Summary
Addressing deliverability issues with an acquired email list, particularly high abuse complaints from Microsoft, Yahoo, and Comcast, requires a comprehensive strategy. Key elements include proactive list hygiene, re-establishing consent through re-engagement campaigns and double opt-ins, and warming up the list and IP address gradually. Implementing robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), delivering relevant and valuable content, and carefully monitoring deliverability metrics are also crucial. It's important to remember that Gmail's feedback loop differs and to adjust sending practices based on observed metrics and user feedback, suppressing complainers or modifying mailings as needed.
Key findings
- List Hygiene: Employing reputable email verification services to remove invalid, inactive, and risky email addresses significantly reduces bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Re-engagement & Consent: Re-introducing the company with clear opt-out options or implementing permission pass campaigns allows subscribers to re-confirm their interest, improving engagement and reducing complaints.
- List and IP Warming: Gradually increasing sending volume to the acquired list and warming up the IP address over several weeks helps establish a positive sender reputation with ISPs.
- Email Authentication: Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for protecting the domain from spoofing and phishing attacks, improving deliverability and sender reputation.
- Content Relevance: Sending relevant and valuable content, aligned with subscriber interests and expectations, reduces spam complaints and improves engagement.
- Feedback Loop Monitoring: Actively monitoring complaint feedback loops from ISPs like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Comcast allows for prompt identification and resolution of deliverability issues.
- Segmentation: Segmenting the list based on engagement metrics from the previous provider and focusing on re-engaging active segments first improves deliverability.
Key considerations
- Gmail Feedback Loop: Recognize that Gmail's feedback loop is not traditional; complaint counts won't appear in standard reports.
- Bounce Handling: Examine reasons for soft bounces, retrying full mailboxes and permanently removing invalid MX records.
- Sender Reputation Management: Actively manage sender reputation by closely monitoring bounce rates and spam complaints and adjusting sending practices accordingly.
- Microsoft SmartScreen: Be aware that Microsoft's SmartScreen filters analyze email content, sender information, and user feedback to identify and block spam.
- Bulk Email Best Practices: Adhere to bulk email best practices, including clear unsubscribe options and obtaining explicit consent from subscribers.
- Throttling Sending Volume: Gradually increase the number of emails sent each day, starting with a small batch, to prevent being flagged as a spammer.
- Domain Acquisition: When sending after a domain acquisition, plan carefully to maintain deliverability.
What email marketers say
16 marketer opinions
Addressing deliverability issues with an acquired email list, particularly high abuse complaints from Microsoft, Yahoo, and Comcast, requires a multi-faceted approach. Experts recommend focusing on list hygiene, re-establishing consent, warming up the list and IP address, implementing email authentication protocols, sending relevant content, and closely monitoring deliverability metrics.
Key opinions
- List Hygiene: Cleaning the list with verification services (ZeroBounce, Neverbounce, Kickbox) to remove invalid addresses is essential.
- Re-engagement: Re-introducing the company with a clear opt-out, or sending permission pass campaigns helps engage those that want to stay on the list.
- Consent: Re-establishing consent is crucial, as subscribers may not recognize the new entity or remember opting in.
- Warming Up: Gradually increase sending volume and IP address warming to build a positive sender reputation with ISPs.
- Segmentation: Segmenting lists based on engagement metrics (opens, clicks) allows for focused re-engagement efforts.
- Email Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps protect against spoofing and improves deliverability.
- Relevant Content: Delivering relevant and valuable content keeps subscribers engaged and reduces spam complaints.
Key considerations
- Feedback Loops: Monitor feedback loops from ISPs and Mailchimp closely to address and resolve complaints quickly.
- Soft Bounces: Examine reasons for soft bounces, retrying full mailboxes and removing invalid MX records.
- Domain reputation: Conflating lists, warm up the acquired list and then migrate to your domain.
- Throttling: Throttling sending volume is important, especially for new lists. Slowly increase the amount you send each day.
