Summary
Dealing with an email list that contains subscribers who may have been opted in without explicit consent, while simultaneously experiencing low open rates despite high reported inboxing, presents a complex deliverability challenge. The core problem lies in the potential for misaligned data, where an email service provider's (ESP) inboxing rate might indicate delivery to the mailbox, but not necessarily to the primary inbox, leading to poor engagement. This situation can significantly harm your sender reputation and campaign effectiveness. It requires a strategic approach to list management and a deep dive into true inbox placement, rather than relying solely on reported metrics. Understanding the nuances of email deliverability and open rates is key to resolving these issues and fostering a healthy email program, as outlined by best practices in email opt-in marketing.
Key findings
- Metric discrepancy: A high ESP-reported inboxing rate (e.g., 98%) coupled with a very low open rate (e.g., 1%) and customer feedback about emails going to spam indicates a significant disconnect between reported delivery and actual inbox placement, suggesting emails are likely landing in spam or less visible tabs.
- Consent uncertainty: The inability to differentiate between truly opted-in and unconsented users is a critical compliance and deliverability risk, as sending to unconsented recipients can lead to higher spam complaints and poor engagement.
- Filtering, not blocking: The issue is likely email filtering to spam folders (e.g., Gmail's Promotions tab or directly to junk) rather than hard bounces or blocks, which explains the high inboxing rate on paper but low engagement in practice.
- Engagement as a signal: Low open rates are a clear signal to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that recipients are not engaged with the content, brand, or sender, which can negatively impact sender reputation and future inboxing.
Key considerations
- Prioritise re-consent or removal: For users with unknown consent status, consider a re-consent campaign or progressive removal of unengaged segments to clean your list and establish clear permission.
- Verify true inbox placement: Do not solely rely on ESP-reported inboxing rates. Conduct independent seed testing and monitor per-ISP open rates to understand actual inbox and tab placement.
- Segment based on engagement: Segment your audience based on recent engagement (e.g., opens, clicks) to identify and target genuinely active subscribers, rather than making broad cuts that could eliminate potentially valuable contacts.
- Address underlying reputation issues: If emails are consistently going to spam, it's a reputation issue. Focus on improving engagement, reducing complaints, and ensuring proper authentication (e.g., DMARC, SPF, DKIM) to repair your sender reputation.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often grapple with the challenge of managing existing lists where consent records are unclear, especially when facing declining engagement metrics. The core dilemma revolves around preserving a marketable audience versus ensuring strong sender reputation. Many marketers experience the frustration of high inboxing rates paired with low open rates, suggesting emails are hitting the spam folder or promotional tabs. This leads to a difficult choice: should they attempt to re-engage, scrub unengaged contacts, or risk further damage to their deliverability? The consensus leans towards cautious, data-driven decisions to avoid drastic actions that could decimate a list, while acknowledging that low open rates are a red flag requiring immediate attention. Proper list hygiene and re-engagement strategies are frequently discussed as critical steps.
Key opinions
- Consent ambiguity: A primary concern is the inability to precisely identify which users provided consent, making list segmentation and compliance difficult.
- Balancing acts: Marketers aim to retain as many marketable contacts as possible while simultaneously striving to maintain a good sending reputation, often finding these goals in tension.
- Hidden filtering: High reported inboxing but low open rates often imply that emails are being filtered to less visible folders like spam or promotions, leading to a false sense of security regarding deliverability.
- Customer feedback importance: Direct customer feedback about emails going to spam is a crucial indicator, often more reliable than aggregated ESP metrics for diagnosing true inbox placement.
Key considerations
- Re-consent campaigns: Marketers should consider running re-consent campaigns for segments with uncertain consent to clarify permission and improve list quality.
- Engagement-based segmentation: Segmenting lists by engagement levels (e.g., active in last 3-6 months) can help identify at-risk segments and prevent sending to completely unengaged users who might trigger spam traps.
- Diagnostic clarity: Before taking drastic measures like mass opt-outs, it's essential to pinpoint the exact nature of the deliverability problem (e.g., spam folder placement, specific ISP issues) through detailed analysis.
