10 Steps to Maintain Great Deliverability in 2024

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As we step into a new year, it’s time for email marketers to reflect and recalibrate. The holiday season, with its flurry of promotional emails and donation asks, might have left your audience feeling a bit overwhelmed. January is a great time to give your email strategy a little TLC. 

If you’re here, you don’t need to hear the usual message about why email is valuable and why it can be such an important platform. You’ve already made the investment in email — now you’re focused on getting the most out of email in 2024, and that starts by making sure your emails always land in the inbox.

So now’s the time to do a deliverability check-up. Here are 10 things to check on to make sure your emails keep reaching your audience.

1.) Check on SPF + DKIM

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) are your email’s first line of defense against the dark arts of the internet, also known as phishing and spam. SPF ensures that your email is sent from an approved domain, acting like a bouncer checking IDs at the door. DKIM, on the other hand, adds a digital signature to your emails, ensuring that the content hasn’t been tampered with in transit. Together, they build a fortress around your emails, safeguarding your sender reputation and ensuring your messages reach their intended destination.

However, setting up SPF and DKIM is not a set-it-and-forget-it affair. Regular checks and updates are necessary to ensure they are functioning correctly. Misconfigurations can lead to email delivery issues, and human errors may break things, making your emails look suspicious to ISPs. So, roll up your sleeves and make sure these protocols are in tip-top shape, ensuring your emails are always welcomed with open arms (or inboxes).

There are a few free and easy ways to check to make sure things are set up correctly: My company, EmailConsul, offers a free deliverability audit tool that’ll show you your current authentication status, and RedSift also has a free tool that can check this. Or you can do this the old fashioned way: By sending yourself an email and checking in your inbox. Here are the instructions for doing this — it requires just a few clicks.

2.) Set up DMARC

DMARC builds upon the foundational security of SPF and DKIM. It allows you to set policies, instructing inboxes on how to handle emails that fail authentication checks. DMARC is like the bouncer at a nightclub — if someone tries to send an email and they’re not on a pre-approved list, they won’t get through to the inbox.. 

DMARC is a critical tool in the fight against email fraud, helping to protect your brand and your subscribers from phishing attacks. It not only protects your subscribers but also provides valuable feedback, sending reports, as XML files right in your inbox every day, that help you monitor and improve your email authentication setup. So, don’t leave your email security to chance; implement DMARC and take control of your email destiny.

And DMARC has become even more important thanks to changes that Gmail and Yahoo are implementing starting in February. If you haven’t turned on DMARC by February 1, your emails might be blocked from Gmail or Yahoo inboxes. 

Make sure you’re set up so you can stay in the inbox. Here’s what Gmail and Yahoo are requiring of senders, and here’s how to actually set it up for your domain.

3.) Run a reactivation campaign

Over time, it’s natural for some subscribers to become disengaged. They might have changed email addresses, lost interest in your content, or simply forgotten about you. A reactivation campaign is your chance to remind them of the value you bring, rekindling that old flame and bringing them back into the fold. It’s like reaching out to an old friend, reminding them of the good times and inviting them to reconnect. A great campaign might help you win back anywhere from 5 to 15% of your inactive readers — so if you’re not sending regular reactivation campaigns, you’re missing out on the chance to keep a big percentage of your readers engaged.

But reactivation campaigns are not just about sending a “We Miss You” email and calling it a day. They require a strategic approach, segmenting your audience, and crafting personalized messages that resonate with their unique needs and interests. It’s about reminding them of the value they once found in your content, highlighting what they might have missed, and showcasing the benefits of re-engaging with your brand. Dive deep into understanding your inactive subscribers: What made them drift away? What can reignite their interest? Craft compelling reactivation emails tailored to these insights, and you’ll witness those dormant connections rekindling into active engagements. 

Looking for suggestions about the types of emails to send to readers? We’ve got ideas and examples from successful winback campaigns here.

4.) Clean your lists

Not all subscribers will re-engage, no matter how good your winback emails are. You’ve got to be willing to remove these inactive readers from your list. In my experience, one of the biggest reasons why orgs see deliverability problems is because they’re not cleaning their lists — they continue to send to readers who don’t open and engage.

Regularly pruning your list not only boosts engagement rates but also enhances your sender reputation. After all, sending emails to non-existent addresses or uninterested parties is like shouting into the void. It’s essential to use tools and practices that help identify and remove such addresses, ensuring your list remains fresh and relevant. Sunset policies help automate this flow and maintain your inboxing rates.

With Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection making it harder to truly understand who is opening your emails, list cleaning might go beyond just removing non-openers from your list. You may also want to check in with readers to ask for permission to keep sending emails to them — even if they’ve been on your list for a while — or ask them to update the information you have on file, like their name or newsletter preferences.

5.) Identify the metrics that matter to you

Metrics are the lifeblood of any email campaign, providing valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not. Open rates, click-through rates, and delivery rates are just the tip of the iceberg, offering a glimpse into the health of your email strategy. They help you understand your audience’s behavior, preferences, and engagement levels, guiding your future campaigns and ensuring your messages hit the mark.

But metrics are not just numbers on a screen; they tell a story, providing a narrative of your email journey. They help you identify trends, pinpoint issues, and uncover opportunities, turning data into actionable insights.

Moreover, metrics are intrinsically tied to the goals we set. Luckily, January is usually the time when you’re setting big goals for the year. Can you tie any of these goals back to your email strategy? For instance, let’s say you’re looking to grow your email list in 2024. That’s great — but as I’ve written before, if your list grows but new subscribers don’t engage with your newsletters, you may see a hit in terms of deliverability. So if growth is one of your goals, I’d recommend tracking other metrics — like open rate, click rate, or survey feedback — to understand how engaged those new subscribers are.

