Want to know what to avoid when working on your client’s email marketing content to avoid delivery issues like bounce backs? Our white label email marketing team unpacks all the details in this blog:
- Poor List Hygiene
One of the most common reasons for poor email deliverability is poor list hygiene. This refers to the quality and maintenance of your email list. A clean and healthy list consists of engaged subscribers who have actively opted in to receive your emails.
Over time, subscribers may become inactive due to various reasons, such as address changes, job changes, or simply losing interest in your content. These inactive subscribers can harm your deliverability because email providers use engagement metrics to determine whether your emails are legitimate. If a large number of subscribers are not opening or clicking on your emails, it can signal to email providers that your content is spam.
We have another tip for you: Never (ever) purchase or scrape email lists. These lists are often filled with invalid or spam traps, which can damage your sender reputation and lead to deliverability issues. Building your email list organically through opt-in forms and content marketing is the best way to ensure that your subscribers are engaged and interested in your offerings.
- Lack of Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying the sender of an email. It helps to prevent spoofing and phishing attacks, which can harm your sender reputation and deliverability. There are two main authentication protocols: DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF).
If you don’t set up DKIM and SPF for your email domain, email providers may have difficulty verifying the sender of your emails, leading to deliverability issues. Setting up these protocols is relatively simple and can be done through your domain registrar or DNS provider.
- Overlooking Email Content Quality
The quality of your email content also plays a significant role in deliverability. Email providers use various factors to determine whether an email is legitimate, including the content of the message.
Avoid using spammy words or phrases in your email content. These words can trigger spam filters and reduce your deliverability. Instead, focus on creating engaging and relevant content that provides value to your subscribers.
While images can make your emails more visually appealing, excessive use of images can also harm your deliverability. Email providers may view emails with a high ratio of images to text as spam.
Finally, ALT text is descriptive text that is used to describe images for visually impaired users and when images cannot be displayed. It also helps search engines understand the content of your email. Always include ALT text for all images in your emails.
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- Ignoring Technical Aspects
Another thing that could affect deliverability is not using a reputable ESP. A reputable email service provider (ESP) can help you improve your deliverability by providing features such as IP address management, spam filtering, and deliverability analytics. Avoid using free or low-quality ESPs that may have poor deliverability records.
If you are new to email marketing or have a new IP address, it’s important to warm up your IP address gradually. This involves sending emails in small batches over a period of time to build a positive sender reputation. Ensure that your emails have a clear and well-structured HTML code. A poorly structured email can confuse email providers and lead to deliverability issues.
- Poor Sender Reputation Management
Your sender reputation is the reputation that your email domain has among email providers. If a large number of subscribers mark your emails as spam, it can damage your sender reputation. To prevent this, make sure that your subscribers have opted in to receive your emails and that your content is relevant and valuable.
A consistent sending schedule can help to improve your sender reputation. Avoid sending emails in large batches or at irregular intervals. Also, sending too many emails to your subscribers can also harm your sender reputation. Stick to a reasonable sending frequency and avoid overwhelming your subscribers with excessive content.
- Failing to Comply with Regulations
There are various regulations and laws that govern email marketing. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to legal issues and damage your sender reputation.
All emails must include a clear and easy-to-find unsubscribe link. Failing to provide an unsubscribe option can violate anti-spam laws. If you are sending emails to recipients in other countries, be sure to comply with their specific anti-spam laws and regulations.
- Failing to Test Before Sending
Before sending your emails, it’s important to test them thoroughly to ensure that they are rendering correctly and that the links and images are working properly.
A/B testing allows you to compare different versions of your emails to see which one performs better. By testing different subject lines, content, or layouts, you can optimize your emails for better engagement and deliverability.
Your emails should also be optimized for viewing on different devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Preview your emails on various devices to ensure that they are rendering correctly and that the layout is responsive.
Start off strong by enlisting our white label email marketing team to write excellent quality mailers for your clients.
