Summary
Maintaining high email deliverability in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) through automated list management involves a multi-faceted approach. Starting with acquisition, confirmed opt-in (double opt-in) is crucial to ensure genuine subscriber interest and high-quality lists. Engagement is a key focus: actively monitor metrics like opens, clicks, and conversions to identify and remove inactive subscribers through automation studio and supressions lists. SFMC's automatic bounce handling and subscriber status management streamline list hygiene. Implement sunset policies, including re-engagement campaigns, and leverage preference centers to allow subscribers to manage their communication preferences. Segmentation of lists based on demographics and behavior allows for targeted content, while the SFMC API facilitates advanced automation based on external triggers. Regular list cleaning, triggered sends based on behavior and a welcome email series are also essential components.
Key findings
- Opt-in Confirmation is Essential: Double opt-in verifies subscriber interest and improves list quality.
- Engagement Drives List Health: Monitoring and acting on engagement metrics is crucial for list hygiene.
- Automation Streamlines Management: SFMC’s Automation Studio and API allow for efficient, automated list maintenance.
- Preference Centers Empower Subscribers: Giving subscribers control over their preferences reduces unsubscribes.
- Segmentation Enhances Targeting: Targeted content improves engagement and deliverability.
Key considerations
- Defining Inactivity Thresholds: Establish appropriate inactivity criteria for suppression based on business type and subscriber behavior.
- Re-engagement Before Removal: Implement re-engagement campaigns before sunsetting inactive subscribers.
- Automation Studio Expertise: Effective use of Automation Studio requires technical skills and SQL knowledge.
- API Integration Complexity: Using the SFMC API for advanced automation requires development resources and data integration planning.
- Data Extension Management Strategy: Plan data extensions effectively with triggered emails, welcome series, bounce, and supressions data.
What email marketers say
14 marketer opinions
To maintain high email deliverability in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) through automated list management, several strategies are recommended. These include avoiding purchased lists and focusing on opt-in subscribers. Regularly suppress inactive users based on engagement metrics (opens, clicks) through automations and suppression lists. Implement sunset policies for long-term unengaged subscribers, potentially with re-engagement campaigns. Use preference centers to allow subscribers to manage their subscriptions granularly. Leverage SFMC's automated bounce handling and spam complaint management. Segment email lists for targeted content, and employ double opt-in processes. Regular list cleaning and creating a welcome email series are also important.
Key opinions
- Opt-in is Crucial: Building lists from opt-in subscribers is foundational for high deliverability.
- Engagement is Key: Tracking and acting on engagement metrics (opens, clicks) is vital.
- Automate Suppression: Automated suppression of inactive users, bounces, and unsubscribes is essential.
- Segmentation Matters: Segmenting lists allows for targeted content, boosting engagement.
- Preference Centers Enhance Control: Preference centers give subscribers control over their subscriptions, reducing unsubscribes.
Key considerations
- Automation Studio Skills: Implementing many of these techniques requires proficiency with SFMC's Automation Studio and SQL queries.
- Defining Inactivity: Determining the appropriate timeframe for inactivity before suppression is crucial and varies by business.
- Re-engagement Attempts: Before suppressing subscribers, consider a re-engagement campaign.
- Data Extension Management: Managing suppression and exclusion data extensions effectively is key.
- Welcome Email Series: Consider setting up Welcome Email Series to engage new subscribers and increase the open rates
Marketer view
Email marketer from StackExchange explains the importance of regular list cleaning to remove inactive subscribers. Suggests implementing a sunset policy to automatically unsubscribe contacts who haven't engaged in a specific timeframe to improve sender reputation.
28 Jun 2024 - StackExchange
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus shares the value of implementing a sunset policy to remove unengaged subscribers. Recommends sending a re-engagement campaign before removing subscribers to give them a chance to remain on the list.
30 Sep 2021 - Litmus
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
To maintain high email deliverability, confirm opt-ins with double opt-in to ensure list quality and genuine subscriber interest. Monitor engagement metrics such as opens, clicks, and conversions, and remove inactive subscribers to improve sender reputation.
Key opinions
- Double Opt-in: Confirmed opt-in processes verify email addresses and ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive emails.
- Engagement Monitoring: Tracking engagement metrics helps identify inactive subscribers.
- Inactive Removal: Removing inactive subscribers improves sender reputation and deliverability.
Key considerations
- Implementation of Double Opt-in: Ensure double opt-in is properly set up during subscriber acquisition.
- Defining Inactivity: Establish clear criteria for identifying inactive subscribers based on engagement metrics.
- Sunset Policy: Implement a sunset policy to remove subscribers that are no longer engaged.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains how monitoring engagement metrics like opens, clicks, and conversions is crucial for maintaining list health. They share that identifying and removing inactive or unengaged subscribers helps improve sender reputation and deliverability.
4 May 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource emphasizes using confirmed opt-in (double opt-in) to ensure high-quality lists. They explain that confirmed opt-in helps verify email addresses and ensures subscribers genuinely want to receive emails, resulting in higher engagement and improved deliverability.
16 Mar 2023 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) provides automated bounce management, automatically suppressing hard bounces and managing soft bounces by retrying them before unsubscribing the subscriber. Subscriber statuses are automatically updated based on email interactions, and manual updates are possible via imports or API. The SFMC API can be used to automate list management based on external triggers. Triggered Sends allows users to target specific subscribers depending on their behavior.
Key findings
- Automated Bounce Handling: SFMC automatically manages bounces, suppressing hard bounces immediately and handling soft bounces.
- Dynamic Subscriber Status: Subscriber statuses are dynamically updated based on email interactions.
- API Automation: The SFMC API enables programmatic control over list management.
- Triggered Sends for Engagement: Triggered Sends allows users to target specific subscribers depending on their behavior
Key considerations
- Soft Bounce Configuration: Understand the default soft bounce retry settings and adjust as needed.
- API Development Resources: Utilizing the SFMC API requires development resources and expertise.
- Subscriber Data Integration: Automating list management with the API requires integration with external data sources.
- Triggered Sends planning: Consider a Triggered Sends strategy based on typical user behavior
Technical article
Documentation from Salesforce Developer details how to use the SFMC API to automate list management tasks. Describes how to programmatically add, update, or delete subscribers based on external triggers, enabling real-time list hygiene based on website activity or other data sources.
24 Oct 2024 - Salesforce Developer
Technical article
Documentation from Salesforce Help provides insight into managing subscriber statuses (e.g., Active, Unsubscribed, Held) within SFMC. Describes how SFMC automatically updates subscriber status based on email interactions and how to manually update statuses via imports or API calls to enforce list hygiene.
27 May 2024 - Salesforce Help
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