Summary
When surveying cancelled customers via email, protecting sender reputation requires a comprehensive approach. It begins with understanding the legal landscape regarding contacting former customers. Experts emphasize list hygiene, which involves removing unengaged subscribers and segmenting based on prior engagement. Transparency is vital; avoid using different email addresses and be honest about the survey's purpose. Implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and monitor spam rates diligently. A double opt-in approach may be used, and sending to users who have unsubscribed is generally discouraged. If emailing is necessary, ensure compliance with anti-spam laws. Sending should be a gradual process that is trickled into normal email traffic with list cleaning, personalization, and a clear unsubscribe option provided in the survey email.
Key findings
- Legal Compliance: Research the legal aspects of emailing cancelled customers, focusing on subscription and unsubscribe status.
- List Segmentation: Segment based on previous engagement; target active users first and cull unengaged recipients.
- Transparency: Be upfront about the survey's purpose and avoid using a different email address.
- Email Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your domain and improve deliverability.
- Spam Rate Monitoring: Keep spam rates below 0.10% and monitor continuously.
- Double Opt-in: Consider a double opt-in approach for the survey.
- Unsubscribed Users: Avoid emailing unsubscribed users to prevent legal issues and reputational damage.
- Re-engagement: Use re-engagement campaigns to determine who is still interested and willing to be emailed.
- Volume Control: Keep survey email volume low (5-10% of total sends) to minimize deliverability impact.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene Impact: Clean email list with high quality subscribers leads to improved sender reputation.
- Reputation Damage: Emailing unsubscribed or highly disengaged users can severely damage sender reputation.
- Subject Line Testing: A/B test subject lines to improve open rates and reduce spam flags.
- Unsubscribe Ease: Offer a clear and straightforward unsubscribe process.
- Personalization: Ensure that survey invites are personalized with customer data for higher response.
- Gradual sending: Take a sensible approach and trickle emails into normal traffic is also recommended.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
When surveying cancelled customers via email, protecting sender reputation is paramount. Experts and marketers advise a multi-faceted approach including legal review, list segmentation based on engagement, clear unsubscribe options, and warming up recipients with re-engagement campaigns. Sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), regular list cleaning, A/B testing subject lines, a straightforward unsubscribe process, consistent email frequency, and personalized emails are all key. A double opt-in approach for surveys is also suggested. Keeping volume low and monitoring spam rates are essential to maintaining a positive sender reputation.
Key opinions
- Legal Compliance: Ensure legal permission to email cancelled customers, considering subscription status and unsubscribe preferences.
- Segmentation is Key: Segment the list based on previous engagement levels, targeting active users first.
- Engagement Focus: Deep dive into past behavior and cull highly unengaged recipients before sending surveys.
- Re-engage before survey: Run a re-engagement campaign before sending a survey to warm up the recipients
- Unsubscribe Option: Include a clear unsubscribe link, respecting customer preferences and reducing spam complaints.
- Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your domain and improve email deliverability.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers.
- Volume Control: Keep survey email volume low (5-10% of total sends) to minimize deliverability impact.
- Double Opt-in: Consider a double opt-in approach by first asking if the recipient wants to participate in a survey.
- Spam Monitoring: Continuously monitor spam rates to maintain a positive sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation Impact: Sending to disengaged recipients can negatively impact sender reputation.
- Subject Line Relevance: Use A/B testing to create relevant and clear subject lines to improve engagement and avoid spam flags.
- Unsubscribe Ease: Ensure a clear and easy unsubscribe process is provided.
- Email Frequency: Maintain a consistent email frequency to set expectations and avoid alarming recipients.
- Personalization Techniques: Personalizing email content is helpful in increasing response.
Marketer view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests if you keep the volume low % of your total sends and are thoughtful about your segments, you can probably avoid the more severe impacts on deliverability.
6 Sep 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Vertical Response Blog suggests to personalize your survey emails. Vertical Response recommends using the recipient's name and referencing their previous interactions with your business to increase engagement and decrease spam complaints.
8 Jul 2022 - Vertical Response Blog
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts recommend transparency and caution when surveying cancelled customers. It's advised to avoid using a different email address and instead be upfront about the purpose of the email. List hygiene is crucial, and removing unengaged subscribers can greatly improve sender reputation. Emailing unsubscribed users is generally not recommended due to potential legal and deliverability issues. If necessary, ensure compliance and consider using a separate domain. There is no rush so taking a sensible approach and trickling emails into normal traffic is also recommended.
Key opinions
- Transparency: Be honest and upfront about the reason for contacting cancelled customers.
- List Hygiene: Removing unengaged subscribers improves sender reputation.
- Unsubscribed Users: Emailing unsubscribed users is generally not advisable.
- Gradual approach: Taking a sensible approach and trickling emails into normal traffic is also recommended.
Key considerations
- Sender Authenticity: Avoid using a different email address to maintain transparency.
- Legal Compliance: Ensure compliance with anti-spam laws before contacting unsubscribed users.
- Reputation Damage: Emailing unsubscribed users can damage your sender reputation.
- Domain Separation: If contacting unsubscribed users is necessary, consider using a separate sending domain.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains it is generally not advisable to email users who have unsubscribed. They state that doing so could damage your sender reputation and potentially violate anti-spam laws. If you must contact unsubscribed users, ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and consider using a separate sending domain.
17 Nov 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks recommends not sending from a different email address, to own what you’re doing, be honest about why you’re reaching out, confirm it’s a one-time thing and then do that. The bigger risk is spam reports and faking some sincerity and humility will go a long way to mitigate that (the first time).
27 Jul 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Email deliverability documentation emphasizes maintaining a clean list, segmenting based on engagement, monitoring spam rates, warming up your IP address, and avoiding unsolicited bulk email. Removing unengaged recipients reduces bounces and spam complaints, while segmentation allows targeting of active subscribers. Keeping spam rates below 0.10% and gradually increasing sending volume helps maintain a positive sender reputation. Sending unsolicited bulk email, especially to cancelled users, is considered abuse and risks being flagged as spam.
Key findings
- Clean List: Maintaining a clean email list by removing unengaged recipients is crucial.
- Segmentation: Segment your email list based on engagement to target active subscribers.
- Spam Rate Monitoring: Monitor and maintain a low spam rate (below 0.10%).
- IP Warm-up: Gradually warm up your IP address by slowly increasing sending volume.
- Avoid Unsolicited Email: Avoid sending unsolicited bulk email, especially to cancelled users.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation Impact: Sending to disengaged users negatively impacts sender reputation.
- Deliverability Issues: High spam rates can lead to significant deliverability problems.
- ISPs Scrutiny: Gradual IP warm-up establishes a positive reputation with ISPs.
- Abuse Flags: Unsolicited bulk email can result in your emails being flagged as spam or abuse.
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains the importance of warming up your IP address gradually. SparkPost recommends slowly increasing your sending volume over time to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.
17 Mar 2022 - SparkPost Documentation
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools emphasizes the importance of monitoring your spam rates. Google states that high spam rates can lead to deliverability issues and recommends keeping your spam rate below 0.10% to ensure your emails reach the inbox.
16 Dec 2023 - Google Postmaster Tools
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