Deliverability Advice for 2023

Deliverability Advice for 2023

Email Deliverability Unfiltered

Deliverability Advice

“Patience is a virtue.” “The early bird gets the worm.” “Stop! Drop! And Roll!”

We encounter many idioms and phrases throughout our lives, some more meaningful than others. Some are unique to our culture. Some serve as reminders or are instructive, while others are entertaining and purely for fun.

But the sayings you grow up hearing in your households tend to stick with you and can help you make decisions throughout your life, including your professional life. So, let's look at how these simple sayings can help explain the complex topic of email deliverability.

With the help of experts (and their families) from SocketLabs, Hurix Digital, Klaviyo, iContact, Adobe and me, your favorite Kickbox deliverability geek, Jennifer Nespola Lantz, we’ve pulled together everyday advice you can apply to your email program to help boost your deliverability. So sit back and enjoy learning about deliverability in a new light in this month’s Email Deliverability Unfiltered.

Off we go.

What are some family sayings that can also be applied to email deliverability to help marketers reach the inbox as we head into the new year?

If You Aren’t on Your Best Behavior at the Start, Where Will You Be in the Future?

Jennifer Nespola Lantz
VP Industry Relations & Deliverability
Kickbox
@emailDELIVbyJEN

As humans, we don’t always agree with given advice (be it wanted or not.) We have different views on politics, social issues, favorite shows, outfit choices, and if it’s ok to eat freshly fallen snow (I say YES!).

However, when it comes to human behavior and observations about what it means to be human, my dad has given me a ton of great advice over the years that I find myself easily relating to or agreeing with.

And this ties into deliverability how?

If you don’t grasp what it means to be a human connected to your brand, you are missing a big part of what it means to be a successful brand. Deliverability is about making that human relationship (through email communications) work. And that comes with understanding who your customers are and how they view who you are.

“If you aren’t on your best behavior at the start of your relationship, it won’t get any better.”

This is one of those lines that cuts deep because of how true it is. Domain and IP warming is often likened to dating. You put your best foot forward, start slow, get to know one another, and grow from there.

So if your best foot forward isn’t all that good, what’s to come next? Probably nothing better than that.

Does that mean someone that looks like an angel won’t be devilish later on? No, but if your first week getting to know someone is making your brain scream, “Oh, no, no, no!” then the chances of that getting any better are slim and you’ll tap out.

Same goes for your email program. You need to introduce it to the mailbox providers to establish a reputation then you have to care for it. Starting with behaviors that are less than desirable can put you in the porcelain tank and the only way out is down the drain.

This same mentality goes for your customer base. As they get to know you, if you abuse that invitation to communicate, you’ll quickly be shown the door because you’ve set the expectation that it’s only going to get worse from here.

This can manifest in how often you reach out, if you are marketing more than what is expected, if you are sharing data without consent, or if you incorporate dark patterns into your messaging that either drive unwanted purchases or make it difficult to opt-out.

Basically, anything that tells your customer you aren’t there for them but for yourself.

This next one always made me smile. It's one of Gram’s witty quips.

“Save a little something for the after.”

Without a doubt, Gram would always (and I do mean always, at least as long as I knew her) wrap up her dinner with this phrase as a coy smile would spread across her face. It was dessert time!

You can probably apply this motto around leaving room for the next course in multiple ways:

  • Don’t send so often that your customers will be too full (frustrated) for more communications
  • Don’t put so much content (imagery/text) in your email that the main call-to-action is left with little to no room
  • Don’t blast everyone with the same cadence, content, offering, or intent leaving no room for different tastes and needs

At the end of the day, that “little something” is what is looked forward to. In sending from the perspective of batch and blast, the customer is overlooked. What they signed up for becomes too much to digest, leaving no room or desire to consume more.

So keep your customers wanting more. And make sure to leave room, so they have something to look forward to “for the after.”

Did You Get It In Writing?

Skyler Holobach
Director, Enablement Strategy
SocketLabs
@holobachgirl

I’m not a lawyer

I’m not related to one

And yet, this advice

“Dad said I could go to the movies” “Did you get it in writing?”

“I won the bet! Now you have to pay up!” “Did you get it in writing?”

“I got points taken off my project” “Were the requirements in writing?”

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP STOMP. *door slam* …was the typical response from yours truly. It is simultaneously the single most frustrating phrase on this planet and the most useful.

If I had to pick a phrase that would go on our family crest, you better believe it would be, “Did you get it in writing?” Getting something in writing is your sword and shield against chaos, both in work and at home. My primary love language is written words of affirmation, so thanks a lot, family.

Awkward personal realizations aside, my advice this month focuses more on the other side of email deliverability: everything that happens before you click “send.”

You definitely have to design the email and the copy, that’s a generally universal experience, but everything else is specific to your company: maybe you have a calendar, maybe you have a process, maybe you have that one coworker who keeps coming to you 24 hours before with thirty thousand edits even though you already told them the time for feedback was OVER.

Whatever it is, there has never been anything more professionally useful than putting everything in writing.

