Summary
Improving email deliverability involves a multi-faceted approach focusing on consent, authentication, reputation, content, and technical configurations. Experts and documentation highlight the critical need for obtaining explicit consent before sending emails and avoiding practices like scraping email addresses. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for authenticating emails and preventing spoofing. Monitoring and maintaining a good sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools is essential. Creating engaging, relevant content while avoiding spam trigger words and providing easy unsubscribe options enhances deliverability. Regularly cleaning email lists to remove inactive addresses and spam traps and testing emails before sending them are also vital. Finally, using a dedicated IP address and checking for and removing the domain from email blacklists contribute to improved inbox placement.
Key findings
- Consent is Paramount: Obtaining explicit consent before sending emails is the foundation of good deliverability.
- Authentication is Mandatory: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for authenticating emails and preventing spoofing.
- Reputation is Key: Maintaining a positive sender reputation is critical for inbox placement.
- Content Matters: Engaging, relevant content that avoids spam triggers improves deliverability.
- Hygiene is Vital: Regularly cleaning email lists and removing spam traps is crucial for maintaining deliverability.
Key considerations
- Data Acquisition Practices: Avoid scraping email addresses and other non-permission-based methods for building your list.
- DMARC Configuration: Implement DMARC carefully, understanding its implications, as incorrect setup can worsen deliverability.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Register your domain with Google Postmaster Tools to monitor domain/IP reputation and identify potential issues.
- Regular List Cleaning: Implement a system for regularly cleaning and validating email lists to remove inactive addresses and spam traps.
- Content Testing: Test your emails before sending them to your entire list to ensure they render correctly across different email clients and devices.
- Dedicated IP Address: Consider using a dedicated IP address for sending emails to build a positive sender reputation.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
To improve email deliverability when emails are going to spam, several key actions are recommended by email marketing experts. These include authenticating emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC; cleaning email lists to remove inactive addresses; segmenting lists for targeted content; creating engaging content; avoiding spam trigger words; providing easy unsubscribe options; using a dedicated IP address; testing emails before sending; and checking for and removing the domain from email blacklists. Additionally, avoiding practices like scraping email addresses from LinkedIn and monitoring domain reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools are crucial.
Key opinions
- Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is critical for verifying email authenticity and improving deliverability.
- List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists by removing inactive or invalid addresses reduces bounce rates and enhances sender reputation.
- Content Engagement: Creating engaging content that prompts interaction signals value to ISPs, boosting deliverability.
- Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring domain and IP reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools helps identify and address deliverability issues.
- Segmentation: Segmenting email lists and sending targeted content increases relevance and improves engagement.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is the most critical factor. Continuously monitor and take steps to improve it.
- Engagement Metrics: Actively track email engagement metrics (opens, clicks, replies) as indicators of email value and deliverability health.
- Avoid Spam Triggers: Be mindful of content and subject lines, avoiding spam trigger words and misleading information.
- Unsubscribe Process: Ensure a simple and clear unsubscribe process to avoid spam complaints.
- Data Acquisition: Avoid scraping email addresses or using other non-permission-based methods for building your list, as this can severely damage your reputation.
Marketer view
Email marketer from SuperOffice recommends checking if your domain is on any email blacklists. If it is, take steps to get removed from the list, as being blacklisted can significantly impact your email deliverability.
11 Feb 2023 - SuperOffice
Marketer view
Email marketer from StackOverflow user TechBloke88 mentions using a dedicated IP address for sending emails. This helps build a positive sender reputation with ISPs, as your email activity isn't influenced by other senders sharing the same IP.
1 Apr 2023 - Stack Overflow
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Experts emphasize that improving email deliverability when emails are going to spam requires addressing the root causes and implementing best practices. Acquiring email addresses ethically is critical, as sending unsolicited emails damages domain reputation. Proper email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for verifying email authenticity and preventing spoofing. Maintaining email list hygiene by removing spam traps and inactive addresses is essential. Furthermore, understanding and managing sender reputation is vital, as ISPs use reputation metrics to assess trustworthiness. Addressing these areas helps improve inbox placement and overall deliverability.
