Email deliverabilty Do’s and Don’t s

HandySends
6 min readOct 12, 2020

As email service providers, we often discuss the email statistics and spends hours to track its metrics, so we can analyse our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and yes you got that right threat. But do you know three fourth of the email campaign’s success rate depends on email deliverability? No matter what your email marketing strategies are and who are you targeting — it is important to understand your email deliverability performance?

Successful delivery of an email defines the success of an email campaign. Unless you fortify and reinforce the weaknesses, even the best attempts for a successful email campaign can go for a toss.

To witness success, you ought to implement best practises and keep email deliverability dos and don’ts list handy. Email deliverability can make your business work or break it — what your business choose to opt is your decision.

Email deliverability — How it matters to the marketer?

The foundation on which email marketing is built is email deliverability. Every email marketer depends on the email service providers for sending mails to the client on their behalf. They are also responsible for providing the subscriber list along with the email program and this is where the success and failure rate are evaluated.

Top 3 non-negotiable Facts that defines the success rate of email deliverability

Fact#1

“The accuracy of the email list”

Fact#2

The perfect balance of text to image, spacing, attractive type-fonts and clutter-free content

Fact#3

“Reach the right target audiences within optimum time”

The above factors are highly instrumental, but only contributes positively is if the emails hit the right mailbox. Email marketers, therefore, prefer to manage their email programs in a manner that the inbox placement and the email’s success rate are perfectly balanced.

Brands tend to check the authentication of email only when they start to receive a negative variance, even after the authentication is validated — it is seen that they tend to play blame –game or are ignorant. Whereas those are smart will immediately take action and adapt them with a highly proactive approach.

With years of experience, we have identified the right methods to safeguard the email deliveries and share with you the handiest Do’s and Don’ts that will elevate the delivery percentage of emails and also monitor the open and bounce rate for them, keeping you competitively ahead and strategizing.

HandySends’ Email deliverability Do’s & Don’ts

Do’s

1. Stand by your commitment — build trust-

All the promises you make, ensure you follow them with targeted deadlines and values. Provide your subscriber with a compelling reason to opt-in and try to stand to their expectations.

2. Regular combing your Email list

As a marketer, it is important to keep your email contact list updated and regularly screened for inactive addresses. This activity improves the delivery percentage.

3. Identify a professional and experienced email marketing service provider

A professional and experienced vendor will be able to resolve the various factors that one encounters while executing the email delivery process. They will be well equipped to handle feedback loops, hard bounce and even connection issues.

4. Write engaging content

Your email deliverability highly depends on the email content, a stretched communication with irrelevant and unengaging information can result adversely

5. Handle complaints with a minimum turnaround time

Any complaint made against you must be handled with seriousness, Associate or subscribe under an anti-spam organization-it will give you an edge over others and show you as a responsible provider.

6. Monitor your reputation metrics proactively

Your reputation score will define your market identity, hence it is important you keep a close check to improve your inbox placement and repute. Make sure all algorithms such as Sender Score, Sender Base are above average and within acceptable parameters.

7. Maintain a clear communication

Keeping your subscriber’s posted about your Sender CSore and complaint handling and bounce rate management helps build confidence — which goes a long way in client retention.

8. Implement the double opt-in structure

A smart and effective way to provide an enhanced step in confirming subscriber registration. This is done post completion of the form when the first welcome mail is sent to the subscriber — the subscribers click on the confirmation email and thus his email is verified. The double-opt-in option helps reduce the bounce rate, hence a must in the do list to achieve higher deliverability percentage.

9. The simple and easy Subscription process

When your subscriber opts to unsubscribe, he must be able to find a simple link to cancel or unsubscribe, in case he is not able to he will opt for the spam button- which builds a negative impact for the brand. Easy and simple step to unsubscribe can keep the above at bay.

10. Select professional secured platform

A secured technological structure safeguards your delivery system and prevents from spam, phishing and abuse by the third party-hence select a delivery platform which offers the highest security and are certified. Their registration with the anti-spam organization is an added advantage.

We have identified 10 key points that a brand should pay attention to ensure that the percentage of emails delivered onto recipients mailbox in improved.

Don’ts

1. Never ignore the Privacy policies

Email marketing campaigns must adherer to the regulated functions laid down by the Country’s Privacy Policy, where clear directions are mentioned for processing of personal data and creating a fair atmosphere with marketing intention.

2. Do not use Pre-packaged database

Email deliverability does not depend on the volume of emails sent during a campaign, the authenticated contact list is what matters most. Each contact list listed must have the consent of the email owner, his willingness to be communicated is a MUST

3. Do not send mail without judging legitimation

In case the email sent has not passed the authentication process ( which means its sender details and content verified) the email in the process might be considered against the authoritative standards and fails the legitimacy. Various authentications such as SPF, DMARC and DKIM validate the email’s authentication and record with automated reports.

4. Do not push enactive and dormant customers

In case the recipient has not responded and there is a low-level engagement witnessed, never be pushy. If the subscriber tends to remain inactive and unresponded for more than 3–8 weeks, it clearly shows evidence of non-interest or inactiveness. Also many times notable email providers such as Outlook tend to seek the permission of the recipient for delivery and holds up if not responded with the satisfactory result. Try re-engagement strategy –this helps to filter your database

5. Never jam your subscriber with mails

Sending more than 2 emails monthly is a no-no. It is recommended to plan a schedule email campaign, so the recipient over the months do have a clear idea of the email’s delivery. Sending more than the required number can result in your mails landing in the spam folder.

6. Do not plan an email campaign without target

An email library with various target segment helps sort the client email according to their preference, this helps maintain a smart and sorted email contact database. Sending wrong mails to an unsorted target can lead to negative deliverability rate m hence planning campaigns and aligning them with the right target audience is a must.

7. Do not use HTML, JAVAscript, Flash

Avoid using codes and language which are barred and have delivery issues with its content. It is recommended to use simple and clean HTML codes and nested tables only for maximum delivery.

8. Do not settle for cheap email service

You are known by your brand and the failure in deliverability impacts your reputation. Ensure you conduct a market survey and ref check of the brand before you opt for email marketers.

Because email generates the superseding return on investments for marketers and provides them with a gain of more than 44% on every $ 1 spent, it means it has the highest productive return if supported by well-researched strategies and well-researched deliverability plan.

Email Deliverability is more to do with the processes you involve and the repute as a sender and less with the content, however, marketers must accord high attention while formulating their email campaigns with an intention for maximum delivery. It is always a good practise to know and learn to deliver better — download our brand’s eBook on Email deliverability.

If you are looking for professional and experienced support for your email delivery solution, try our customized plans that will offer maximum delivery and high yield on your investment — all supported by result-driven marketing strategies.

If you haven’t sent your first email campaign yet, try the HandySends’ platform now

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