When seeking alternatives to Validity certification for email deliverability, the consensus among many email professionals points towards a foundational approach: rigorous adherence to email best practices. While certification services can offer certain benefits, especially for high-volume senders or those interacting with specific mailbox providers, a strong internal deliverability strategy often provides similar or better results without the recurring cost.
Key findings
Best practices reign: Many experts and marketers suggest that diligently following email best practices, from list acquisition to content quality and technical setup, is the most effective and free alternative to certification.
Certification's dual nature: Certification services can be categorized into those that offer minimal value and those with strict requirements. The latter's primary benefit often comes from the forced cleanup of processes during compliance, rather than the certification itself, though a slight direct deliverability uplift may occur.
Provider relationships: The limited number of certification providers is due to the need for long-standing, trusted relationships with mailbox providers, which are difficult and time-consuming to build.
Data value: A key, often underplayed, benefit of some certifications is the access to proprietary data feeds that provide insights into sender performance at participating mailbox providers (MBPs).
Specific benefits: Validity certification, for instance, has been cited for potentially mitigating Microsoft's erratic behavior and increasing concurrent connections to specific ISPs like Orange, which can boost delivery speed.
Key considerations
Cost-benefit analysis: Senders should evaluate if the potential, often minor, deliverability uplift provided by certification justifies the significant ongoing cost, especially when considering alternative strategies.
Internal optimization: Focusing on core deliverability elements, such as consistent sending practices and maintaining a good domain reputation, can yield substantial improvements without external certification.
Alternative services: Consider professional services or platforms that offer proactive deliverability monitoring, consulting, and support for inbox placement.
Trust and credibility: Building trust directly with mailbox providers through consistent, compliant sending can often be more impactful than relying solely on a third-party endorsement. Learn more about the concept of email certification from Badsender's insights.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often discuss the practical value of certification versus the direct application of email best practices. While some marketers face client demands for certification, many find that a robust, internally managed deliverability strategy is sufficient, if not superior, for achieving good inbox placement. The debate often centers on whether the tangible benefits outweigh the significant financial investment.
Key opinions
Best practices are paramount: Marketers frequently argue that adhering to strict email best practices—from subscriber acquisition to maintaining a clean list—is the most effective and cost-efficient way to ensure high deliverability.
Certification isn't a silver bullet: Many believe that certification might offer only marginal benefits, especially if a sender already employs good practices. They question if it genuinely alters outcomes beyond what good sender behavior can achieve.
Perceived client need: Some marketers acknowledge that clients may insist on certification, viewing it as a necessary badge of trust, even if its practical impact on deliverability is debatable.
Minimal disruption when de-certified: One marketer reported minimal deliverability issues when a client discontinued certification, suggesting that the underlying sender reputation and practices are more influential.
Market competition: Some marketers ponder why more companies don't offer certification if it's truly valuable, suggesting a potential lack of perceived market demand or profitability.
Key considerations
Self-assessment focus: Instead of certification, prioritize internal audits and continuous improvement of sending practices, including list hygiene and content relevance.
Targeted solutions: For specific issues, consider dedicated tools like email validation services to reduce bounce rates and improve list quality.
Proactive monitoring: Implement robust deliverability monitoring to identify and address issues promptly, regardless of certification status. Learn more from MarTech's guide on what marketers need to know about email deliverability.
Educate clients: If a client insists on certification, explain the nuances and potential limitations, redirecting their focus towards the more impactful foundational aspects of email deliverability.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that if you consistently follow best practices throughout your email program, starting from subscriber acquisition, you may not require any formal certification, which also comes with the benefit of being free.
07 Mar 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Quora notes that for transactional emails, services like Mandrill, Sparkpost, or for bulk emails, Sendgrid and Amazon SES are often considered strong contenders.
