Email deliverability is an integral aspect of email marketing that determines whether or not an email will be successfully delivered to the recipient’s inbox. Given that email marketing is a popular and effective way to engage with prospects and customers, with revenue generated from email marketing reaching $9.62 billion in 2022, it is essential to ensure that as many emails as possible are delivered to the recipient’s inbox.
To improve email deliverability, businesses must focus on cultivating a favorable sender reputation. Sender reputation refers to the reputation of the sender in the eyes of the receiving server, which utilizes various factors, including the sender’s address and IP, to determine whether or not an email is likely to be appreciated by the recipient or if it is more likely to be flagged as spam. To build a positive sender reputation, it is often necessary to “warm up” a new email account by sending emails that are likely to be opened and read, thus establishing the account as a trusted sender in the eyes of the receiving server.
Another critical aspect of improving email deliverability is the implementation of a clear opt-in/opt-out policy for email campaigns. It is essential that businesses only send emails to individuals who have explicitly opted in to receive emails from the business, as this not only ensures that relevant content is being sent to an interested audience, but also reduces the risk of being flagged as spam.
In addition, businesses should segment their email list to ensure that they are sending relevant content to the appropriate audience. For instance, if the business has a large email list with diverse interests, it may be more effective to send targeted emails to smaller groups rather than sending the same email to everyone on the list. This can increase the chances that the emails will be opened and read and decrease the risk of being flagged as spam.
Finally, businesses can consider using a professional email service provider to ensure that emails are sent from a reputable domain. This can enhance the sender reputation and increase the chances that emails will be delivered to the recipient’s inbox. Some popular email service providers include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Aweber.
In summary, there are several steps that businesses can take to improve email deliverability. By prioritizing the improvement of sender reputation, implementing a clear opt-in/opt-out policy, segmenting the email list, and using a professional email service provider, businesses can increase the chances that emails will be delivered to the recipient’s inbox and drive business growth.
It is imperative that businesses consider various technical factors when establishing email marketing services. A crucial decision to be made is the selection between a dedicated server and a shared server. A dedicated server is an independent server utilized solely by a single client, while a shared server is a server that is utilized by multiple clients. While most individuals opt for shared servers in order to reduce costs, there are certain instances where a dedicated server may be necessary.
If a company’s email accounts are well-established and have a solid reputation, a dedicated server may not be required. However, if a business sends a high volume of emails on a frequent basis, it may be necessary to utilize a dedicated server in order to function optimally. Shared servers can be a cost-effective option, but they do have certain limitations. For instance, sender reputations on shared servers are effectively lumped together, which means that if another business on the server is being frequently blacklisted, it can negatively impact the sender reputation of other businesses on the server.
In addition to server setup, it is also necessary to establish SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and BIMI in order to authenticate emails and establish trust with incoming mail servers. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a DNS record that specifies which servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of a domain. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is a system that utilizes a pair of keys (a private key and a public key) to authenticate the sender of an email. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a DNS record that allows the sender of an email to suggest to a receiving server how to handle an email if it fails its authentication test. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a system that enables businesses to display a logo in the recipient’s email client in order to increase brand recognition and trust.
It is also crucial to ensure that emails are properly formatted and to utilize a professional email template in order to increase the chances that emails will be delivered to the recipient’s inbox. This includes paying attention to the layout, font, and color scheme of the email, as well as avoiding errors and typos.
In order to continually optimize and improve email deliverability, it is essential to monitor and track the success of email campaigns. By analyzing data such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, businesses can gain insight into what is working well and what areas may require improvement. This can help businesses to continually refine their email marketing efforts and drive business growth.
In summary, there are several technical and strategic factors to consider when setting up and optimizing email marketing services. By carefully selecting the appropriate server, setting up authentication systems, ensuring that emails are properly formatted, and tracking the success of campaigns, businesses can increase the chances that their emails will be delivered to the recipient’s inbox and drive business growth. By staying informed and proactive, businesses can effectively use email marketing to engage with prospects and drive revenue.
