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Email deliverability is a headache. We used to worry about the content of a bulk email and avoid spam words like free or ALL CAPS. But with the shift in recent years toward reputation-based spam filtering, email delivery tactics have changed dramatically. Now, instead of one isolated email getting stuck in the bulk folder, you risk damaging your sender reputation in the long run if you don’t use best practices. Below, I’ve put together a few tips to ensure your email arrives successfully in your inbox.
Join the feedback loops: Comment loops let you see who’s marking your email as spam (so you can delete them). Some ISPs, like AOL, provide an easy way to join the feedback loop. For other ISPs, you may need to contact your email service provider to see if they can provide you with this information.
Delete inactive subscribers: Inactive subscribers are more likely to mark your email as junk. Sure, no one wants to deliberately reduce the size of their subscription list, but you have to think long term.
It consists of time: ISPs love it when you consistently send emails on the same day at around the same time. Since spammers don’t care, consistency is the mark of a responsible email marketer.
Use consistent information from: Be sure to always use the same name and address. Changing the source email will require your subscribers to add each address to their address book to ensure deliverability. Also, a consistent name helps readers recognize your brand.
Use double opt-in: Double opt-in is a recommended practice required by many ISPs to be considered for
White list. Also, it protects your database from lost email addresses.
Unsubscribe link at the top: Why at the top? Because if unhappy subscribers can’t find you in a few seconds, they might hit the spam button, hurting your rep. It is better to lose a subscriber than to receive a spam complaint.
Static IP address: If you send marketing emails from your own server, always send from the same IP address. If you use an email service provider, find out if they offer a dedicated IP for an additional charge. If they do, it’s worth it. Like shared web servers, many ESPs group many clients under one IP address. In other words, what another company does with your email marketing can affect your deliverability. It is much easier to manage the reputation of one IP address than many.
Reverse DNS: Many ISPs do a reverse DNS lookup, which it checks to make sure the IP you’re sending from is authorized to send from your domain.
Whitelist Reminder: Encourage subscribers to add your email address to their address book or
White list. Some ISPs see the number of times it is added to an address book as a sign of trust.
Get authenticated: Email authentication is confusing as hell. There are some standards out there that are not necessarily competitive. Sender ID Framework uses a simple SPF record with your DNS zone. Microsoft has a handy Sender ID Wizard to help you create this text record for your DNS. In addition to the sender’s identification,
DomainKeys is another popular authentication method. Both methods help ensure deliverability and prevent spammers from spoofing your domain.
Don’t worry about SPAM words: Don’t stress over using the word “free” or
occasionally putting all caps in the subject line. I consider these tactics to be successful and do not affect delivery.
Remove bounces: Be sure to remove all hard bounces that come back as undeliverable. Repeatedly sending an invalid email will send red flags with most Internet Service Providers.
Respond to the challenge answers: Occasionally SPAM filtering software will send a response to your email asking you to confirm that you are a real person. Spend the 30 seconds it takes to do this for each challenge response you receive. It will not only ensure that this particular
the recipient receives your message, but you can also improve your reputation as a sender.
Be relevant: Nothing encourages spam complaints more than sending people things they didn’t sign up for. If they signed up for an email newsletter and you send them nothing but sales pitches, you’re likely to get complaints.
Send in jets: Some ISPs have limits on the number of emails you can send in a given period of time. If you’re having trouble sending email to a particular ISP, such as Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail, check to see if your email service provider offers the ability to host email over a longer period of time.
Get out of the blacklists: MxToolBox offers a great tool to check if your email server is blacklisted. If so, start the process of contacting each of the blacklisted services and find out the process to remove your IP.
Get whitelisted:
Achieving whitelist status with major ISPs is no small feat. if you’re not
up for the challenge, consider using an email deliverability consulting firm that specializes in this area.
For more
Email
marketing tips and tactics, visit Palmer’s Web Marketing Blog.