08 Mar 2024 - Quora
What the experts say
Experts in email deliverability hold nuanced views on certification. While acknowledging the potential for some benefits, particularly in specific ISP interactions or access to unique data, they generally emphasize that foundational technical compliance and proactive sender management are far more critical for long-term deliverability success. The deep relationships required for certification also explain its exclusivity.
Key opinions
Core practices are essential: Experts consistently highlight that comprehensive best practices, encompassing technical aspects and subscriber engagement, are the primary drivers of deliverability, often rendering certification unnecessary.
Certification's true value: Some certifications can provide a minor deliverability boost, especially at large consumer ISPs, and for high-volume senders, this incremental improvement might justify the investment.
Exclusivity of certification: The scarcity of certification providers stems from the multi-year effort required to build trusted, long-term relationships with mailbox providers, making market entry difficult for new players.
Data insights: Beyond direct deliverability benefits, certified senders often receive valuable daily reports and data feeds, including exclusive metrics like Microsoft SRD, which can offer deeper insights into performance.
Advocacy and support: For some certifications, a key benefit is the provider's ability to advocate for clients with mailbox providers and assist in resolving deliverability issues, acting as an intermediary.
Key considerations
Holistic deliverability: Develop a comprehensive deliverability strategy that includes robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, and content optimization.
Reputation management: Actively monitor and manage your sender reputation. Understanding and improving your email domain reputation is a continuous process.
Engagement monitoring: Prioritize recipient engagement and quickly address feedback loops and abuse reports to maintain a healthy sender status, as advised by SpamResource.
Tailored strategies: Recognize that deliverability strategies must be tailored to specific mailbox providers and recipient demographics, as general certifications may not address all nuances, a point often made by WordtotheWise.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks believes that certifications fall into two categories: those that are generally worthless, and those with strict requirements that can offer a slight benefit, primarily because the compliance process itself improves deliverability.
07 Mar 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from SpamResource.com regularly advises that sender reputation is built over time through consistent good sending habits, rather than relying solely on third-party certifications.
08 Mar 2024 - SpamResource.com
What the documentation says
Technical documentation and industry resources often highlight the core components of email deliverability, emphasizing authentication, reputation, and proper list management. While certification is mentioned as a potential aid, the fundamental principles of good sending are consistently underscored as the most impactful factors. Documentation frequently provides practical steps and explanations for improving deliverability through direct technical implementation rather than reliance on third-party accreditation.
Key findings
Importance of sending domains: Using branded or dedicated sending domains is crucial for maintaining control over sender reputation and directly improving deliverability, as detailed in various help centers.
Reputation is key: Official guides stress that understanding and actively improving your domain and IP reputation is vital, often through monitoring tools and adherence to best practices.
Email authentication: Many resources explain how proper configuration of protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is fundamental for proving sender legitimacy and preventing spoofing, thereby enhancing deliverability.
List hygiene: Documentation frequently advises on the importance of email verification and list cleaning to minimize bounce rates and avoid spam traps, both of which significantly impact deliverability.
Certification context: Email certification is generally presented as a paid service from a trusted third party, complementing, rather than replacing, core deliverability efforts.
Key considerations
Implement authentication: Ensure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up and aligned. Errors in these configurations can severely impact inbox placement, as outlined in guides for fixing common DMARC issues.
Monitor deliverability metrics: Regularly check your email sending reputation and deliverability rates using available tools and analytics.
Maintain list health: Continuously clean your email lists to remove invalid or unengaged addresses. This is a primary recommendation from Klaviyo's help center regarding third-party tools.
Content and engagement: Ensure your email content is relevant and engaging to encourage positive recipient interactions, which signal good reputation to ISPs.
Technical article
Documentation from Klaviyo Help Center indicates that branded sending domains, also known as dedicated sending domains, offer greater control over sender reputation and can enhance deliverability.
08 Mar 2024 - Klaviyo Help Center
Technical article
Documentation from Twilio's blog recommends utilizing various email reputation checker tools and statistics to improve email deliverability and strengthen domain reputation.