- Impact of list scrubbing: Be cautious when scrubbing lists, as removing all non-openers could decimate the list, especially if low open rates are due to hidden filtering rather than true disengagement.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains their main issue is being unable to identify which subscribers genuinely opted in versus those who did not provide consent. This ambiguity creates a significant challenge in managing their email list effectively for deliverability and compliance.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks states their goal is to maintain a substantial, marketable audience while simultaneously preserving a strong sender reputation. They seek strategies that allow them to balance these two critical objectives without compromising either.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts consistently emphasize that reported inboxing rates from ESPs can be misleading if they don't account for actual placement within a recipient's mailbox (e.g., primary inbox vs. spam/promotions). A high inboxing rate coupled with extremely low open rates is a classic symptom of filtering issues, where emails are delivered but not seen. Experts advocate for a rigorous diagnostic process to pinpoint the true problem before taking any actions that could inadvertently damage a list, especially when dealing with ambiguous consent. They stress that cutting unengaged users can help reputation, but only after a clear understanding of the engagement data, considering factors like automatic opens and pre-fetching. Repairing domain reputation, particularly with major ISPs like Google and Microsoft, requires time and consistent effort, often involving a reduction in volume to unengaged segments. As often stated on expert platforms like Spam Resource, a clean and engaged list is the foundation of good deliverability.
Key opinions
- Data interpretation: Experts highlight that a high inboxing rate from panel data does not necessarily mean emails are landing in the primary inbox; they could still be filtered to spam or secondary tabs, leading to low engagement.
- Thorough diagnosis: It is crucial to first accurately identify the specific problem rather than making assumptions. This involves looking beyond basic metrics and understanding factors like email tab placement.
- Cautious list management: Blindly scrubbing an entire list based on low open rates can be catastrophic, especially if the low rates are due to filtering rather than true disengagement.
- Reputation repair timeline: Repairing sender reputation, particularly with major providers, is a process that takes weeks for Google and even longer for Microsoft, requiring sustained effort and careful list management.
Key considerations
- Seek specific insights: Determine which specific domains are causing issues and if panel data can reveal tab placement at providers like Google.
- Utilise seed tests: Conduct independent seed tests to get an unbiased view of actual inbox placement across various ISPs and email clients.
- Understand bot opens: Investigate whether the ESP filters out automatic opens or pre-fetching, as these can inflate open rates and mask underlying engagement issues.
- Strategic volume reduction: Consider carefully reducing email volume to unengaged segments to aid in reputation repair, but only after a clear understanding of the problem to avoid unintended list destruction.
Expert view
Email expert from Email Geeks indicates that most solutions to complex deliverability problems are often difficult to hear. If non-consenting individuals are mixed with consented subscribers, a re-consent campaign is likely necessary, even if starting over is impractical for the entire list.
Expert view
Email expert from Email Geeks suggests that solving intricate deliverability issues requires more than high-level advice from a forum; it demands a comprehensive and in-depth plan tailored to the specific situation.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and best practices from leading email platforms and industry bodies consistently underscore the importance of explicit consent and vigilant monitoring of engagement metrics for optimal email deliverability. They highlight that true inbox placement extends beyond mere delivery to the server, encompassing factors like tab placement (e.g., Gmail's Promotions tab) and recipient engagement. Low open rates, even when delivery rates are high, are often a strong indicator of emails being routed away from the primary inbox due to perceived lack of engagement or potential spam signals. Documentation advises that sender reputation is built on consistent positive recipient interaction and adherence to anti-spam guidelines, making regular list hygiene and re-engagement strategies crucial. Ultimately, ensuring emails reach the inbox and are opened requires a user-centric approach to list management and monitoring, alongside diligent efforts to prevent emails going to spam.
Key findings
- Consent is paramount: Explicit, permission-based opt-in is the fundamental best practice for email marketing to ensure compliance, foster recipient trust, and avoid spam complaints.
- Engagement drives inboxing: ISPs increasingly use engagement metrics (opens, clicks, replies, deletes without opening) as key indicators for sender reputation and inbox placement decisions.
- Low open rates as warnings: Documentation consistently identifies low open rates as a critical red flag, signaling potential issues with content relevance, list quality, or spam folder delivery.
- List hygiene importance: Regular cleaning of unengaged subscribers and maintaining list quality are emphasized as crucial for sustaining positive sender reputation and preventing blocklisting.
Key considerations
- Implement clear opt-in: Utilize double opt-in or a clear, transparent single opt-in process to gather verifiable consent from subscribers.
- Monitor beyond delivery: Go beyond simple delivery rates and monitor inbox placement, tab placement, and engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and complaint rates rigorously.
- Segment and prune: Proactively segment and, if necessary, remove subscribers who consistently show no engagement to prevent them from harming your sender reputation.
- Content and relevance: Ensure that email content is relevant, valuable, and personalized to encourage higher engagement and positive recipient interactions.
Technical article
Email marketing documentation from Salesforce emphasizes that opt-in email marketing is crucial for cultivating engagement through consent and acknowledging recipient preferences. This approach builds trust and ensures a more responsive audience for marketing communications.
Technical article
Email deliverability documentation from Email on Acid highlights that low open rates can be improved significantly through effective list hygiene and segmentation strategies. They suggest sending re-engagement emails to inactive subscribers as a proactive step.
Related resources
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