Summary
Despite consistent engagement, a drop in inbox placement can be attributed to a multitude of factors. Sender reputation, influenced by spam complaints, sending to invalid addresses, or landing in the bulk folder, plays a critical role. Poor list hygiene, IP and domain reputation issues, and failing email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) can also trigger spam filters. Content quality, inconsistent sending frequency, and changes in user behavior further contribute to placement problems. Moving to a new platform resets your sender reputation, while misconfigured DMARC policies or a lack of feedback loop integration can block legitimate emails or mask spam complaints. Inaccurate seed list results can also obscure the actual deliverability issue, and new or recently changed domains experience reduced placement due to unestablished reputation. Issues with third-party tools can also negatively affect deliverability.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation: Even with high engagement, a decline in sender reputation due to spam complaints, invalid addresses, or bulk folder placement significantly impacts deliverability.
- IP & Domain Reputation: Negative IP or domain reputation, regardless of engagement, leads to reduced inbox placement.
- Email Authentication: Failing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC authentication causes emails to be filtered as spam, overriding positive engagement.
- List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene (sending to inactive or invalid addresses) damages sender reputation and deliverability.
- Content Quality: Spam trigger words, poor HTML/text ratio, or broken links negatively affect inbox placement.
- Sending Frequency: Inconsistent sending patterns trigger spam filters despite good user engagement.
- Platform Migration: Switching to a new email platform resets your sender reputation, causing initial deliverability challenges.
- User Behaviour: Changes in user behavior (e.g., preference changes) impact deliverability, even if overall engagement seems stable.
- Feedback Loops: Not being signed up for feedback loops means you are missing valuable spam data
- Third Party Tools: Errors and misconfiguration in third party tools can have an impact on deliverability and should be checked when issues occur.
- Domain Age: Newer domains will have less placement
Key considerations
- Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor sender, IP, and domain reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Implement a consistent list cleaning process to remove inactive or invalid email addresses.
- Verify Authentication: Ensure proper configuration and validation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
- Optimize Content: Review email content for spam triggers and optimize HTML/text ratio.
- Establish Sending Consistency: Maintain a consistent sending frequency and volume to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Gradual Warm-Up: When migrating to a new platform, gradually warm up your IP address.
- Feedback Loop Implementation: Sign up for feedback loops with major ISPs to get insights into spam complaints.
- Third Party Tools: Ensure your third party tools and integrations are working correctly.
- Investigate Seed List Accuracy: Verify your seed list accuracy
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Despite consistent email engagement, inbox placement can drop due to various factors beyond immediate user interaction. These include sender reputation issues stemming from poor list hygiene (sending to inactive or invalid addresses), IP address reputation problems (being flagged for spam), domain reputation issues (association with past spam practices), and failing email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Content quality, such as spam trigger words or broken links, and inconsistent sending frequency can also trigger spam filters. Switching to a new email platform resets sender reputation, leading to initial deliverability challenges. Unexpected changes in user behavior within specific segments, issues with third-party tools, and a lack of feedback loop integration can further contribute to placement issues.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: A decline in sender reputation, even with good engagement, can lead to decreased inbox placement due to factors like poor list hygiene or spam complaints.
- IP/Domain Reputation: Negative IP or domain reputation, whether from past practices or association with spammers, can override positive engagement and affect deliverability.
- Authentication: Failing email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) can cause emails to be marked as spam, regardless of engagement.
- Content Quality: Spam trigger words, poor HTML/text ratio, or broken links in your email content can negatively impact inbox placement.
- Sending Frequency: Inconsistent sending patterns (sudden spikes or drops) can trigger spam filters despite good engagement.
- New Platform: Migrating to a new email platform resets your sender reputation, potentially causing temporary deliverability issues.
- User Behavior: Changes in user behavior within certain segments (e.g., preference changes or abandoned addresses) can affect inbox placement.
- Feedback Loops: Lack of feedback loop integration prevents awareness of spam complaints, hindering reputation management.
- Third Party Tools: Errors in third party tools can impact deliverability and thus it's worth investigating these when drops occur.
Key considerations
- Review Sender Reputation: Monitor sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and address any negative signals.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive or invalid addresses.
- Verify Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is configured correctly.
- Optimize Email Content: Review email content for spam trigger words, improve HTML/text ratio, and fix broken links.