- Gmail FBL: Gmail doesn't have a traditional FBL.
- Acquisition details: Always tell the new customers about the acquisition.
Marketer view
Email marketer from an Email Marketing Forum advises slowly warming up the IP address used to send emails to the acquired list. Gradually increasing the volume of emails sent over several weeks helps establish a positive sender reputation with ISPs and reduces the likelihood of being flagged as spam. He recommends starting with the most engaged users.
12 Feb 2024 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that high complaints, despite maintaining the original brand name, indicate unwanted or unexpected mail, likely due to an older list. Recommends sending a permission pass or re-engagement messages to suppress unengaged subscribers.
26 Nov 2021 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Addressing deliverability issues with acquired email lists requires careful monitoring of feedback loops, especially regarding complaints. Setting up proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and actively managing sender reputation are essential steps to maintain deliverability and adjust sending practices based on metrics like bounce rates and spam complaints.
Key opinions
- FBL Monitoring: Actively monitoring complaint feedback loops from ISPs is crucial for identifying and addressing high complaint rates.
- Authentication: Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is vital for proper email authentication.
- Sender Reputation: Actively managing sender reputation is essential for maintaining deliverability.
Key considerations
- Complaint Investigation: Investigate and address the reasons behind high complaint rates to improve deliverability.
- Metrics Tracking: Closely monitor bounce rates and spam complaints to adjust sending practices.
- Adaptation: Adjust sending practices based on observed metrics and feedback to maintain or improve deliverability.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise staff explains that sending after a domain acquisition requires careful planning to maintain deliverability. They recommend setting up proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and actively managing your sender reputation. It's essential to monitor bounce rates and spam complaints closely and adjust your sending practices accordingly.
2 Aug 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource (Laura Atkins) emphasizes the importance of actively monitoring complaint feedback loops (FBLs) from ISPs like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Comcast. High complaint rates indicate that a significant portion of your recipients are marking your emails as spam. Investigating and addressing the reasons for these complaints is crucial for improving deliverability. She recommends using the data to suppress complianters or change mailings.
8 Jan 2025 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Addressing deliverability issues with acquired email lists, as highlighted by Mailchimp, Microsoft, and Yahoo documentation, emphasizes list segmentation and cleaning, re-engagement campaigns, and obtaining explicit consent via double opt-in. Maintaining a positive sender reputation and authenticating emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential. Monitoring complaints and bounce rates is also vital to identify and resolve deliverability problems.
Key findings
- Segmentation & Re-engagement: Mailchimp advises segmenting acquired lists by engagement and running re-engagement campaigns.
- List Cleaning: Removing invalid email addresses before importing reduces bounces and complaints.
- Explicit Consent: Mailchimp recommends using double opt-in to reconfirm subscriber consent.
- Sender Reputation: Microsoft emphasizes the importance of sender reputation for deliverability to Outlook.com and Hotmail.
- Email Authentication: Yahoo describes SPF, DKIM, and DMARC as key for authenticating email and improving deliverability.
- Monitoring Metrics: Continuously monitor complaints and bounce rates to identify and address deliverability issues.
Key considerations
- SmartScreen Filters: Understand that Microsoft's SmartScreen filters analyze email content, sender info, and user feedback.
- Bulk Email Best Practices: Follow Yahoo's best practices for bulk email, including clear unsubscribe options.
Technical article
Documentation from Yahoo describes best practices for sending bulk emails to Yahoo Mail users, including obtaining explicit consent from subscribers, providing clear unsubscribe options, and authenticating email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Also, they recommend monitoring complaints and bounce rates, to identify and address deliverability issues.
29 Jul 2022 - Yahoo
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp advises segmenting the acquired list based on engagement and sending a re-engagement campaign before sending regular emails. Also, it is important to clean the list before importing, removing invalid email addresses to reduce bounces and complaints. Mailchimp recommends using double opt-in to reconfirm consent from subscribers.
31 Jan 2023 - Mailchimp
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