Master Class: 3 Deliverability Secrets from Top Email Senders

• Updated on: 2018-11-09
• Read original article here

Master Class: 3 Deliverability Secrets from Top Email Senders
by Jennifer Ribble Aug 11, 2017
While it’s no longer the shiny new object in a marketer’s toolkit, email remains one of the most popular and most effective commercial channels—so reaching the inbox is more important than ever. If email doesn’t make it to the inbox, brands lose the opportunity to connect with customers and ultimately make a sale.
In 2016, more than 20 percent of legitimate email failed to reach its intended target. That’s right—on average, one out of every five emails either got filtered to spam or blocked altogether. Yet among top senders, only two percent of email missed the inbox.
So what do these best in class senders know that everyone else doesn’t? What insider information are they using to make their emails filter-proof? You’ll learn some of the secrets of best in class senders below, along with actionable tips and insights to implement your newfound knowledge.
Secret #1: Establish your sender identity
A consistent sending identity helps mailbox providers to pinpoint the source of an email, which is the first step in confirming that mail is legitimate and should be delivered to the inbox. There are several things you can do to establish and maintain a strong sender identity:
Don’t change your IP address unless it’s absolutely necessary: Mailbox providers know that spammers often hop from one IP address to another to escape reputation issues, so they view this as a signal that your email may not be legitimate.
If you do set up a new IP address, be sure to warm it up first: When it comes to using a new IP address, you have to start slow. Build up a positive sending reputation by sending a small amount of mail to only your most engaged customers, then gradually increase your sending volume over time.
Authenticate your email: Mailbox providers view authenticated email as more trustworthy, and are thus more likely to deliver it to the intended recipient. Implementing standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC shows mailbox providers that you’re committed to protecting your subscribers and sending only legitimate email.
Secret #2: Maintain a positive sender reputation
Mailbox providers use reputation to gain insight into a sender’s legitimacy. While each mailbox provider uses its own formula for measuring sender reputation, certain factors like spam complaints, spam traps, and blacklists consistently play a role in the calculation. The following steps will help build and sustain a positive sender reputation:
Keep your list clean. Sending to spam traps and unknown users can wreak havoc with your reputation. Hard bounces should be suppressed or removed from your list immediately. You can also run your list through an email validation service, to ensure that every email on your list belongs to a real subscriber.
Sign up for feedback loops. When subscribers mark your email as spam or send it to the junk folder, mailbox providers see a huge red flag that your email is unwanted and future messages should be filtered. Most mailbox providers offer feedback loops, which notify you when complaints happen so you can address them appropriately.
Check for blacklists. Mailbox providers may block your mail altogether if you’re on a blacklist, so it’s important to know immediately if you’ve been blacklisted and where. Check your IP address using a blacklist lookup, determine what impact the listing is having on your program, and understand the process for delisting. 
Monitor your reputation. Sender reputation is not static. Every campaign you send could impact your reputation—either positively or negatively. Free tools like Sender Score will help you keep a handle on how mailbox providers view your email program.
Secret #3: Make sure your subscribers are engaged with your email program
Every marketer knows that loyal customers are critical to business success. But did you know that they can also help to ensure your email gets delivered? Mailbox providers are beginning to evaluate subscriber engagement as part of their filtering decisions, as it allows them to determine whether email is welcome at the individual subscriber level. Keep your subscribers engaged with these tactics:
Segment, target, and personalize: Each subscriber on your list is an individual with unique preferences, motivations, and goals—so treat them that way! Separate your list into segments and create unique content for each group. Also consider different ways of segmenting—life stage, previous purchase behavior, etc.
Test, test, test: One of email’s greatest strengths is its flexibility. You can easily test nearly every aspect of your email, to see what works best and maximize subscriber engagement. If you need some help figuring out what to test, here are 50 different ideas .
Learn from experience: Analyzing past campaigns can provide valuable insight into what resonates with your subscribers. By evaluating what worked and what didn’t, you can start to identify elements that are most likely to spark engagement.
Clearly, there’s no quick fix that will guarantee access to the inbox. Knowing the secrets of best in class sender is the first step. From there, it’s a matter of implementing the ideas we’ve discussed above and reviewing your results on a regular basis to see where you’re making progress, and where you need more work. It’s a challenging, ongoing process that requires commitment and patience, but the reward of having a successful, effective email program is well worth the effort.
Tags