Let’s talk email deliverability 101
Deliverability refers to an email’s ability to successfully land in a recipient’s inbox, bypass filters, and avoid the spam folder. It's not just about whether an email is sent or delivered—deliverability ensures the message reaches the intended inbox, while email delivery only guarantees that the receiving server accepts it.
Respecting subscriber preferences and focusing on deliverability are perhaps the two most important elements of email marketing. These two pillars ensure that you build a positive relationship with subscribers and they actually get your messages. Great, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s explore practical steps to ensure that we are doing everything within our power to implement these important elements.
The core principles
1. Let subscribers initiate contact
Permission and relevance are the name of the game…or at least really should be. The golden rule is simple, only send emails that recipients have actively subscribed to and find valuable. Deviating from this—for example, sending irrelevant content or ignoring opt-in practices—can lead to deliverability issues and damage your brand's rapport with followers.
Where do you start when it comes to deliverability and subscriber preferences?
First, decide between single opt-in or double:
- Single opt-in: A subscriber fills out a form and is automatically added to your email list. This is quick and straightforward, but it comes with risks, such as accidental or fake sign-ups.
- Confirmed opt-in: After signing up, subscribers receive a confirmation email requiring them to verify their subscription. This additional step ensures a higher quality list by preventing fake or unengaged subscribers from joining.
So, what are the main considerations to keep in mind when deciding between these options? Confirmed opt-in is considered more reliable for building an engaged and compliant list. Many experts recommend it for better engagement rates and deliverability despite the allure of immediate simplicity. Although there is an allure to a simpler process, engaged followers are the MVPs of your audience, while inactive ones can be the root cause of complaints and demotions to the spam folder. This is one arena in which one-click convenience isn’t in your best interest.
2. Consent and transparency are key
Ok, they’ve signed up to receive your communications. That’s a great start! Now, we’re on to the crucial next step. Transparency is essential in this whole deliverability process. This practice helps set expectations and build trust, minimizing the chances of spam complaints later. This also helps ensure compliance with legal regulations, such as:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe, mandates explicit consent for collecting and processing data. If you are using a checkbox on your form to collect consent, it must not be pre-checked.
- CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S. requires transparency in email content, sender identity, and a clear opt-out mechanism.
Clearly state what kind of emails subscribers will receive, how often they will receive them, and how their data will be used. (Even better, allow subscribers to make their own choices regarding these elements with just a few quick questions in a preference center).
3. Easy unsubscription is in your best interest
Having a clear and easy-to-use unsubscribe option is just as important as gaining opt-in consent. Not only is it required by most email regulations, but it also ensures that users who are no longer interested in your content can leave your list easily, reducing the chances of spam complaints. We’ve covered this before so we won’t dwell on the details of this point now, but it’s essential to remember as a part of your deliverability process so definitely worth mentioning.
Avoid pitfalls when switching email service providers (ESPs)
25% of companies are reviewing their tech stacks quarterly and they are doing it right. An annual review is a long interval and it’s important to be part of an email platform that is evolving and improving. Not to mention, it can take care of a lot of tedious jobs for you. The tricky part is the migration when you decide you need to part ways with your current ESP.
If you’re migrating to a new email service provider (ESP), it's vital to prepare carefully to avoid disruption in deliverability. This involves cleaning up your email list, reviewing your segmentation strategy, and setting a clear plan for IP warming—where you gradually send emails to small groups of active subscribers to build sender reputation. Neglecting these steps can lead to a drop in performance post-migration.
There are a number of ways a cutting-edge ESP improves deliverability, but we’ve collected some of the most key:
1. Better sender reputation management
By properly segmenting and sending to engaged subscribers first, you can avoid getting flagged as spam and build a positive reputation with services like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.
2. Improved email authentication
An updated ESP can support advanced authentication protocols. These protocols help verify the authenticity of your emails, reducing the chances of being flagged as spam.
3. List hygiene and segmentation tools
With enhanced list management features, a modern ESP properly handles bounces of various types to make sure you’re not repeatedly sending to bad addresses. This improves list hygiene, which can increase open rates and reduce bounce rates.
4. Advanced personalization options
Updated ESPs allow for more specific segmentation based on user behavior, preferences, and demographics. The result is more relevant, targeted emails, which have higher engagement rates and are less likely to be marked as spam.
5. Analytics and deliverability monitoring
These tools allow you to track key metrics such as open rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints, enabling you to adjust your strategies quickly to maintain high deliverability.
Honestly, we could keep going, but the point is that incorporating these features into your email marketing strategy (which is a breeze when your ESP is handling it) can help ensure your messages reach inboxes more consistently and that engagement remains high.
Yes, in a lot of ways these migrations are hard and can be annoying, but when it comes to deliverability, making sure your ESP is up to date and doing as much of the lifting for you as possible, they make your life easier in the long term.
It’s about more than just tech
Email deliverability is more than just a technical concern—it's about respect for your audience and thoughtful execution. By prioritizing permission-based marketing, practicing transparency, maintaining list hygiene, and choosing the right ESP, you can significantly boost your deliverability rates while building trust with your subscribers. The goal is simple: send the right messages to the right people, ensuring they actually want to hear from you. Keep evolving, stay compliant, and remember that deliverability is as much about relationships as it is about technology.
