Summary
Email deliverability and sender reputation are intricately linked and influenced by a multitude of factors. User-reported spam, delivery errors (bounces), and overall engagement metrics (opens, clicks) directly impact domain and IP reputation. Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for verifying sender identity. Maintaining a clean and engaged email list, acquiring emails ethically, employing permission-based marketing, segmenting lists, and consistently monitoring sender reputation are key. Addressing the root causes of deliverability issues and gradually resuming sending is essential for restoring a positive reputation. External data points are useful, but a deep understanding of product/market fit and verifiable campaign metrics are more valuable for long-term success. Sending relevant content and avoiding practices that trigger spam filters are also crucial.
Key findings
- Spam Complaints Impact: User-reported spam directly and negatively impacts sender reputation, leading to lower deliverability rates.
- Bounce Rates and List Hygiene: High bounce rates indicate poor list hygiene and negatively affect sender reputation.
- Engagement is Key: Low engagement metrics (opens, clicks) indicate irrelevant content and damage sender reputation.
- Authentication is Crucial: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) verifies sender identity and improves deliverability.
- Ethical List Acquisition: Acquiring emails ethically and using double opt-in processes are important for a good reputation.
- External Data Validity: External data from tools may be inaccurate and should be validated by tracking engagement.
- Sending Irrelevant Mail: Sending the wrong kind of mail can cause deliverability issues
Key considerations
- Monitor Reputation: Consistently monitor sender reputation using tools and platform metrics.
- Address Root Causes: Identify and correct the root cause of reputation issues before resuming sending.
- Gradual Ramp-Up: After addressing issues, gradually increase sending volume while monitoring performance.
- Segment Lists: Segment email lists to send targeted content to engaged subscribers.
- Permission & Opt-In: Use permission-based marketing and double opt-in to ensure recipients want to receive emails.
- Clean Email Lists: Regularly clean email lists by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers.
- Honor Unsubscribes: Promptly honor unsubscribe requests to minimize spam complaints.
- Track Engagement: Track engagement with CTAs to determine campaign success and adjust content accordingly.
What email marketers say
13 marketer opinions
Email sender reputation, crucial for deliverability, is affected by numerous factors including user-reported spam, delivery errors (bounces), engagement metrics (opens, clicks), and authentication. Maintaining a clean email list, practicing permission-based marketing, using double opt-in, segmenting lists, monitoring sender reputation tools, and addressing root causes of deliverability issues are essential for a positive sender reputation.
Key opinions
- Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates directly damage sender reputation and lower deliverability.
- Bounce Rates: Elevated bounce rates indicate poor list hygiene and negatively affect sender reputation.
- Engagement: Low engagement (opens, clicks) signals that the content isn't relevant, hurting reputation.
- Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) verifies sender identity and improves deliverability.
- List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean, engaged email list is critical for positive sender reputation.
- Data Validation: Validating your own data is more important than just relying on reputation tools.
Key considerations
- Monitor Reputation: Consistently monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
- Root Cause Analysis: Identify and correct the root cause of reputation issues before resuming sending.
- Gradual Sending: After addressing reputation issues, gradually increase sending volume while monitoring performance.
- Segmentation: Segment email lists to send targeted content to engaged subscribers.
- Permission-Based Marketing: Use permission-based marketing and double opt-in to ensure recipients want to receive emails.
- Engagement Tracking: Tracking engagement with CTAs is important to determine success of campaign.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus shares that maintaining a clean email list is critical for sender reputation. Regularly removing inactive subscribers and those who have not engaged in a while can improve engagement metrics and lower bounce rates. They also recommend using permission-based marketing and a preference center to manage subscriptions effectively.
2 May 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit discusses how user-reported spam directly and negatively impacts sender reputation, leading to lower deliverability rates. They stress the importance of acquiring emails ethically, using a double opt-in process, and honoring unsubscribe requests promptly to minimize spam complaints.
24 Dec 2023 - Reddit
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Domain reputation is influenced by several factors, including spam complaints, engagement metrics (opens and clicks), and the quality of email list acquisition. Sending the wrong kind of mail and others sending bad mail from your address can also hurt deliverability.
Key opinions
- Spam Complaints & Engagement: Spam complaints and poor engagement directly impact domain reputation negatively.
- List Acquisition Quality: The quality of email list acquisition is crucial for maintaining a positive domain reputation.
- Content Relevance: Sending the right kind of mail impacts deliverability.
- Compromised addresses: If other people are sending spam using your addresses, that is a threat to your deliverability.
Key considerations
- Permission-Based Marketing: Emphasize permission-based marketing to maintain a positive reputation.
- Subscriber Engagement: Actively manage subscriber engagement to ensure a positive reputation.
- List management: Clean up your email addresses to improve deliverability.
- Authentication: Implement methods to ensure your address is not compromised.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that domain reputation is significantly impacted by factors like spam complaints, engagement metrics (opens and clicks), and the quality of email list acquisition. They emphasize the importance of permission-based marketing and actively managing subscriber engagement to maintain a positive reputation.
2 Jul 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, responds that deliverability problems are sometimes caused by sending the wrong kind of mail. She also explains that sometimes deliverability problems are caused by other people sending the wrong kind of mail using their sending address.
19 Jan 2025 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability, impacting whether emails land in the inbox or spam folder. Key factors influencing this reputation include mail volume, spam complaints, email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), bounce rates, and sending practices. Proper implementation of email authentication and monitoring tools is highly recommended.
Key findings
- Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates significantly damage sender reputation.
- Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for verifying sender identity and improving deliverability.
- Bounce Rates: High bounce rates signal deliverability issues and damage sender reputation.
- Mail Volume: The volume of mail sent influences sender reputation.
- Sending Practices: Good sending practices contribute to a positive sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Authentication Implementation: Properly implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate email.
- Spam Monitoring: Keep spam complaint rates low to improve deliverability.
- Bounce Rate Monitoring: Closely monitor and manage bounce rates, removing bounced addresses promptly.
- Easy Unsubscription: Provide easy unsubscription options to reduce spam complaints.
- Reputation Monitoring: Use monitoring tools to track sender reputation and identify potential issues.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) are essential for email authentication. Proper implementation of SPF and DKIM helps verify the sender's identity and reduce the risk of email spoofing and phishing, thereby improving domain reputation and deliverability.
4 Apr 2023 - RFC-Editor
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft Documentation says that maintaining a good sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability to Outlook.com and Hotmail. Key factors include keeping spam complaint rates low, authenticating email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and monitoring reputation using Microsoft's SNDS program.
2 Sep 2022 - Microsoft Documentation
Can a competitor damage my domain reputation by sending spam with links to my site?
Do unsubscribe links and rates affect email deliverability and spam filtering?
How are email bounce rates calculated and what is considered a good bounce rate?
How can I improve my email and domain reputation and overall deliverability?
How do DMARC, spam complaints, and IP reputation affect email deliverability and rejections?
How do spam reports affect email domain reputation and deliverability?
