How to Improve Email Deliverability
Introduction:
In today’s competitive digital landscape, it’s not enough to simply hit “send” on your email campaigns. Email deliverability—the ability of your emails to actually reach your subscribers’ inboxes—is critical to the success of your marketing efforts. Poor deliverability can mean lower engagement, fewer conversions, and ultimately, lost revenue. In this article, we’ll explain why email deliverability is so important, how you can test it yourself, and actionable steps to improve it.
1. What is Email Deliverability?
Email deliverability is the measure of how many of your emails reach your subscribers’ inboxes versus getting caught in spam filters or bouncing back. It’s influenced by several factors, including your sender reputation, email content, and list quality. High deliverability means higher chances of your emails being seen, leading to better results from your campaigns.
2. How Can You Test Email Deliverability?
Before you can improve deliverability, you need to know where you stand. There are tools that can help you test your deliverability and diagnose potential issues:
• Smart Network Data Services (SNDS): This tool from Microsoft helps you monitor your email reputation and spot any potential issues with Microsoft domains like Outlook.
• Google Postmaster Tools: A great option if you’re sending emails to Gmail users. It provides insights on spam rate, IP reputation, and other performance metrics.
• Senderscore.org: Find out your sender reputation score, which can give you a sense of how trustworthy email providers see you.
• aboutmy.email: This tool runs checks on your email, analyzing potential issues that could impact deliverability.
• Mail-tester Another tool that checks on your email, analyzing potential issues that could impact deliverability.
• GLOCK APPS Tool that tests your email deliverability and spam checker tool.
3. What Routines Should You Have?
Maintaining good email deliverability requires consistent attention. Here are some key routines you should implement:
• Regularly Clean Your Email List: Remove inactive subscribers and hard bounces. Sending to unengaged users can hurt your reputation.
• Monitor Your Metrics: Keep an eye on open rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints. Sudden drops or spikes can indicate deliverability issues.
4. What to Do If Your Email Deliverability Is Bad?
If you discover that your emails aren’t reaching inboxes, don’t panic. Here’s what you can do:
• Segment Your List: Start by sending emails to your most engaged subscribers. This improves open rates and signals to ISPs that your emails are valuable.
• Review Your Content: Avoid spammy language, excessive links, or attachments that could trigger spam filters.
• Authenticate Your Emails: Make sure to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. These help email providers verify that your emails are legitimate.
5. Private IP vs Shared IP – What’s the Difference?
A common question is whether to use a private IP or a shared IP for sending emails. Here are some pros and cons:
• Private IP: With a private IP, your deliverability is solely dependent on your reputation. This is ideal if you’re sending large volumes of emails—typically to 100,000 subscribers or more. When using a private IP, you need to warm up your IP address by gradually increasing the volume of emails you send. This helps build your sender reputation over time and avoids getting flagged by email providers.
• Shared IP: If you don’t have a large list, a shared IP can be a good option. However, your reputation can be affected by others using the same IP. Choose a reputable email provider to minimize this risk.
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today:
Here are three quick actions you can take to start improving your email deliverability right away:
1. Check Your Sender Score: Visit Senderscore.org and get an idea of where your email reputation stands.
2. Clean Your Email List: Remove any hard bounces or inactive subscribers to avoid sending emails to disengaged users.
3. Set Up Authentication: Ensure your emails are authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to build trust with ISPs.
Conclusion:
Improving email deliverability is essential for maximizing the impact of your email marketing campaigns. By following these steps and using the right tools, you can ensure that your emails reach the inboxes of your subscribers, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.