Sender reputation: IP servers also take into account sender reputation. This score reflects how reliable and trustworthy you are as a sender. Sending emails regularly, maintaining a clean mailing list (no invalid or inactive addresses), and having high engagement rates (recipients opening and clicking on your emails) all contribute to a positive sender reputation. Conversely, frequent bounces, spam complaints, and low engagement can tarnish your reputation and make your emails more likely to be flagged as spam.
Although spam filters effectively protect users, they can sometimes saudi arabia numbers overly cautious. An estimated 15% of legitimate emails end up in spam folders , highlighting the importance of creating spam-free content and maintaining good email hygiene.
Avoid spam filters
So how can you make sure your email avoids the abyss of spam filters and arrives safely in the recipient's inbox? Here are some key tips:
Craft clear and concise subject lines: Avoid sensationalism and misleading information. Instead, be honest about the content of your email.
Maintain an email whitelist: Send messages only to those who have opted in to receive them. Purchasing email lists or sending unsolicited messages is a recipe for spam filtering and damaging the sender's reputation.
Practice good email hygiene: Periodically clean your email list by removing inactive or invalid addresses. Sending emails to non-existent addresses can trigger spam filters.
Keep a professional tone: Avoid excessive exclamation points, capitalization, and overly promotional language.
B: Reaching the inbox (or not)
Once past spam filters, the email has a good chance of landing in the recipient's primary inbox. This is the holy grail of email delivery, as it ensures maximum visibility of your message. One way to measure the success of inbox placement is by tracking your open rates — the percentage of recipients who open your email.
However, even if you have avoided spam filters, there are other factors that can influence where your email is placed on the IP server. These include:
Recipient Engagement: If recipients consistently open and click on your emails, IP servers recognize them as valuable and are more likely to send future emails to the primary inbox.
List segmentation: Sending targeted emails to segmented lists based on recipient interests can increase engagement and improve inbox placement.
Sending frequency: Bombarding recipients with email barrages can lead to fatigue and lack of engagement. Finding the right sending frequency is crucial to maintaining a positive sender reputation and inbox placement.
C: In other places
Now that we've explored the ideal scenario of landing in the inbox, let's dig into the possibilities of "other places" for your email:
The spam folder
While navigating spam filters is a hurdle, sometimes even legitimate emails can get caught and land in the dreaded spam folder. This often happens when the content sets off filter alarms, even if it's not intended. For example, an email promoting a discount with enthusiastic language ("Massive savings!") can end up in the spam folder despite being a legitimate offer.
Here's how to minimize your risk of falling victim to spam:
Avoid spammy content: Use clear and professional language. Use a balance between text and images.
Provide clear unsubscribe options: Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe if they are no longer interested in your messages. A prominent unsubscribe link is a must in every email.
Some IP servers, such as Gmail, have created additional folders to sort incoming emails. The Promotions tab, for example, may house emails from retailers or subscription services. While not ideal, appearing in the Promotions tab is not necessarily bad news. Many users still check these folders for deals and discounts.
To encourage recipients to check these folders, create clear subject lines: Indicate in the subject line that your message contains a promotion or offer. For example, "Get 20% off your next purchase" clearly communicates the purpose of the email.
The rebound
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your email may be bounced back. A bounce occurs when the recipient's server is unable to accept your email for delivery. There are two main types of bounces:
Soft bounces: This usually indicates a temporary problem, such as a full mailbox or server maintenance by the recipient. Soft bounces usually resolve themselves after a short time and the email server may attempt to resend the email automatically.
Hard bounce: Indicates a permanent problem, such as an invalid email address or a server that no longer exists. Hard bounces are more damaging to your sender reputation, as they suggest you're sending emails to invalid addresses.
A high bounce rate can negatively impact sender reputation. A bounce rate above 2% can trigger spam filters and hinder deliverability.
Here's how to minimize bounces:
Maintain a clean email list: Regularly remove inactive or invalid addresses. Use email verification tools to ensure the accuracy of your list.
Practice good list hygiene: Don't purchase email lists or send messages to people who haven't signed up.
How to improve email deliverability
Now that you know the email delivery process and the different destinations it can reach, let's look at how you can take control and improve your email deliverability:
Build a strong sender reputation
As mentioned above, sender reputation is crucial to successful email delivery. Here are some practical tips for building a strong sender reputation:
Maintain a permission-based list: Send emails only to those who have opted in and expect to receive them.
Strive for high engagement rates: Focus on creating valuable, relevant content that resonates with your audience. This encourages recipients to open and click on your emails, which increases engagement rates.
Minimize bounce rates: Periodically clean your email list and avoid sending messages to invalid addresses.
Emails sent by senders with a bad reputation are 81% more likely to end up in spam. On the other hand, emails from senders with a good reputation are 14.5% more likely to reach the inbox .
Optimize the content of your emails
Remember that the content of your email can significantly influence deliverability. Here are some best practices to follow:
Avoid spam triggers: Use clear and concise subject lines. Use a professional tone and avoid excessive exclamation points, capitalization, and spammy language.
Personalize your messages: Whenever possible, personalize your emails with the recipient's name. Segmentation also plays an important role: tailoring content to specific audience segments improves relevance and engagement.
Keep a clean design: Use a balanced layout with a mix of text and images. Avoid large image files that can slow down loading times.
Take advantage of email marketing tools
Consider using a trusted email marketing platform, such as HubSpot. These platforms offer a number of features that can improve your deliverability efforts, such as:
Spam checking tools: These tools can scan the content of your emails for potential spam triggers before you send them.
List hygiene tools: These tools help you verify and clean your email list, removing invalid or inactive addresses.
Engagement Tracking: Email marketing platforms provide insights into the performance of your emails, including open rates, click rates, and unsubscribe rates. This data allows you to monitor your sender reputation and adjust your email strategy as needed.