Summary
The question of whether including a bra size grid with numerous links in marketing emails affects deliverability is complex. While the grid format itself isn't inherently problematic, the sheer volume of individual links it can contain may raise red flags with spam filters and inbox providers (ISPs). Past issues, such as higher bounces reported by a client using a different email service provider (ESP), highlight the need for careful consideration and testing.
Key findings
- Link quantity: A high number of links (e.g., 50+) in a single email can be perceived as suspicious by spam filters, regardless of the content of the links. This is a common factor influencing why emails go to spam.
- Content relevance: Sending a broad range of irrelevant links to recipients, even if well-intended, can negatively impact user engagement metrics, which indirectly affect deliverability.
- HTML complexity: Emails with excessive HTML, often a result of many links or complex layouts, can sometimes trigger filters. Clean HTML coding is crucial for good delivery.
- Bounce analysis: Without specific bounce codes or data from the previous ESP, it's challenging to pinpoint the exact cause of historical deliverability issues. Bounces can stem from various factors, not solely content.
Key considerations
- Audience segmentation: Leverage customer data to personalize emails and provide only relevant size options, significantly reducing the number of links required per email. This can also increase email click-through rates.
- Progressive disclosure: Instead of a full grid, provide a few popular or recommended sizes directly in the email, with a single link to a comprehensive size guide on the website.
- A/B testing: Test variations of the email, one with the full grid and one with fewer links or a more simplified approach, to observe deliverability and engagement metrics with your current ESP.
- Monitoring: Continuously monitor your deliverability rates and sender reputation when implementing new email content strategies. Pay close attention to blocklist monitoring and ISP feedback loops.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often face trade-offs between rich, interactive content and maintaining optimal deliverability. When it comes to including extensive link grids, the primary concern tends to be the sheer volume of links rather than the specific content. Marketers frequently look for ways to balance engaging content with the need to land in the inbox.
Key opinions
- Quantity over format: Many marketers believe the issue isn't the 'grid' itself but the 'awful lot of links' it entails. Spam filters may view emails with hundreds of links suspiciously.
- Personalization is key: A strong recommendation is to personalize the content, sending recipients only links relevant to their known preferences or sizes, rather than a comprehensive (and overwhelming) grid.
- Limited historical data: Marketers frequently express frustration with diagnosing past deliverability issues when specific bounce codes or granular data from previous ESPs are unavailable, making it difficult to confirm causality.
- Testing approach: A/B testing the 'grid vs. no grid' approach is considered a practical way to gauge the actual impact on current deliverability metrics.
Key considerations
- User experience first: Beyond deliverability, consider if a massive grid of links offers the best user experience. Too many choices can be overwhelming.
- Progressive profiling: If size information isn't known, marketers suggest directing users to a landing page with the full grid, or using fewer, more general links in the email itself.
- Image-to-text ratio: If the grid is primarily image-based, marketers should also consider the impact of image-to-text ratio on deliverability.
- Link tracking: Marketers frequently use ESP click tracking, which involves link shorteners. Understanding how link shorteners affect deliverability is important.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests the total count of links might be the issue, rather than the grid format. A large number of links can potentially trigger spam filters.
Marketer view
Deliverability specialist from Mapp says it’s essential to analyze the exact bounce reasons, if possible. Without this data, it is difficult to determine if the grid was the direct cause of the previous deliverability issues.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts typically focus on the aggregate impact of email content, including the quantity and quality of links. While a single element like a bra size grid might not be a direct 'spam trigger,' its implementation, especially with a high link count, can contribute to a larger pattern that filters might flag. Best practices emphasize relevance and a clean email structure.
Key opinions
- Link density: Experts generally agree that an unusually high number of links within an email can negatively influence deliverability. This is because it mimics behaviors often seen in spam or phishing attempts.
- Engagement signals: If a large grid leads to lower click-through rates or higher unsubscribe rates due to irrelevance or clutter, these negative engagement signals can harm sender reputation over time.
- HTML validation: Complex HTML structures, especially those with many links, can sometimes introduce coding errors that make emails harder for ISPs to render, potentially impacting placement.
- Bounce investigation: Without detailed bounce codes (e.g., hard vs. soft bounces, specific ISP error messages), it's impossible for experts to definitively diagnose past deliverability failures.
Key considerations
- Recipient relevance: Prioritizing personalized content that aligns with known user preferences significantly reduces the risk of flagging by filters and improves user experience.
- Alternative display: Consider displaying the bra size grid as an image that links to a single landing page, where the individual clickable sizes are provided. This reduces the number of embedded links in the email.
- Sender reputation: Maintain a strong sender reputation through consistent sending practices, low complaint rates, and proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). A good reputation can mitigate some content-based risks.
- Testing environment: Utilize deliverability testing tools to preview how different email content, including link density, renders and is scored by various ISPs.
Expert view
Deliverability expert from Email Geeks states that the issue isn't the 'grid' itself but the sheer volume of links within the email. A high number of links can potentially be seen as suspicious by spam filters.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource advises that content that is too generalized and not tailored to the recipient can lead to low engagement. This, in turn, can negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability.
What the documentation says
While specific documentation rarely addresses bra size grids, general guidelines from RFCs and ISP best practices emphasize clean HTML, reasonable content length, and avoidance of anything resembling spammy patterns. A high number of links, regardless of their visual presentation, can sometimes fall into the latter category due to its association with malicious emails.
Key findings
- Link count: ISPs generally advise against an excessive number of links in email bodies, as this is a common characteristic of phishing emails and spam. While no hard limit exists, hundreds of links are typically problematic.
- HTML validity: Ensuring the email's HTML is well-formed and validates against standards is critical for consistent rendering and avoiding flags from content filters. Poorly constructed HTML can negatively impact email deliverability.
- Image-heavy content: If the grid is primarily an image with embedded links (image map), documentation advises balancing images with text content to avoid emails being flagged as image-only spam.
- Email size: A large number of links can increase the overall size of the email, potentially leading to slower load times or truncation by some email clients, affecting user experience and indirectly deliverability.
Key considerations
- Clear call to action: Documentation often stresses the importance of clear, concise calls to action. A multitude of links can dilute the primary message and user intent.
- Plain text version: Always include a well-formatted plain text version of the email, ensuring that recipients can still access information even if HTML rendering is an issue. The plain text version should also reflect the brevity of links.
- Reputation is paramount: ISP documentation consistently emphasizes that strong sender reputation is key. Content issues are more likely to cause problems for senders with a shaky reputation. See best practices to improve email deliverability.
- Dynamic content: Leverage dynamic content or AMP for Email to show a personalized subset of options, rather than a static, comprehensive grid with numerous links.
Technical article
RFC 5322 (Internet Message Format) specifies the general structure of email messages. While not directly addressing link quantity, it outlines how various parts of an email, including body content, should be structured to ensure proper parsing by email systems. Excessively complex or large HTML due to many links could strain parsing limits.
Technical article
ISP Postmaster pages often advise senders to avoid practices common in spam. These include using a disproportionately high number of links relative to the text content, as this is a known indicator of unwanted bulk mail. Their filtering systems are designed to detect such patterns.
Related resources
3 resources
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