Even if everyone knows the process by heart, even if you’re a one-human show, no matter what it is, documentation should be your best friend. It’s what you can point to if things go wrong, it’s how you train new people, it’s how you finally get that one coworker to start following the process as documented or it’s your shield to hide behind and ignore them.

Documentation automatically creates accountability, it enforces agreement, and it facilitates communication.

Do I annoy my coworkers with my note-taking? Probably. Is it my secret to creating a high-performing team with repeatable processes that can continue even if I take a vacation? Absolutely. Is it completely normal for a 12-year-old to be writing contracts to hang out with her friends? 100%.

My second family phrase comes from an unlikely place: my LASIK ophthalmologist. Getting LASIK was one of the best decisions of my life, but OH WOW, was it terrifying.

At one point in the surgery, you experience complete and total darkness for about 15 seconds. Throughout it, my ophthalmologist kept gently saying, “You’re doing perfect,” and it was just what I needed to get through to…well, quite literally see the light, but then get 20/20 vision.

My husband and I now say it to each other when one of us is being too critical or unsure of ourselves: “You’re doing perfect.” It’s our shorthand for “Calm down, it’ll be okay, you aren’t alone and you’re doing a great job getting through this.”

I see a lot of people in email second-guessing themselves, struggling with imposter syndrome, unsure of their value and their skills. Maybe you, dear reader, fit somewhere into one of those feelings. And that’s okay.

You’re trying your best and I promise things aren’t as bad as you think. You may not think you’re doing a great job, you might be in your 15 seconds of darkness, however that may manifest, but that 15 seconds will be over soon and the light (and your version of 20/20 vision) will be there sooner than you know it.

You’re doing perfect. 💜

So soothing and calm

Nice when everything is dark

You are still okay

That’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Tejas Pitkar
Outbound Marketing Strategy
Hurix Digital
@TPitkar

Two sayings that my family always relies on and how they relate to deliverability:

  1. That’s just the tip of the iceberg

    The men steering the Titanic couldn’t see it….but you really should be looking underneath.

    Deliverability problems can be an indicator of a bigger issue with the company’s email marketing strategy. When the emails are getting delivered in spam, it can be a sign that the sender reputation is damaged or high bounces have occurred or simply many users have flagged emails as spam.

    But even though these issues can be resolved, there could be other underlying issues (below the tip of the iceberg) that are not immediately visible.

    One potential issue could be that the emails being sent are not engaging to the recipients. There could be a lack of segmentation or targeting or the emails are not simply providing any value to the audience. The company emails may not be optimized for mobile devices, which could be leading to unsubscribes and a poor viewing experience.

    Another issue could be that the company is not clear about the goals or metrics in place for its email marketing efforts. Without any clear metrics to achieve, it’s difficult to determine campaign effectiveness and make data-driven decisions on future campaigns.

    In short, an email deliverability problem could be a symptom of a much bigger problem, such as poor experience, poor engagement, or a lack of strategy. It’s important for email marketers to look beyond the initial problem and figure out the target audience and the right goals to reach for their email marketing efforts.

  2. A stitch in time saves nine

    An often repeated saying by my Grandpa.

    Taking care of small problems can prevent them from becoming major issues later on. This saying is particularly relevant to email deliverability.

    Maintaining a good sender reputation is key to delivering emails to the inbox. A bad reputation can lead to emails being flagged as spam, which makes it harder for a company to reach its audience and achieve its goals.

    Taking preventative measures like cleaning lists regularly, segmenting lists, monitoring blocklists, and bounce rates will ensure that the small problems are nipped in the bud before they become impossible to handle.

    Additionally, keep an eye on metrics like opens, clicks, click-throughs, and spam complaints. Take action when you see a decrease or unusual spike. These practices keep email marketers proactive and address small problems early on before they become bigger issues.

    Being proactive and taking preventative measures like maintaining a good sender reputation and optimizing campaigns, can ensure that your emails are delivered to the inbox. You can thus avoid bigger issues that may arise if you wait for them to happen.

If It Sounds Too Good to be True…It Probably Is

Hanna Fray
Deliverability Strategist
Klaviyo
@klaviyo

Over the years, I’ve come to genuinely appreciate the skepticism that was ingrained into me as a young child/adult; especially in a world where schemes, dupes, and broken promises reign supreme.

I’m sure we can all think of a time where we heard a sales pitch and had to ponder, “but what’s the catch?” Spoiler alert: there’s always a catch. Because “if it sounds too good to be true…it probably is.”

What’s interesting though, is the amount of times in my professional career I’ve had to attempt to teach this skill of observation to customers and clients.

It’s a delicate balance of genuinely wanting to review the full picture and consider all options but also holding firm on the deliverability best practices that I know to be tried and true. Here are a few examples of real conversations I’ve had over the years:

  1. “Company X says they can guarantee inbox placement. Why can’t ‘you’ do the same?”
  2. “We have always sent to our entire list with every send. Why is it all of a sudden a problem?”
  3. “I don’t believe our dedicated IP reputation is poor because of our behavior. It must be something ‘you’ did.”
  4. “Company X says we can send to people who didn’t opt-in. Why can’t ‘you’ allow this?”

