Maximising Email Deliverability

Maximising Email Deliverability: Ensure Your Marketing Emails Land in the Inbox

Email marketing continues to be a powerful tool in the digital world. But what's the point of crafting the perfect email if it never makes it to your recipient's inbox?

If you've been frustrated by your marketing emails ending up in the spam/junk folder, you're not alone. But, with some tweaks and best practices, you can increase the chances of your emails being seen and read.

Let's dive into the world of email deliverability.

1. DNS Settings: The Unsung Heroes of Deliverability

Email providers are strict gatekeepers. They assess incoming emails and use various criteria to judge their legitimacy. That's where DNS settings come into play.

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This confirms which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. If a server not on this list tries to send an email with your domain, it can be flagged as suspicious.
• Action: Ensure you have an SPF record set up. An example might look like: v=spf1 include:mailserver.com ~all
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): This provides an encryption key and digital signature that verifies an email message wasn't forged or altered.
• Action: Create a DKIM record. Once set, your email service provider will add the DKIM signature to your outgoing emails, which recipient servers will then check.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): This unites SPF and DKIM into a common framework and allows domain owners to declare how they want an email to be handled if it doesn’t pass the checks.
• Action: Set up a DMARC policy. This can be as strict or as lenient as you wish, from allowing the email through but reporting the discrepancy, to rejecting the email outright.

2. Content Matters: Avoiding the Spam Filters

Even with the right DNS settings, poor content can send your email straight to the spam folder.

• Avoid spammy phrases: Words like "free", "guaranteed", "risk-free" can trigger spam filters.
• Limit excessive exclamation points and all caps: These are often used by spammers to attract attention.
• Balance image and text: Emails that are heavy on images and light on text can be flagged as spam. Ensure you have a good mix of both.
• Include plain text version: Always have a plain text version of your email alongside the HTML version. This helps with email clients that don’t render HTML.
• Opt-out link: Always provide a clear way for recipients to unsubscribe. It's not only best practice, but it's also a legal requirement in many jurisdictions.

3. Warming Up the Sender's IP Address

If you’re using a new IP address to send emails, don't go big right away. Email providers can see this as suspicious.

Action: Start by sending small batches of emails, slowly increasing the volume as days pass. This "warming-up" period allows email providers to recognise and trust your IP over time.

Conclusion

Improving email deliverability is part technical know-how and part art. With the right DNS settings, content best practices, and IP warming techniques, your marketing emails will have a much better chance of landing where you want them – in your recipient's inbox. By ensuring your emails are seen and read, you can fully harness the power of your email list and potentially increase your revenue. Don't let the frustration of the spam folder hold you back; with the right strategies, your emails can shine.