Proven strategies to improve email deliverability and boost engagement

Even the best-crafted emails won’t yield results if they never make it to the recipient’s inbox. Poor deliverability and low engagement are common challenges, but they’re not insurmountable.

Here are a few proven strategies to ensure your emails land where they’re meant to and resonate with your audience.

Your email list is the foundation of your email marketing strategy. Sending to outdated or irrelevant contacts harms your deliverability and reputation. Focus on quality over quantity:

• Use Double Opt-In: Require subscribers to confirm their email address to ensure genuine interest.

• Regularly Clean Your List: Remove inactive or invalid email addresses to maintain high engagement rates.

• Segment Your Audience: Group contacts based on demographics, behavior, or preferences to send more targeted and relevant messages.

Email authentication protocols verify your identity as a sender and prevent your messages from being flagged as spam:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Authorizes which servers can send emails on your domain’s behalf.

• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Confirms that the email content hasn’t been altered in transit.

• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Provides instructions to email providers on how to handle messages that fail authentication.

Properly implementing these protocols builds trust with email providers and boosts your sender reputation.

The content of your email significantly influences deliverability and engagement. Follow these best practices:

• Write clear subject lines: Avoid spammy language like “Free,” “Limited Time,” or excessive punctuation.

• Include personalization: Use recipient names or other details to create a tailored experience.

• Balance text and images: Avoid overloading emails with images, and ensure all visuals have descriptive alt text.

• Use a clear call-to-action (CTA): Guide recipients toward the next step with compelling and straightforward CTAs.

  
  

Your sender reputation is a critical factor in determining whether your emails are delivered. Tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score can help you monitor and manage it. Key factors influencing your reputation include:

• Bounce Rate: Keep it below 2% by maintaining a clean email list.

• Spam Complaints: Reduce complaints by setting clear expectations during the sign-up process.

• Engagement Rates: High open and click-through rates signal to email providers that your emails are valuable.

Finding the perfect balance for email frequency is key to maintaining engagement:

• Don’t overwhelm subscribers: Bombarding your audience with too many emails can lead to unsubscribes and spam complaints.

• Analyze open times: Use analytics to identify when your audience is most likely to engage and schedule emails accordingly.

While it may seem counterintuitive, making it easy to unsubscribe can improve your deliverability. Frustrated recipients who can’t easily opt out are more likely to mark your emails as spam, which damages your sender reputation.

Email marketing is not a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. Continuously testing and optimizing your campaigns is essential:

• A/B test subject lines and content: Experiment with variations to see what resonates best.

• Monitor deliverability metrics: Keep an eye on bounce rates, spam complaints, and open rates to identify and address issues.

• Refine segmentation: Update audience segments as you gather more data on preferences and behavior.

Compliance with email marketing laws like GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and CASL isn’t optional. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines and a tarnished reputation.

Ensure your emails:

• Include clear consent from recipients.

• Feature an easy-to-find unsubscribe link.

• Provide accurate sender information.

Not all inactive subscribers are lost causes. Implement a re-engagement campaign to win them back:

• Send a re-engagement email: Remind them of the value you provide and ask if they still want to hear from you.

• Offer an incentive: A special offer or discount can rekindle interest.

• Remove persistently inactive users: If re-engagement attempts fail, it’s better to remove them to improve deliverability metrics.

Improving email deliverability and boosting engagement requires a strategic, multi-faceted approach. By focusing on building a high-quality email list, optimizing content, leveraging authentication protocols, and continuously monitoring performance, you can ensure your emails not only reach the inbox but also inspire action.

Take these strategies to heart, and you’ll be on your way to achieving email marketing success.