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Email is a top 3 revenue channel for most DTC brands.
Yet, one pillar of email marketing remains largely misunderstood by brand marketers because it's perceived as dry and at times ambiguous.
A thread on what I've learned about email deliverability over the last 8 years:
Yet, one pillar of email marketing remains largely misunderstood by brand marketers because it's perceived as dry and at times ambiguous.
A thread on what I've learned about email deliverability over the last 8 years:
1/ Debits and Credits
Your sending reputation is like a bank account.
Credits are good things that happen (opens, clicks, forwards, mark as important, replies). Debits are the negative things that happen (ignore, bounce, complaint, unsub).
Problems occur when you overdraft.
Your sending reputation is like a bank account.
Credits are good things that happen (opens, clicks, forwards, mark as important, replies). Debits are the negative things that happen (ignore, bounce, complaint, unsub).
Problems occur when you overdraft.
2/ What is sender reputation?
A combination of 4 dimensions:
1. Domain reputation
2. Recipient engagement (credits:debits)
3. IP reputation
4. Content
Each ISP has a unique algorithm that prioritizes these things differently. Gmail favors engagement and sender domain rep.
A combination of 4 dimensions:
1. Domain reputation
2. Recipient engagement (credits:debits)
3. IP reputation
4. Content
Each ISP has a unique algorithm that prioritizes these things differently. Gmail favors engagement and sender domain rep.
3/ Send marketing email from a subdomain
Why:
1) Your primary domain is used for general comms, customer support, etc. A subdomain protects your primary if things don't go to plan.
2) Email authentication protocols (SPF, specifically) limit the number of lookups per domain.
Why:
1) Your primary domain is used for general comms, customer support, etc. A subdomain protects your primary if things don't go to plan.
2) Email authentication protocols (SPF, specifically) limit the number of lookups per domain.
4/ Authenticate your infrastructure
Authenticate your sending domain for SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail).
Don't worry about DMARC or BIMI if you are new to this.
Authenticating for SPF & DKIM signal to ISPs that your email isn't malicious.
Authenticate your sending domain for SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail).
Don't worry about DMARC or BIMI if you are new to this.
Authenticating for SPF & DKIM signal to ISPs that your email isn't malicious.
5/ Warm up new infrastructure
Ramp up slowly. Double send volume daily up to target volume.
Why:
1) ISPs can verify that people want your email, conservatively, over time.
2) Allows you to monitor negative outcomes that could be problematic at higher send volumes.
Ramp up slowly. Double send volume daily up to target volume.
Why:
1) ISPs can verify that people want your email, conservatively, over time.
2) Allows you to monitor negative outcomes that could be problematic at higher send volumes.
6/ Seed positive engagement
If you have historical engagement data, you can de-risk your warm up/improve rep in 2 ways:
1) Segment warm up cohorts based on how engaged subscribers have been in the past.
2) Recruit friendly addresses and ask them to open, click, reply, etc.
If you have historical engagement data, you can de-risk your warm up/improve rep in 2 ways:
1) Segment warm up cohorts based on how engaged subscribers have been in the past.
2) Recruit friendly addresses and ask them to open, click, reply, etc.
7/ Proactively elicit replies
Replies are a strong positive signal to ISPs that your subscribers are engaged with what you're sending.
Automate this feedback loop by asking questions, encouraging direct replies in your copy, and sending from a live monitored inbox.
Replies are a strong positive signal to ISPs that your subscribers are engaged with what you're sending.
Automate this feedback loop by asking questions, encouraging direct replies in your copy, and sending from a live monitored inbox.
8/ Use email validation
Validate your lists with tools like @zerobounce1 or @neverbounce.
These services identify problematic email addresses (bots, greylists, spam traps, known complainers, inactive inboxes, catch-all addresses, temp addresses) and scrub them from your list.
Validate your lists with tools like @zerobounce1 or @neverbounce.
These services identify problematic email addresses (bots, greylists, spam traps, known complainers, inactive inboxes, catch-all addresses, temp addresses) and scrub them from your list.
9/ Sunset inactives
Establish an automated system for suppressing subscribers of a certain age who have shown no signals of engagement.
