Writing attention-grabbing content and subject lines is just half the fight in the cutthroat world of email marketing. Making sure your carefully prepared communications make it to the inbox of the intended receiver is the true challenge. Email deliverability becomes relevant in this context. To be deliverable, your emails must be able to evade spam filters and reach your subscribers’ inboxes unscathed. In this article, we will go over some suggestions for how to deal with spam filters and how to make your emails more deliverable.
Building a Sender Reputation that Shines
Your sender reputation is a crucial factor in determining email deliverability. It’s essentially a score assigned by email providers (like Gmail, Yahoo) that reflects your trustworthiness as a sender. Here’s how to build a positive sender reputation:
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Maintain a Clean Email List: Regularly remove inactive subscribers and those with invalid email addresses. Sending emails to inactive addresses can negatively impact your reputation.
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Gain User Consent: Only email those who have opted-in to receive your messages. Purchasing email lists is a recipe for disaster and can lead to spam complaints, which severely damage your reputation.
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Minimize Bounce Rates: Bounce rates refer to emails that are undeliverable due to invalid addresses or full inboxes. High bounce rates can trigger spam filters, so maintain list hygiene and encourage subscribers to keep their contact information updated.
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Encourage Engagement: Open rates and click-through rates signal to email providers that recipients find your emails valuable. Increased engagement fosters a positive sender reputation.
Authentication Protocols: Adding Layers of Security
Authentication protocols are like digital security passes that verify your legitimacy as a sender. Implementing these protocols helps email providers distinguish your emails from spam. Here are the key players:
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Sender Policy Framework (SPF): An SPF record identifies authorized servers that can send emails on your behalf. This helps prevent email spoofing, where someone sends emails pretending to be you.
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DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM): DKIM digitally signs your emails with a cryptographic key, allowing email providers to verify the authenticity of the sender and the content of the email.
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Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC): DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM by instructing email providers on how to handle emails that fail authentication. This helps prevent phishing attacks and protects your domain reputation.
Pro Tip: Many email marketing platforms offer built-in tools to help you implement these authentication protocols.
Content Optimization: Avoiding Spam Filter Triggers
Spam filters are constantly evolving, but some general content practices can help you avoid getting flagged:
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Avoid Spammy Language: Refrain from excessive use of exclamation points, all caps, and spam trigger words like “Free!” or “Guaranteed!”.
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Maintain a Healthy Image-to-Text Ratio: While visuals can enhance emails, too many images can raise red flags for spam filters. Aim for a balanced ratio of text to images.
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Use a Clear and Consistent Sender Name: People are more likely to open emails from recognizable sources. Use a sender name that your subscribers will identify, such as your company name.
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Include an Unsubscribe Link: Providing a clear and easy-to-find unsubscribe link is not just good practice, it’s often required by law. Subscribers who unsubscribe through the proper channel are less likely to mark your emails as spam.
Ongoing Monitoring and Improvement
Email deliverability is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adaptation. Here are some tips for staying on top of your deliverability game:
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Track Your Deliverability Metrics: Monitor key metrics like bounce rates, open rates, and spam complaint rates. A decline in these metrics could indicate deliverability issues.
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Use a Spam Checker Tool: Several online tools can analyze your email content and identify potential issues that might trigger spam filters.
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Stay Informed About Spam Filter Trends: Spam filters are constantly updated, so stay informed about the latest trends and best practices to maintain optimal deliverability.
Working with Your Email Service Provider (ESP)
Your ESP plays a critical role in email deliverability. Choose a reputable ESP with a strong track record and dedicated support for deliverability issues. Here’s what to look for:
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Dedicated IP Address: Consider a dedicated IP address to avoid being associated with other senders who might have a poor reputation.
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Spam Compliance Expertise: Your ESP should have expertise in email deliverability best practices and stay updated on the latest spam filter regulations.
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Monitoring and Reporting Tools: Choose an ESP that provides detailed analytics and reporting tools to track your deliverability metrics and identify areas for improvement.