10 Proven Ways to Improve Email Deliverability in 2024

Even the most compelling email campaigns are futile if they don’t reach the intended inboxes. Email deliverability—the ability to successfully land your emails in subscribers’ inboxes—is crucial for the success of your marketing efforts. If your emails are getting lost in spam folders or blocked altogether, it’s time to take action. In this guide, we’ll explore effective strategies to enhance your email deliverability and ensure your messages reach and resonate with your audience.

Understanding Email Deliverability

Before diving into the solutions, it’s essential to grasp what email deliverability entails. It’s not just about whether your email gets delivered but whether it lands in the recipient’s primary inbox, rather than the spam or junk folder. Several factors influence deliverability, including your sender reputation, authentication protocols, list quality, and email content.

1. Build and Maintain a Quality Email List

Use Permission-Based Marketing

• Double Opt-In: Implement a double opt-in process where subscribers confirm their email addresses. This ensures that your list comprises genuinely interested recipients.
• Avoid Purchased Lists: Never buy email lists. These often contain outdated or invalid addresses, leading to high bounce rates and spam complaints.

Regularly Clean Your List

• Remove Inactive Subscribers: Regularly prune your list of subscribers who haven’t engaged with your emails over a certain period.
• Monitor Bounce Rates: High bounce rates can harm your sender reputation. Remove hard bounces immediately and address soft bounces promptly.

2. Authenticate Your Emails

Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Authorizes your domain to send emails, reducing the chance of spoofing.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to your emails, verifying that they haven’t been altered.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Builds on SPF and DKIM to provide instructions to ISPs on how to handle unauthenticated emails.

Authentication protocols establish trust with Internet Service Providers (ISPs), increasing the likelihood that your emails reach the inbox.

3. Monitor and Improve Your Sender Reputation

Understand Your Sender Score

• Monitor Sender Reputation: Use tools like SenderScore.org to check your sender reputation. A higher score means better deliverability.
• Maintain Consistent Sending Practices: Sudden spikes in email volume can raise red flags. Keep your sending volume consistent.

Engage Your Audience

• High Engagement Rates: Emails that are opened, read, and clicked indicate to ISPs that your content is valuable.
• Reduce Spam Complaints: Encourage satisfied subscribers and provide easy opt-out options to minimize spam reports.

4. Optimize Email Content

Avoid Spam Trigger Words

• Careful with Language: Words like “Free,” “Buy Now,” or “Guaranteed” can trigger spam filters.
• Balance Text and Images: A good text-to-image ratio prevents emails from appearing spammy.

Use a Recognizable Sender Name

• Brand Consistency: Use your company name or a familiar sender name to build recognition and trust.

Craft Relevant and Personalized Content

• Segmentation: Tailor your emails to different audience segments based on their interests and behaviors.
• Personalization: Use the recipient’s name and customize content to increase engagement.

5. Ensure Technical Compliance

Follow Email Coding Best Practices

• Proper HTML Coding: Use clean, well-structured code to prevent rendering issues that could trigger spam filters.
• Include a Plain Text Version: Providing a plain text alternative ensures accessibility and reduces spam scores.

Set Up Feedback Loops

• ISP Feedback Loops: Sign up for feedback loops with major ISPs to receive notifications about spam complaints.

6. Comply with Regulations

Adhere to CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and Other Laws

• Provide Unsubscribe Options: Make it easy for recipients to opt out of future emails.
• Include Physical Address: Legitimate businesses include a valid postal address in their emails.
• Respect Privacy Preferences: Honor subscriber settings regarding data use and communication frequency.

Compliance not only avoids legal issues but also builds trust with your audience and ISPs.

7. Optimize Sending Frequency and Timing

Find the Right Balance

• Avoid Overmailing: Bombarding subscribers can lead to fatigue and increased unsubscribes or spam complaints.
• Test Send Times: Analyze when your audience is most responsive and schedule emails accordingly.

8. Monitor Deliverability Metrics

Keep an Eye on Key Metrics

• Delivery Rate: The percentage of emails successfully delivered to the server.
• Inbox Placement Rate: The percentage of emails that land in the inbox versus spam folder.
• Engagement Metrics: Open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates provide insight into recipient engagement.

Use Deliverability Tools

• Email Testing Services: Tools like Litmus or Email on Acid can test how your emails perform across different clients and spam filters.

9. Use a Reputable Email Service Provider (ESP)

Leverage ESP Expertise

• Deliverability Support: Good ESPs offer tools and support to improve deliverability.
• Shared vs. Dedicated IP Addresses: Consider your volume and reputation needs when choosing between shared and dedicated IPs.

10. Stay Updated on Industry Trends

Continuous Learning

• ISP Changes: Stay informed about changes in ISP filtering algorithms and adapt accordingly.
• Best Practices: Regularly review and implement industry best practices for email marketing.

Conclusion

Improving email deliverability is an ongoing process that requires attention to detail, commitment to best practices, and a focus on building genuine relationships with your audience. By implementing these strategies, you’ll enhance your chances of landing in the inbox, engaging your subscribers, and achieving your email marketing goals.

To read more tips on email marketing strategies, check out our other blog articles. If you’re interested in partnering with STORY to optimize your current marketing efforts, contact us today.