- Establish Consistent Sending: Maintain a consistent sending frequency and avoid sudden spikes or drops in volume.
- Warm Up IP Address: When switching to a new platform, gradually warm up your IP address to build a positive reputation.
- Segment Email Lists: Segment your email lists to target users based on their behavior and preferences.
- Implement Feedback Loops: Sign up for feedback loops with major ISPs to receive information about spam complaints.
- Review Third Party Tools: Check tracking tools are configured and are working correctly as this can impact deliverability.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailNoob explains when you move to a new platform you're essentially starting from scratch in the eyes of ISPs. Your IP address has no established reputation, so even if your engagement rates are solid, you may experience deliverability issues initially.
12 Dec 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view
Email marketer from SenderGuardian blog post shares that not being signed up for feedback loops with major ISPs can mean you're missing valuable information about spam complaints. These complaints impact your sender reputation, even if overall engagement appears positive.
15 Oct 2024 - SenderGuardian
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
When inbox placement decreases despite maintained engagement, it often signals a drop in sender reputation, causing unengaged recipients' emails to be directed to the bulk folder. Emails landing in the bulk folder negatively impact reputation and future deliverability. Recovering sender reputation typically requires 2-3 weeks of consistent sending practices. Additionally, inaccurate seed list results may obscure the true deliverability problem, necessitating verification of their configuration. A new or recently changed domain also faces initially reduced placement rates until its reputation is established, irrespective of customer engagement.
Key opinions
- Reputation Decrease: Lowered inbox placement with stable engagement suggests a decline in sender reputation.
- Bulk Folder Impact: Emails routed to the bulk folder contribute to a negative reputation, hindering future deliverability.
- Recovery Time: Restoring sender reputation generally needs 2-3 weeks of consistent, positive sending behavior.
- Seed List Accuracy: Inaccurate seed list data can mask underlying deliverability problems.
- Domain Age: New or changed domains initially experience reduced placement due to unestablished reputation.
Key considerations
- Monitor Placement & Engagement: Continuously track inbox placement alongside engagement metrics for early problem detection.
- Improve Sending Practices: Focus on consistent sending practices and ensuring emails reach engaged users to improve reputation.
- Verify Seed List Configuration: Double-check the accuracy and configuration of seed lists to get reliable data.
- Build Domain Reputation: For new domains, prioritize gradual reputation building with consistent, high-quality email practices.
- Address Reputation Decrease: Identify and fix issues impacting reputation, such as spam complaints or low engagement from certain segments
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that every email in the bulk folder negatively impacts reputation, potentially affecting future email deliverability.
4 Nov 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that new or recently changed domains have a reduced reputation and will often have lower placement rates while the domain builds its reputation over time. This is regardless of how engaged existing customers are.
9 Feb 2022 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Despite good email engagement, a drop in inbox placement can stem from technical deliverability issues. Google Postmaster Tools highlights that sender reputation, influenced by spam complaints and sending to invalid addresses, is crucial. SparkPost emphasizes the importance of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). RFC standards point out that a missing or misconfigured reverse DNS (rDNS) record can negatively impact deliverability, while Microsoft notes that an incorrectly implemented restrictive DMARC policy can block legitimate emails.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation: Poor sender reputation due to spam complaints or sending to invalid addresses overrides good engagement.
- Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC): Failing authentication checks leads to spam filtering, even with engaged users.
- Reverse DNS (rDNS): Missing or misconfigured rDNS records can cause deliverability problems.
- DMARC Configuration: Incorrectly implemented restrictive DMARC policies can block legitimate emails.
Key considerations
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor sender reputation and address any issues.
- Implement Email Authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured to authenticate your emails.
- Configure Reverse DNS: Set up a proper reverse DNS (rDNS) record for your sending IP address.
- Review DMARC Policy: Carefully review and test your DMARC policy to avoid blocking legitimate emails.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC standard explains that not having a proper reverse DNS (rDNS) record can impact deliverability. Even if other aspects are correct, some email providers may flag emails without rDNS records as suspicious.
23 Feb 2024 - RFC Standard
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that sender reputation is crucial for inbox placement. Even if engagement is good, a poor sender reputation, based on factors like spam complaints or sending to invalid email addresses, can negatively affect deliverability.
16 Oct 2022 - Google
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