Summary
A sudden drop in email open rates after implementing email authentication can be attributed to a multitude of factors. Focusing on current issues rather than dwelling on past setups is crucial. Key issues include a decline in sender reputation caused by spam complaints, blacklisting, compromised accounts, poor list hygiene (high bounce rates and unengaged users), list bombing, and changes in email content (spam trigger words, suspicious links, or irrelevant content). Moreover, inconsistent sending frequency, emails landing in spam/promotions folders, and declines in user engagement (opens, clicks, deletes) play a significant role. Implementing a sunset policy, maintaining list hygiene, monitoring deliverability, checking blocklists, securing accounts, and improving content relevance and engagement are vital considerations.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation Impact: Poor sender reputation, despite authentication, is a primary cause due to spam complaints, blacklisting, and low engagement.
- List Hygiene Issues: Poor list hygiene, including high bounce rates and unengaged subscribers, damages sender reputation and deliverability.
- Content Relevance & Quality: Irrelevant, unengaging, or spammy content leads to lower open rates and increased spam complaints.
- Sending Practices: Inconsistent sending frequency, volume spikes, and potential list bombing activities negatively impact deliverability.
- Account Security: Compromised accounts sending spam can ruin IP and sender reputation.
- Email Placement Problems: Emails landing in spam or promotions folders, despite authentication, hinder open rates.
Key considerations
- Focus on Current Problems: Prioritize fixing known issues instead of dwelling on past setups.
- Improve List Hygiene: Implement a sunset policy for unengaged users and regularly clean the email list to remove invalid addresses.
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Continuously monitor sender reputation metrics and address any negative feedback or complaints.
- Optimize Email Content: Ensure content is relevant, engaging, and free of spam trigger words to improve deliverability and engagement.
- Maintain Consistent Sending: Establish a consistent sending frequency and avoid sudden volume spikes to minimize spam filtering.
- Secure Accounts & Systems: Implement robust security measures to prevent account compromises and unauthorized sending activity.
- Monitor Deliverability & Placement: Regularly check email placement in different inboxes (spam, promotions, inbox) to identify and address filtering issues. A/B test subject lines and preview text.
- Segment Email List: Segment email list to send only content that matters to the right person.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
A sudden drop in email open rates after fixing email authentication can be attributed to various factors. These include sender reputation issues caused by spam complaints, blacklisting, poor list hygiene (high bounce rates), changes in email content (spam trigger words), inconsistent sending frequency, and irrelevant/unengaging content. Even with proper authentication, emails may land in spam or promotions folders. A/B testing subject lines and preview text, sending emails to segmented lists, and focusing on consistent sending practices are also important considerations.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: Even with authentication, sender reputation remains crucial. Issues like spam complaints and blacklisting can significantly impact open rates.
- List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene, leading to high bounce rates, damages sender reputation and deliverability.
- Content Relevance: Irrelevant or unengaging content leads to recipients ignoring or deleting emails, lowering open rates.
- Content Changes: Changes in email content, such as the use of spam trigger words or suspicious links, can negatively impact deliverability.
- Sending Practices: Inconsistent sending frequency or sudden volume increases trigger spam filters and reduce open rates.
- Email Placement: Emails may be landing in spam/promotions folders instead of the inbox, even with authentication.
Key considerations
- Monitor Deliverability: Regularly monitor email placement to ensure your emails reach the inbox.
- Maintain Consistent Sending: Establish and maintain a consistent sending schedule to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Improve List Hygiene: Clean your email list regularly to remove invalid addresses and unengaged subscribers.
- Check Content: Review email content for spam trigger words and ensure links are trustworthy.
- Improve Content: Create engaging, valuable and relevant content for your subscribers to keep them interested.
- Improve Engagement: A/B test subject lines and preview text to improve engagement.
- Segment lists: Send only content that matters to the right person.
Marketer view
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares to increase your email open rates by sending them to segmented lists. Send only content that matters to the right person.
26 Jul 2023 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view
Email marketer from Sender.net explains that changes in email content, especially the use of spam trigger words or suspicious links, can negatively impact deliverability, leading to lower open rates despite proper authentication.
16 May 2023 - Sender.net
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
A sudden drop in email open rates, even after fixing authentication, can stem from several key issues. Rather than focusing on why previous incorrect setups may have worked, prioritize addressing current known problems. List bombing, where malicious actors sign up legitimate email addresses to numerous services, can lead to a surge in unengaged recipients. Additionally, continuing to send emails to older, unengaged users can negatively impact open rates; implementing a sunset policy to remove these users is advisable.
Key opinions
- Focus on Current Problems: Instead of dwelling on past setups, concentrate on resolving current deliverability issues.
- List Bombing Impact: List bombing can introduce unengaged recipients and lower open rates.
- Unengaged Users: Sending emails to older, unengaged users hurts overall open rate performance.
Key considerations
- Problem-Solving: Prioritize fixing what you know is wrong.
- Monitor for List Bombing: Be aware of potential list bombing activities.
- Sunset Policy: Implement a sunset policy to remove inactive users from your email list.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that a sudden drop in open rates can be caused by list bombing, where spammers sign up real email addresses to various services. If these addresses aren't permissioned appropriately, it can lead to a surge in low-quality emails and decreased engagement.
6 Nov 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks recommends focusing on fixing known problems instead of trying to determine why previous incorrect setups worked before, as that approach is unlikely to be fruitful.
14 Oct 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
A sudden drop in email open rates after fixing email authentication can be caused by a poor sender reputation stemming from sending unwanted mail, sudden spikes in email volume, and high complaint rates. Compromised accounts sending spam can ruin IP reputation. ISPs use feedback loops (FBLs), and high spam complaints negatively affect sender reputation. Being added to a blocklist severely impacts deliverability. Mailbox providers use engagement data (opens, clicks, deletes), and a decline in engagement leads to filtering and lower open rates.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation Matters: Even with proper authentication, sender reputation significantly impacts deliverability.
- Compromised Accounts: Compromised accounts sending spam negatively affect IP reputation.
- Feedback Loops: High spam complaint rates received through feedback loops hurt sender reputation.
- Blocklists: Being added to a blocklist severely impacts deliverability and open rates.
- Engagement Data: Mailbox providers use engagement data (opens, clicks, deletes) to assess sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Regularly monitor sender reputation and take steps to improve it.
- Secure Accounts: Implement security measures to prevent account compromises.
- Manage Complaints: Monitor and address spam complaints received through feedback loops.
- Check Blocklists: Regularly check if your IP or domain is on any blocklists and take steps to be removed if listed.
- Improve Engagement: Focus on improving email engagement (opens, clicks, deletes) to maintain a positive sender reputation.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC describes feedback loops (FBLs) used by ISPs. A high number of user spam complaints received through these loops can negatively affect sender reputation and cause deliverability issues despite correct authentication.
7 Jul 2022 - RFC-3965
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains that being added to a blocklist (blacklist) can severely impact deliverability and open rates, even with proper authentication. Regularly check if your IP or domain is on any blocklists and take steps to be removed.
29 Oct 2022 - SparkPost
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