In our previous blog post, we discussed spam filters and how you avoid them. Now that we know what to do to avoid getting block by spam filters, we are going to look at what you can to improve your email deliverability and ensure your emails make it to your recipient’s inbox.
So what is email deliverability?
“Email deliverability is a measure of how many of your emails actually reach your subscribers’ inboxes, often expressed as a percentage.” – OptInMonster
How can I improve my email deliverability?
- Only email recipients who have opted in – You should only send emails to your customers or people who have agreed to receive emails from you. Never purchase email databases, this is going to damage your sender reputation and the reputation of your company.
By emailing people who have agreed to receive emails from you, you are going to get better engagement which will ultimately help improve your email deliverability.
- Use confirmed opt-in lists – A confirmed opt-in list works the same as any other mailing list where people can sign up through a subscribe form. The difference is when someone subscribes they are sent a confirmation email to verify their email address is correct, and to confirm their intent to subscribe. By using a confirmed opt-in you can guarantee that the subscribers who join your list want to receive your emails and are not spam traps. This will ultimately help in improving your email deliverability.
- Keep an eye on your email stats – While we all keep track of stats like open rate and click rate, you also need to keep on eye on your bounce rate as well as your spam complaint rate. If you are receiving a high number of bounces on your email campaigns, you are going to damage your sending reputation. A high bounce rate usually indicates that you have an old email database or one that has been purchased. A high number of spam complaints could indicate that there are spam traps on your database or you are using a purchased list.
- Clean your email database – another great way to boost your email deliverability is to clean your database. Whilst this can be a tedious task, it is beneficial. There are a few ways which you can scrub your database; from list validation, re-engagement campaigns to removing dormant emails from your database. It will be well worth the effort!
- Check your subject line – Avoid having a “spammy” subject line. There are a number of red flags that email providers look for in your subject line before they decide to reject or deliver your email. Avoid all caps subject lines, anything to do with money, the word FREE and anything else that you feel might make your email look spammy.
- Send segmented campaigns – Instead of sending bulk emails to your entire list, send tailored emails to segmented groups of your database. By doing this you will increase your email engagement which will cause email providers to favour your emails and improve your email deliverability.
- Send emails that your recipients LOVE – No one wants to receive an email that provides no value. If you send your subscribers emails that provide value and incite joy then your subscribers are going to engage with your emails which will ultimately improve your email deliverability.
If you need any assistance with your email deliverability or anything related to email marketing, get in touch with us, we’d love to help! 🙂