Summary
A significant drop in email open rates within the US segment on a particular Tuesday can be attributed to a multitude of factors spanning deliverability, content relevance, audience context, and technical configurations. Deliverability issues like spam filters, blacklisting (IP, domain, Spamhaus), and authentication problems (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are primary concerns. Content relevance, poor subject lines, sending time, and list engagement play a crucial role. The audience context includes socio-political events, regional outages, holidays, or even factors like the first day of the month or kids returning to school. Technical configurations, such as misconfigured SMTP servers, changes in email client market share, time zone differences, and issues with US-based ISPs also contribute. Regular list hygiene and adjustments based on A/B testing are essential for sustained engagement.
Key findings
- Deliverability Core Issues: Spam filters, blacklisting (IP, domain, Spamhaus), and authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are critical deliverability bottlenecks.
- Content and Engagement: Poor subject lines, irrelevant content, incorrect sending times, and disengaged subscriber lists negatively affect open rates.
- US Segment Sensitivity: The US segment is particularly sensitive to socio-political events, regional outages, and holidays.
- Technical Influences: Email client market share changes, time zone differences, and ISP-specific issues impact US deliverability.
- List Quality: List quality and hygiene, including high bounce rates and spam complaints, are significant factors.
Key considerations
- Deliverability Audit: Thoroughly check sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and blacklist status; investigate SMTP server configuration.
- Content Optimization: Craft compelling and relevant subject lines, personalize content to the US audience, and test optimal sending times.
- Contextual Awareness: Be aware of socio-political events, regional outages, and holidays in the US that may affect open rates; adjust sending strategies accordingly.
- US Segment Testing: Test email delivery to different US email providers and consider time zone differences when scheduling sends.
- List Hygiene Protocol: Implement a regular list hygiene process to remove inactive subscribers, manage bounce rates, and minimize spam complaints.
- A/B Testing: Run A/B tests on all elements (subject lines, sender names, content) to figure out the best configuration.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
A significant drop in email open rates within the US segment on a particular Tuesday can stem from a multitude of factors. Deliverability issues, such as spam filters, blacklisting, and authentication problems, are primary concerns. Sender reputation, irrelevant content, poor subject lines, and sending emails at the wrong time can also contribute. Segment-specific issues like regional outages, socio-political events, or holidays can disproportionately affect the US audience. Changes in email client market share, time zone differences, and specific deliverability issues with US-based ISPs need consideration. Finally, it's crucial to review sending volume, content, targeting, list quality, personalization efforts, and whether emails are mobile-friendly. A/B testing different elements can also help optimize open rates.
Key opinions
- Deliverability: Spam filters, blacklisting, and authentication issues significantly impact open rates.
- Content & Relevance: Irrelevant content and poor subject lines can lead to low engagement.
- Segment-Specific Factors: Regional outages, socio-political events, and holidays can disproportionately affect specific segments like the US.
- Technical Issues: Changes in email client market share and issues with US-based ISPs can influence open rates.
- List Quality: Problems with list quality have a big impact on open rates, and bounces.
Key considerations
- Check Deliverability: Review sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and spam filter triggers.
- Optimize Content: Craft compelling subject lines, personalize content, and ensure relevance to the US audience.
- Investigate Segment-Specific Events: Research any regional outages, news events, or holidays in the US that might have affected open rates.
- Review Sending Practices: Assess sending volume, targeting, list segmentation, and mobile-friendliness.
- Conduct A/B Testing: Test different elements like subject lines, send times, and sender names to optimize open rates.
- List Hygiene: Clean out any old or unengaged email addresses from the list
Marketer view
Email marketer from Gmass says that improving open rates involves crafting compelling subject lines that entice recipients to open the email. Use personalization, create urgency, and test different subject lines to optimize.
16 Feb 2022 - Gmass
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus shares that various factors can cause open rate variations, including changes in email client market share, the time of day the email was sent, and subject line testing. Also seasonality trends can play a part.
14 Feb 2024 - Litmus
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
Experts suggest several reasons for a significant drop in email open rates within the US segment. These include the timing of the send (the first day of the month, kids returning to school), underlying deliverability problems stemming from poor authentication, lack of list hygiene, irrelevant content, and poor list quality leading to high bounce rates and spam complaints.
Key opinions
- Timing Matters: The first day of the month and kids returning to school can impact open rates.
- Deliverability Problems: Decreased open rates can indicate underlying deliverability issues.
- List Quality is Crucial: Poor list quality, high bounce rates, and spam complaints directly affect open rates.
Key considerations
- Check Calendar: Consider the timing of your email sends in relation to the start of the month or school schedules.
- Review Deliverability Metrics: Thoroughly examine deliverability metrics to identify potential problems with authentication, sender reputation, and content relevance.
- Prioritize List Hygiene: Clean your email lists regularly to remove inactive subscribers and reduce bounce rates and spam complaints.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that decreased open rates can be a symptom of deliverability problems, and highlights the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, and content relevance to ensure emails reach the inbox. She recommends thoroughly reviewing deliverability metrics to pinpoint potential issues.
11 Apr 2025 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that low open rates are very often caused by list quality. High bounce rates and spam complaints have a big impact on open rates. Also not cleaning your email lists will impact this.
10 Jan 2023 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Email delivery, and consequently open rates, can be significantly affected by a number of technical factors according to official documentation. These include sender reputation, proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and the content of the email itself. Being blacklisted due to IP or domain reputation, issues with SMTP server configuration, or appearing on a Spamhaus blocklist are also critical issues to investigate. Properly implemented DKIM signatures are essential for verifying the sender's identity and improving deliverability.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation: A poor sender reputation negatively impacts email delivery.
- Authentication is Key: Properly implemented SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for email authentication and deliverability.
- Blacklisting: Being blacklisted by services like Spamhaus or Microsoft significantly reduces delivery rates.
- SMTP Configuration: A misconfigured or non-compliant SMTP server leads to delivery failures.
- Content Matters: Content that is not compliant with rules and regulations will get flagged by Spamhaus
Key considerations
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Regularly check your sender reputation using tools like Microsoft's Sender Reputation Data service.
- Implement Proper Authentication: Ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured for your sending domain.
- Check Blacklists: Verify if your IP address or domain is on any major blacklists, and take steps to delist if necessary.
- Review SMTP Configuration: Confirm that your SMTP server is properly configured and compliant with relevant standards.
- Content Review: Make sure content is not on any blacklists, as this affects deliverability
Technical article
Documentation from Spamhaus shares that being listed on a Spamhaus blocklist can significantly reduce email delivery rates. If listed, investigate the cause and follow Spamhaus's delisting process.
8 Sep 2024 - Spamhaus
Technical article
Documentation from IETF explains that DKIM is an authentication method to associate a domain name to an email message, thereby permitting a signing domain to claim responsibility for the message. This can improve sender reputation.
3 Feb 2023 - IETF
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