Making it to the Inbox

6 Steps to Better Email Deliverability

by Gail Goodman,  Constant Contact CEO

You've worked hard to build a permission-based email list. You've made sure people agreed to join before adding them. But still, from time to time, a few of your subscribers hit that dreaded "This is spam" button. This is an excellent example of how the "working" definition of spam has changed. While it used to refer specifically to unsolicited email, recent studies show that many now define spam as unwanted or unrecognized email.

Independent email performance firm ReturnPath recently found that 44 percent of those surveyed reported that they get "junk" from senders they know. The same study found that while 55 percent simply delete unwanted emails, 27 percent report them as spam. So this means that someone who joins your list may still view your email as "junk" and even report your email as spam.

Spam reports can hurt your overall email deliverability, which is your ability to get your email to the inboxes of your subscribers. The reports make their way back to Yahoo®, AOL®, Hotmail®, and other Internet Service Providers (ISPs). They use this information, in part, to determine your "sender reputation," which influences your ability to get your email delivered going forward. Here are several things you can do to build a great reputation with ISPs, and give your emails the best chance of making it to the inbox.

1. Use a recognizable "from" name - Most people open or delete emails based on the "from" name. Use a name that those on your list will recognize. Often, this is your company name.

2. Use a clear subject line - A subject line that represents who you are and what your email is about will help your recipients recognize your email as legitimate.

3. Make it relevant - While content is just one of many factors ISPs look at, it is the main concern for people on your list. If you are sending them irrelevant communications, even if they signed up for your list, they may click the "This is spam" button the next time they receive an email from you. Take the time to know your audience and only send information that is helpful and useful to them.

4. Keep a clean list - Get rid of the nonexistent addresses you are sending emails to every month. The ISPs notice when you don't. By removing defunct email addresses, you will improve your deliverability. If you use an Email Service Provider (ESP) like Constant Contact to send your email, you should have the option to easily delete nonexistent email addresses.

5. Authenticate - This is similar to "registering" your domain name with the ISPs so they can begin to give it a reputation. If you are a Constant Contact customer, I encourage you to turn on authentication in your account. This will help your deliverability and will position you for future success as well. For more information on authentication, read the article linked to below.

6. Offer confirmed opt-in - Also known as double opt-in, this is a surefire way to know that the people on your list really want to be there. When a person signs up through your website or other avenues, they will automatically receive an email from you asking them to confirm their subscription. This approach is seen as a best practice. It's important to tell new subscribers that if they do not respond to your confirmation email, they won't be added to your list.

Want to learn more about deliverability? Get all the details in my article, Battle for the Inbox: The Facts about Email Delivery. Go "behind the scenes" and learn what the ISPs are doing to let "good" email through and keep "bad" email out, and how Constant Contact and other ESPs are working on your behalf.

---