If you’re new to email marketing or simply looking for a refresher then this article will help you understand why email deliverability is so important and explain some of the key terminologies that you need to get to grips with.
By 2025 it is predicted1 that the world will send 376 billion emails a day.
That’s roughly 47 emails sent for every person on the planet. Every single day. While the numbers are pretty staggering it’s email’s usefulness and stickiness that has ensured it has remained as a top communication channel.
It’s the log-in to your account, your membership ID, how you recover that forgotten password, and it’s even the piece of data you give to people when you don’t want to be contacted about something (not your primary email account, obviously).
And yet, in marketing circles, there is still a lack of understanding about the do’s and don’ts with email and some of the key terms that matter.
So, do you know your ISP from your ESP? Do you understand how you can improve your sender reputation and avoid the chance of being blacklisted?
Key Definitions
Email Deliverability – Email deliverability refers to the ability of an email message to successfully reach the intended recipient’s inbox without being blocked, filtered, or marked as spam by email service providers (ESPs) or internet service providers (ISPs). Even when emails don’t bounce, they are not necessarily placed in the recipients primary inbox (think junk folders and promotion buckets).
Email Service Provider (ESP) – An email service provider (ESP) is a company that offers email marketing or email communication services to businesses and organisations. ESPs provide the infrastructure and tools necessary for sending, managing, and analysing email campaigns. Examples of ESPs you will be familiar with are Gmail (Google), Outlook (Microsoft), and iCloud Mail (Apple).
Internet Service Provider (ISP) – An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company or organisation that provides individuals, businesses, and other entities with access to the internet.
Sender Reputation – Email sender reputation refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of an email sender’s domain and IP address in the eyes of email service providers (ESPs) and internet service providers (ISPs).
IP Reputation – IP reputation refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of an IP address used by a sender to deliver emails. In the context of email marketing, it primarily relates to the reputation of the IP address from which an organisation sends its marketing or transactional emails. For example, if you use an email platform, such as Mailchimp, then it is the reputation of the IP address within this system that really matters.
Domain Reputation – Domain reputation refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of a domain name used in email communications. It is similar to IP reputation but focuses on the reputation of the domain rather than the IP address from which emails are sent.
Blacklist – An email blacklist is a list of email addresses, domains, or IP addresses that are known to send spam or unsolicited emails. Email blacklists are maintained by various organisations and companies, such as internet service providers (ISPs), email service providers (ESPs), and anti-spam organisations.
Spam Trap – A spam trap is an email address used by ISPs, anti-spam organisations, and email security companies to identify and monitor spam email senders. These email addresses are not used for legitimate communication and are typically hidden from regular users. They are designed to identify those organisations with poor data habits, such as purchasing illegitimate data.
Why does your email sender reputation matter so much?
Simply put, because the better your reputation, the more of your emails that will reach your intended destination.
Your reputation serves as a gauge employed by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to assess the legitimacy of (you) the sender. This assessment aids in deciding whether emails should be directed to recipients’ inboxes, rejected outright, or filtered into spam folders.
When it’s favourable, alongside meeting other criteria, ISPs typically opt to deliver emails directly to recipients’ inboxes. Conversely, if the reputation is unfavourable, emails are likely to be either discarded or flagged as spam.
How can you avoid Spam Traps and Blacklists?
Avoiding email spam traps and blacklists is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and ensuring that emails reach recipients’ inboxes.
Here are our top things to consider in order to avoid spam traps and blacklists:
Build a Quality Email List: Focus on building a permission-based email list of subscribers who have explicitly opted in to receive communications from your business. Avoid purchasing or renting email lists, as they often contain outdated or invalid addresses that may include spam traps.
Verify Email Addresses: Use double opt-in or confirmed opt-in methods to verify the validity of email addresses provided by subscribers. This helps ensure that only genuine email addresses are added to your list, reducing the likelihood of hitting spam traps.
Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean and maintain your email list by removing inactive or bounced email addresses. Pay attention to engagement metrics such as open rates and click-through rates, and consider re-engagement campaigns for subscribers who have become inactive. Experian has a range of data validation tools that can clean your email data at the point of capture or in bulk as part of your ongoing data quality strategy.
Use Proper Email Authentication: Implement email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify the authenticity of your emails and prevent spoofing or phishing attempts. If you’ve never heard of these terms before then speak to your IT Department or Email sending provider.
Engage Subscribers Responsibly: Provide valuable and relevant content to your subscribers to encourage engagement and reduce the likelihood of them marking your emails as spam. Respect subscribers’ preferences and honor opt-out requests promptly to maintain trust and goodwill.
Monitor Deliverability Metrics: Regularly monitor email deliverability metrics such as bounce rates, complaint rates, and spam trap hits. Identify and address any issues promptly to prevent further damage to your sender reputation.
What happens if I hit a Spam Trap?
If you send an email and it hits a Spam Trap, then it can be a painful process to fix.
Hitting a spam trap can damage your sender reputation, leading to increased email filtering, lower deliverability rates, and potential blacklisting by ISPs and anti-spam organisations.
Resolving the issue typically involves identifying and removing inactive or invalid email addresses from your list, improving list hygiene practices, and implementing measures to prevent future occurrences. It may also require reaching out to ISPs or anti-spam entities to address any deliverability issues and regain trust as a legitimate sender.
Better then to focus on email deliverability best practices from the beginning, warming up your IP address, and maintaining a good reputation to limit the possibility of any issues.
Email Deliverability Solutions from Experian
Email should be a central pillar of your digital engagement strategy and your core functions, such as Marketing, Customer Services, Sales and Operations all rely on it to power their digital interactions.
If you are just starting out utilising email for your business then Experian has a range of email deliverability products and services that can help you manage your sender reputation and ensure your email reaches its intended destination.
Check emails in real time (great for verifying customers) or utilise our batch cleanse services for longer lists so you are ready to communicate with confidence.
For more information, contact the team today.
Contact Us
1https://impressive.com.au/its-official-email-is-still-the-top-marketing-channel-but-its-got-to-be-personal/