Now, if you are reading this as a deliverability personnel or even a tenured marketing specialist, you are probably shaking your head or having to take a deep breath. But I challenge us to think about this from the perspective of logic.

If you didn’t have the foundational understanding of the positive impact of adhering to email best practices, then the above are logical questions.

It’s no different than shopping for a car, and receiving a much better interest rate and term with bank A versus bank B. It may seem… too good to be true? You may even ask bluntly, “but bank A can do X, why can’t ‘you’?”

I’ve come to utilize a pretty standard talk track when I am asked to explain the ‘too good to be true.’ I would say my success rate at convincing folks to listen to reason is about 75/25.

While I’m always willing to admit that my delivery is a big part of the end result, I also firmly believe that we as a society are simply too accustomed to falling for the ‘get rich quick’ promises and ‘instant gratification’ pathways.

Overall my message is simple; keep an open mind while working with a deliverability professional, as well as when exploring solutions to your deliverability needs.

Ask yourself, how does the other party stand to benefit from what they are saying? Is it too good to be true? I can certainly speak for myself that when I am providing deliverability advice that is less than ideal, it’s not because I enjoy inflicting chaos.

But rather, I want my customers and clients to be successful. To quote another great family saying, ‘walk a day in someone else’s shoes’. In other words, ask questions and do your best to understand all sides of the issue; and at the end of the day, lean on the experts.

Preparation is Everything.

Brendan Matthews
Lead Delivery Resource
iContact
Connect on Linkedin

“Preparation is everything.”

My grandfather was a man who didn’t waste words and this was his motto. He grew up during the Great Depression, was a Navy vet during WW2, and eventually raised 8 kids while working 2 full-time jobs his entire adult life—the man knew how to prepare, got to the point quickly, and made sure you remembered it.

While he never owned a computer or sent a single email (or unboxed that cordless phone we got him in 1995), it’s a motto that can be applied almost universally. In terms of being specific to deliverability and email marketing, I think of it in three phases:

  1. Are you prepared for mailbox providers (technical)?
  2. Are you prepared for your recipients (content and list management)?
  3. Are you prepared to adjust?

Preparing for what mailbox providers want isn’t super hard—large ones like Gmail and Yahoo publish sender guidelines that give pretty specific instructions on what they’re looking for. If they’re explicitly giving advice, follow it!

Most of this involves technical preparation like authentication, encryption, SSL, etc., so that an automated filter can identify what messages are from you by anchoring them to your domain and can see they are protected as best as possible.

But the #1 rule every mailbox provider shares is that your mail must be permission-based. If you’re not prepared for that (meaning your recipients didn’t give explicit consent), prepare for the spam folder and don’t be surprised when it’s working as designed.

Preparing for recipients is a little trickier. The permission rule is still #1—unsolicited mail will lead to high spam complaints, high unsubscribe rates, and a low read rate which are all negative signals that impact delivery.

But even double-opted in contacts get stale and opt out, so the preparation comes in limiting those signals while maximizing positive signals such as opens and clicks using data points to segment and target rather than sending the same messaging to everyone every time.

Preparing for adjustments may be the hardest hurdle to overcome because it requires change, sometimes drastic. Are you prepared to update content, test subject lines, change sending cadence or frequency, use internal data to target better, etc.?

If your company has always purchased lists, but deliverability only recently tanked, are you willing to stop sending spam to improve because it worked in the past? If your ad spend breaks down to X dollars per verified opt-in, are you prepared to walk away from hundreds or thousands of contacts that haven’t opened in several years and are harming your delivery because of what it costs to get that traffic in the first place?

If your email program is prepared for all three phases, your marketing results and deliverability probably reflect it. If your deliverability is struggling, ask yourself which of those items were you not fully prepared for?

Benjamin Franklin eloquently said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” But if you only have a second or two to grab someone’s attention, Grandpa’s “Preparation is everything” gets the point across just a bit quicker.

If Your Friends Jumped Off a Bridge…

Mary Youngblood
Sr. Deliverability Expert
Adobe
@Adobe

If your friends jumped off a bridge, does that mean you should too? If someone you know says they buy lists or use abandoned shopping cart addresses or scraped addresses to market their wares, should you?

Nope.

Chances are they really aren't doing those things OR they are and all their mail goes to the spam folder or is blocked.

Do it right the first time, build your list organically with explicit consent and you will rarely, if ever, have deliverability issues.

Don't believe me, go ahead and lose revenue and pay for deliverability help which will not be very effective. Go ahead, jump off the bridge, I dare you.

But first!

Wear clean underwear in case you are in a car accident. Well, most of us have been working from home, especially the last 3 years, and with gas prices high may not be driving near as much. So let's just say, "Wear clean underwear", that's it, no need for special conditions here.

Sign up your consent-giving users using Confirmed Opt-in. That's it. No need for special conditions.