6.) Ensure that readers can easily unsubscribe

While it might seem counterintuitive, making it easy for subscribers to leave is a sign of respect and transparency. An easily accessible unsubscribe button ensures that your audience consists of genuinely interested individuals. It’s about giving them the choice and control over the content they receive. Moreover, forcing subscribers to jump through hoops to unsubscribe can lead to frustration — if they can’t find the unsubscribe button, they might mark your emails as spam, harming your sender reputation.

In the context of email deliverability, it’s better to have a smaller list of engaged subscribers than a larger list with many disengaged ones. By ensuring a smooth unsubscription process, you’re not only respecting your subscribers’ choices but also optimizing your list for better engagement and deliverability. Remember, quality always trumps quantity.

And it’s also something you’ll need to do as part of the Gmail and Yahoo changes that are rolling out this quarter. Both Gmail and Yahoo are requiring that any bulk sender offer a one-click unsubscribe. (Gmail defines “bulk sender” as any sending to 5,000 or more Gmail addresses per day.) You can use a tool like About My Email to see if your emails are in compliance with the one-click unsubscribe rule. If you don’t already have this set up, contact your ESP for guidance — or you can check out Gmail’s guide to one-click unsubscribes here, and Yahoo’s guide here.

7.) Make sure you’re sending at the right cadence

Emails are a bit like music; they need the right rhythm. Sending too frequently can overwhelm subscribers, while sending too infrequently might make them forget about you. It’s essential to find a balance, ensuring you’re consistently present in their inboxes without being overbearing. This requires understanding your audience’s preferences, analyzing engagement metrics, and adjusting your sending frequency accordingly.

Consistency in sending also sets expectations. Subscribers come to anticipate and look forward to your emails, leading to better open and engagement rates. However, it’s also crucial to remain flexible, adjusting your cadence based on feedback and engagement metrics. After all, the goal is to provide value, not just fill up inboxes.

If you do adjust your sending frequency, make sure to update your sign-up pages and other marketing channels to reflect the new cadence, and be sure to communicate any changes to readers as well.

8.) Stay updated with new email laws

The world of email marketing is dynamic, with best practices and standards evolving continuously. What was considered a best practice a year ago might be outdated today. Staying updated ensures you’re always in line with the latest trends and recommendations, optimizing your strategies for maximum impact.

A few places I recommend to stay up-to-date (besides, of course, reading Inbox Collective): Gmail and Yahoo both maintain blogs where they provide updates on their own policies. The Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (or M³AAWG) holds conferences and releases updates on their site about deliverability changes. There are also other blogs, like Spam Resource, that do a good job of keeping readers on top of deliverability changes, and books like Chad S. White’s “Email Marketing Rules.”

Furthermore, it’s crucial to be aware of international email laws and regulations, even if you don’t operate or send emails in those regions. Why? Because spam filters aren’t localized. ISPs often find it more efficient to adhere to strict regulations globally, ensuring they remain compliant across the board. This approach not only aligns with their goal to reduce spam and unwanted emails but also simplifies their operations. By enforcing stringent standards, they can ensure that both they and their customers remain compliant. So, understanding these laws — like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) — isn’t just about legal compliance; it’s about mastering the rules of the email and inboxing game. Staying informed about global email regulations gives you an edge, ensuring your emails navigate the intricate web of global deliverability standards with ease.

9.) Educate your subscribers about deliverability

Your subscribers play a crucial role in your email deliverability. Their actions, from opening emails to marking them as spam, influence your sender reputation. It’s essential to educate them about best practices, such as whitelisting your email address or moving your emails to the primary tab. This not only improves your deliverability but also enhances the overall subscriber experience.

One of the most potent ways to boost engagement and deliverability is to encourage your subscribers to reply to your emails. Whether it’s by asking questions, seeking feedback, or prompting them to share reviews and photos of them using your product, replies are a strong indicator of engagement and trust. These interactions not only foster a deeper connection with your audience but also signal to email service providers that your emails are valuable and desired by the recipients. It’s a win-win situation: you gain valuable insights and content from your subscribers, and in return, your emails are more likely to land in their inbox.

Simple onboarding emails or periodic reminders about deliverability can also make a significant difference. It’s about empowering your subscribers, giving them the tools and knowledge to ensure they receive and enjoy your content. After all, an informed subscriber is an engaged subscriber, and one who actively interacts with your emails is a goldmine for your email strategy.

10.) Add some deliverability tools to your toolbox

In the vast digital landscape, a deliverability tool is your guide. These tools offer a plethora of features, from real-time monitoring to comprehensive reports, ensuring you’re always on top of your email game. They help identify potential issues, provide actionable insights, and optimize your strategies for better deliverability.

With the increasing emphasis on email authentication and security, tools that offer features like seedlisting tests, DMARC report analysis, and blocklist monitoring have become indispensable. They provide a holistic view of your email performance, helping you make informed decisions and ensuring your emails always hit the mark and see issues coming miles away.

A few you may want to take a look at:

• EmailConsul offers seed list testing, blocklist monitoring, DMARC monitoring and integrations with Google Postmaster & SNDS.
• InboxMonster offers tools to monitor inbox placement, blocklist monitoring, email rendering checks, DMARC monitoring, and email campaign performance.
• Validity offers dashboards with subscriber insights, plus contact verification tools.

Any of these tools might help you stay on top of deliverability in the new year.

Remember: Email deliverability is both an art and a science. It requires a blend of technical know-how, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of your audience. With these tips — and a dash of dedication — you’re set to make the new year a great one for your email program.

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