tools like GlockApps. Investigate significant drops in opens, segmenting by ISP. Prioritize sending relevant content, as engagement is crucial. Proactive monitoring of sender reputation across different ISPs and blocklists is vital. Correct DKIM setup is a necessity and DMARC policy is also key.

Key findings

  • Delivery Index: Use the SparkPost Delivery Index as a benchmark, not the sole focus.
  • Business Impact: Revenue or ROI is the best measure of email success.
  • Essential KPIs: Track opens, clicks, bounces, complaints, and unsubscribes.
  • Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify sender identity.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists and use double opt-in.
  • A/B Testing: A/B test subject lines to optimize open rates.
  • Segmentation: Segment email lists for more targeted content.
  • Device Preview: Preview emails across different devices and clients.
  • Testing Tools: Use deliverability testing tools to check inbox placement.
  • Monitor Reputation: Actively monitor sender reputation.
  • Engagement: High engagement is crucial for deliverability.
  • Data investigation: Investigate all delivery issues by ISP.

Key considerations

  • Beyond the Index: Don't rely solely on the SparkPost Delivery Index; consider other factors.
  • ISP Variance: Deliverability can vary significantly across different ISPs.
  • Consistent Relevance: Ensure all content is relevant to maintain engagement.
  • Proactive Approach: Address issues immediately to prevent further damage.
  • DKIM Setup: Ensure DKIM keys are correctly set up for email provider verification.
  • DMARC Policy: Implement a DMARC policy to instruct receiving servers on how to handle unauthenticated emails.

What email marketers say

9 marketer opinions

To effectively leverage SparkPost's Delivery Index and other KPIs for improving email marketing health and deliverability, marketers should focus on a multi-faceted approach. This includes closely tracking key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, complaint rates, and unsubscribe rates to understand engagement and identify potential issues. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial, along with maintaining a clean email list by removing inactive subscribers and implementing double opt-in. A/B testing subject lines, segmenting the email list for personalized content, and previewing emails across devices ensures a positive user experience. Using deliverability testing tools helps proactively identify inbox placement issues, and personalizing email campaigns drives better engagement, ultimately enhancing sender reputation and deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Track KPIs: Monitor open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, complaint rates, and unsubscribe rates.
  • Authenticate Email: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify sender identity.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive or invalid addresses and use double opt-in for new subscribers.
  • A/B Test: Test different subject lines to optimize open rates.
  • Segmentation: Segment your email list for more targeted and relevant content.
  • Preview Emails: Preview emails across different devices and email clients to ensure proper rendering.
  • Testing Tools: Use deliverability testing tools to check inbox placement before sending.
  • Personalization: Personalize email campaigns to improve engagement.

Key considerations

  • Engagement Matters: Low engagement can negatively impact sender reputation; focus on sending relevant content.
  • Proactive Monitoring: Continuously monitor sender reputation and address issues promptly.
  • DKIM Setup: Ensure DKIM keys are set up correctly for email provider verification.
  • DMARC Policy: Implement a DMARC policy to instruct receiving servers on how to handle unauthenticated emails.

Marketer view

Email marketer from SuperOffice explains the need to personalize email marketing campaigns. The better you can personalize your email marketing, the more likely it is that users will engage, and your reputation with mail providers will improve.

1 Oct 2022 - SuperOffice

Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that A/B testing different subject lines is essential to improve open rates. Test various subject lines to determine which ones resonate best with your audience and drive higher engagement.

25 Sep 2024 - Litmus

What the experts say

6 expert opinions

Effectively using SparkPost's Delivery Index and other KPIs to enhance email marketing health and deliverability involves understanding the index's correlation with deliverability factors while recognizing its limitations for direct optimization. The most meaningful measure is tying email performance back to revenue or ROI. Key metrics include changes in opens and clicks, tracked over time. Significant drops in opens despite stable clicks warrant investigation by ISP. Proactive sender reputation monitoring across ISPs and blocklists is critical. Focus on engagement data, as low engagement negatively impacts sender reputation, requiring relevant content for engaged subscribers.

Key opinions

  • Delivery Index Correlation: SparkPost's Delivery Index correlates with deliverability but shouldn't be the sole optimization metric.
  • Business Value: Revenue or ROI is the ultimate measure of email health.
  • Open/Click Trends: Changes in opens and clicks over time are meaningful KPIs.
  • Drops in Opens: Significant drops in opens require investigation, starting with ISP segmentation.
  • Sender Reputation Monitoring: Proactive monitoring of sender reputation is crucial.
  • Engagement Importance: High engagement levels are crucial for deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Index Limitations: Don't rely solely on SparkPost's Delivery Index for optimization.
  • Data Segmentation: Segmenting data by ISP helps identify specific deliverability issues.
  • Content Relevance: Ensure content is relevant to maintain high engagement.
  • Proactive Approach: Address sender reputation issues promptly to prevent major problems.

Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that proactively monitoring your sender reputation across different ISPs and blocklists is critical. Address any issues promptly to prevent significant deliverability problems and maintain a healthy email program.

13 Oct 2023 - Spam Resource

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks responds that a significant drop in opens while unique clicks remain the same indicates an issue that requires further investigation, starting with breaking down the data by recipient ISP.

23 Nov 2021 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

4 technical articles

Effectively using SparkPost's Delivery Index and other KPIs to improve email marketing health and deliverability involves understanding the Delivery Index as a benchmark for current email program performance based on engagement and spam complaints. Monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools provides insights into your standing with major ISPs. Implementing email authentication methods like SPF and DMARC is critical to prevent spoofing and improve deliverability by verifying sender legitimacy.

Key findings

  • Delivery Index as Benchmark: SparkPost's Delivery Index measures current email program performance against past performance.
  • Engagement and Complaints: The Delivery Index is calculated based on engagement and spam complaint metrics.
  • Sender Reputation Monitoring: Google Postmaster Tools helps monitor sender reputation with Gmail users.
  • SPF Authentication: SPF prevents spammers from using your domain and improves deliverability.
  • DMARC Protection: DMARC defends against spoofing and phishing attacks by validating SPF and DKIM.

Key considerations

  • Regular Monitoring: Continuously monitor the Delivery Index and sender reputation for trends.
  • Authentication Implementation: Properly configure SPF and DMARC records for your domain.
  • Actionable Insights: Use insights from these tools to identify and address deliverability issues proactively.
  • Holistic Approach: Combine insights from different tools and KPIs for a comprehensive view of email health.

Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that builds on SPF and DKIM to provide a more robust defense against email spoofing and phishing attacks. Implementing DMARC helps protect your brand and improve deliverability by instructing receiving mail servers on how to handle emails that fail authentication checks.

17 Jan 2023 - DMARC.org

Technical article

Documentation from RFC explains that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is an email authentication method that helps prevent spammers from using your domain to send unauthorized emails. Implementing SPF records can significantly improve your email deliverability.

6 Feb 2022 - RFC

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