Key opinions
- Ethical Acquisition: The primary reason emails are marked as spam is because recipients didn't opt-in. Focus on ethical email address acquisition practices.
- Authentication: Properly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for authenticating emails and preventing spoofing.
- Sender Reputation: Understanding and managing your sender reputation is critical, as ISPs use it to determine trustworthiness.
- Email Hygiene: Maintaining a clean email list by removing spam traps and inactive addresses is essential for good deliverability.
- Impact of Spamming: Spamming activities damage domain reputation, and enterprise spam filters are less forgiving.
Key considerations
- Domain Reputation: Regularly monitor and address any issues affecting your domain reputation.
- Data Analysis: Use data points, like GPT, to gain insights into deliverability performance, but consider it only one data point.
- Strategic Authentication: Implement DMARC carefully, understanding its implications, as incorrect setup can worsen deliverability.
- List Maintenance: Implement a system for regularly cleaning and validating email lists to avoid spam traps.
- Consent: Ensure that all recipients have explicitly consented to receive emails.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource, Laura Atkins, explains the importance of sender reputation, suggesting that understanding and managing your sending reputation is crucial. She highlights that ISPs use reputation metrics to assess the trustworthiness of email senders, affecting whether emails land in the inbox or spam folder.
10 Feb 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains the spamming activity has damaged domain reputation. Suggests stopping the spamming to allow it to recover, but notes enterprise spam filters are less forgiving. Recommends using GPT as a data point.
17 Mar 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Improving email deliverability, as highlighted in various technical documentation, centers around email authentication, reputation monitoring, and security protocols. Implementing SPF records specifies authorized mail servers, preventing spoofing. DKIM uses cryptographic signatures to verify email authenticity. DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM, providing policies for handling authentication failures, enhancing security and deliverability. Google Postmaster Tools and services like Sender Score/Return Path are crucial for monitoring domain reputation and identifying deliverability issues. These measures collectively help ensure emails reach the inbox rather than the spam folder.
Key findings
- SPF Implementation: Implementing Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records is essential for specifying authorized mail servers and preventing email spoofing.
- DKIM Signatures: DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) uses cryptographic signatures to verify the authenticity of email messages.
- DMARC Policies: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) provides policies for handling emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, improving deliverability and security.
- Reputation Monitoring: Using Google Postmaster Tools or services like Sender Score/Return Path is crucial for monitoring domain reputation.
- Authentication Suite: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together to establish trust and prevent malicious actors from impersonating legitimate senders.
Key considerations
- Ongoing Monitoring: Continuously monitor domain reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and adjust practices based on the insights gained.
- Proper Configuration: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are configured correctly to avoid unintended consequences, such as legitimate emails being rejected.
- Policy Enforcement: DMARC allows setting policies for handling authentication failures, allowing senders to indicate how recipient mail servers should treat unauthenticated messages.
- Regular Audits: Regularly audit email sending practices and authentication setups to ensure they remain effective and up-to-date.
- Third-Party Tools: Utilize third-party services to gain additional insights into email deliverability and potential issues.
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org highlights Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. DMARC policies instruct email providers on how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, enhancing deliverability and security.
15 Jan 2024 - DMARC.org
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is crucial to implement. DKIM uses cryptographic signatures to verify the authenticity of email messages. By signing your emails with DKIM, you demonstrate to email providers that your messages are legitimate and haven't been tampered with during transit.
14 Jan 2022 - RFC Editor
How can I effectively avoid spam filters when sending emails?
How can I fix my emails landing in Gmail spam folder?
How can I improve my email and domain reputation and overall deliverability?
How can I improve my email reputation and deliverability?
How can spam complaints and bad content choices impact email deliverability?
How do I get my emails out of spam for Hotmail and Outlook?
What are the best practices for email deliverability and avoiding spam filters?
Why are my emails suddenly going to spam in Gmail?
Why do my cold emails go to spam and how can I fix it?