This is a nuanced topic dependent on the length of your buying cycle and how often you send. Start by suppressing 6 mo non-engagers.
Establish an automated system for suppressing subscribers of a certain age who have shown no signals of engagement.
This is a nuanced topic dependent on the length of your buying cycle and how often you send. Start by suppressing 6 mo non-engagers.
10/ Diversify risk
Emails have varying risk profiles.
1) Transactional has little risk since people expect it.
2) Triggered has higher risk, offset by high engagement.
3) Promotional poses the most risk.
Send 2/3 from the same IP pool to diffuse risk. Isolate 1.
Emails have varying risk profiles.
1) Transactional has little risk since people expect it.
2) Triggered has higher risk, offset by high engagement.
3) Promotional poses the most risk.
Send 2/3 from the same IP pool to diffuse risk. Isolate 1.
11/ Make it easy to unsubscribe
Remove all friction.
Don't make people sign in to an account to unsubscribe. Avoid sending a confirmation email to someone who just told you they don't want your emails. Use List-Unsubscribe in email headers to enable 1-click Gmail unsubscribe.
Remove all friction.
Don't make people sign in to an account to unsubscribe. Avoid sending a confirmation email to someone who just told you they don't want your emails. Use List-Unsubscribe in email headers to enable 1-click Gmail unsubscribe.
12/ Capture explicit consent
Use double opt-in, along with clear opt-in language at sign up. Maintain auditable logs of how and where subscribers provided consent.
Explicit consent will become the legal standard in the US eventually.
Use double opt-in, along with clear opt-in language at sign up. Maintain auditable logs of how and where subscribers provided consent.
Explicit consent will become the legal standard in the US eventually.
13/ Data privacy requests
GDPR & CCPA provide a set of fundamental rights to data subjects (subscribers). Federal policy will soon standardize these rights across all U.S. states.
Establish an operational process for fulfilling data rectification, deletion, or change requests.
GDPR & CCPA provide a set of fundamental rights to data subjects (subscribers). Federal policy will soon standardize these rights across all U.S. states.
Establish an operational process for fulfilling data rectification, deletion, or change requests.
14/ Set up Google Postmaster Tools
For most US DTC brands, Gmail is a strong leading indicator of overall reputation health.
Postmaster Tools provides Gmail specific monitoring for Domain reputation, IP reputation, DMARC compliance, complaints, and more.
Few ESPs integrate.
For most US DTC brands, Gmail is a strong leading indicator of overall reputation health.
Postmaster Tools provides Gmail specific monitoring for Domain reputation, IP reputation, DMARC compliance, complaints, and more.
Few ESPs integrate.
15/ Set up blacklist monitoring
Use tools like @MXToolBox or @glocksoft to monitor your sending infrastructure for blacklisting. If issues surface, create an operational process for de-list requests or work with your ESP to get de-listed.
Don't panic.
Use tools like @MXToolBox or @glocksoft to monitor your sending infrastructure for blacklisting. If issues surface, create an operational process for de-list requests or work with your ESP to get de-listed.
Don't panic.
16/ Verify inbox experience
If your emails look broken when opened, it detracts from your brand and makes it less likely subscribers will open next time.
@litmusapp and @EmailonAcid help you avoid rendering issues by showing you how your creative looks across devices and ISPs.
If your emails look broken when opened, it detracts from your brand and makes it less likely subscribers will open next time.
@litmusapp and @EmailonAcid help you avoid rendering issues by showing you how your creative looks across devices and ISPs.
17/ Avoid other common mistakes like:
x Purchasing lists
x Sending to a list you acquired via co-marketing without a conservative ramp up
x Bombarding your subscribers with promotions that aren't relevant
x Solely focusing on short term results like last-click revenue
x Purchasing lists
x Sending to a list you acquired via co-marketing without a conservative ramp up
x Bombarding your subscribers with promotions that aren't relevant
x Solely focusing on short term results like last-click revenue
18/ Subscribers interest > Your interest
If you consistently put your subscriber's interest before your own, the email channel will pay dividends for your brand, forever.
If you consistently put your subscriber's interest before your own, the email channel will pay dividends for your brand, forever.
