7 Things Your Email Deliverability Consultant Wishes You Knew

Posted: 13 Jan 2017 08:52 AM PST

As an email marketer, you know email marketing success depends on sustainable inbox placement, but there is a lot of conflicting information out there. What do you really need to know about deliverability?

Here are 7 key takeaways to help you think about deliverability in a new light this year.

1. How much is too much? Sit in your customer's chair.

When considering how much email is too much, think: "If I were receiving this email, how would I as a subscriber react to it?"

2.You get the reputation you deserve.

ISP filtering algorithms have grown more sophisticated over time, and ISPs are doing a better than ever job filtering out what people don’t want to receive. Mistakes happen, of course, but generally speaking, if your email is not reaching the inbox, this is on you. Improve the relevancy of your email program to your subscribers, and you’ll get better delivery rates.

3. Deliverability best practices are not in conflict with good email marketing.

There was a time when deliverability best practices were in conflict with good marketing practices. However, this changed over the past few years, when Gmail lead the way using subscriber engagement behavior in their spam filtering algorithms and others followed. Today, deliverability practices and good email marketing practices go hand in hand. Deliverability best practices support good email marketing practices.

4. It's not me, it's you.

Your ESP controls many aspects of the email sending infrastructure, but you control most of what impacts your inbox placement. If you're looking for someone to blame for delivery problems, look in the mirror.

5. Good deliverability is your job.

Email marketers can no longer ignore deliverability. It's part of your job. If you work in email marketing, you need to manage your deliverability along with the other considerations that go into having an effective, successful email marketing program. Leaving deliverability to chance is not good for your career.

6. Know your Deliverability KPIs.

Your ESP provides you with an extensive array of data to help you monitor the key performance indicators (KPIs) of your email performance. Use this data to manage your deliverability. Know what metrics to look at, and what benchmarks to manage to. Watch for deliverability red flags and anticipate problems before they impact your email program.

7. You don’t have to go it alone. Lean on your ESP for help.

Most ESPs have deliverability experts on staff, and they offer deliverability support and guidance. For anything beyond basic support, expect to pay for these services. A good deliverability strategy will pay for itself many times over. It will be one of the best investments you’ll ever make.

At the end of the day you want to achieve deliverability that really delivers. And one great to ensure just that is by downloading Email Deliverability: Guide For Modern Marketers.