Email Automation & Delivering

- Everything You Should Know about Email Deliverability Basics

Running a successful email campaign is no easy task. But it’s even more complicated if your messages never make it to your subscribers’ inboxes. If you’re not taking the necessary precautions to ensure your emails are delivered to your subscribers’ inboxes, your efforts are doomed from the start. 

If you do nothing to improve your email deliverability, your emails will likely continue being sent to spam, having low click-through rates and leading to low conversions and sales – who wants that, right?

Fortunately, you can follow a few best practices to improve deliverability and increase the chances that your readers will see your message. This guide will discuss what you need to know and do to ensure that your emails reach as many people as possible.

The Difference between Email Delivery and Deliverability

Email Delivery: This is when an email is delivered to a receiving mail server. 

Email Deliverability: This is when an email is delivered to a recipient’s inbox.

  1. First, an email is sent to the mail server. 
  2. The mail server either accepts or rejects the email.
  3. Based on set criteria, the email is either sent to the recipient’s inbox, marked as spam or fails to send. 

Why should you care about email deliverability?

Email marketing aims to send emails to an email list to generate new prospects, engage your readers, and sell to them (conversion). But if those emails are not successfully being delivered to your subscribers’ inboxes, your email marketing efforts are going to fall flat.

Why? Because those emails are not going to be seen.

Email marketing is still one of the best ways to reach your ideal audience and continue forming a profitable relationship and ensuring excellent email deliverability is one of the vital things that allow you to achieve that.

Reputation Monitoring

Email reputation monitoring measures how well you maintain your company’s email presence and follow best practices.

An  Internet Service Providers (ISP) like Gmail uses an email sender reputation to score you on a set of standards and based on how you meet those standards or not will determine where your emails are sent (or blocked) for example spam or promotions folder.

Monitoring your sender reputation is thus necessary for running an effective email marketing campaign. 

These are the primary aspects you need to look out for when monitoring your sender reputation:

  • Message content: The message’s contents can be flagged and filtered as spam through its text, imagery, links, and URLs.

It’s hard to know exactly what criteria to use to ensure the system doesn’t flag your content. That is because the server providers haven’t made it publicly available.

However, it is clear that there is a link to the sender reputation when there are high open rates, low bounce rates and spam complaints.

  • The domain and IP used: Domains that are not verified will be flagged as spam.

When you first start email marketing, your emails are likely going to go to spam as you haven’t yet proven yourself to the ISP, but as time goes by and you warm up your IP your sender reputation will improve.

Having a professional email account is essential to improving sender reputation as anyone can signup for a free Gmail account, and send spam all over the place.

  • Sender history: Your history and behavioural patterns communicate with the algorithm, and you can be flagged depending on inconsistencies.

For example, let’s say you typically send out emails once or twice a month, and now you begin to send out weekly. The algorithm is going to pick up on that change.

If you had an email list of 1500 email addresses to which you sent out those emails and now you are sending emails to a list of 25,000 it will flag the system. 

What is SMTP? 

SMTP = Simple Mail Transfer Protocol 

This is the protocol that mail servers use for sending emails. SMTP is the electronic version of a mailman.

Here’s how it works: 

  1. When you press send on an email, the SMTP comes to collect your email from Gmail or outlook. 
  2. It is then first sent to the email server.
  3. Then the email is sent to the recipient of that email.
  4. The email is now on the recipient’s email server. 

What is SPF?

SPF = Sender Policy Framework 

This email authentification technique prevents emails from pretending to represent your domain.

  • Verified SPF means that the email is sent from server to recipient.
  • Unverified SPF means that the email can potentially be meddled with.

Here’s how it works: 

  1. The SMTP server will recognise if the domain is not connected to the IP.
  2. If your email address is info@abcd.com and you send an email from info@abcd.com, your SPF will pass, and the email will be sent.
  3. If a hacker tries to use the email info@efg.net, your SPF will recognise it as neutral because the domain is not connected to the IP, but it can be sent since SPF isn’t verified. 
  4. If a hacker tries to use the email cool@paypal.com, the email will not go through because the SPF has been verified by PayPal. 

What is DKIM?

DKIM = Domain Key Identified Mail

This is a technology that connects an email to a domain. 

Here’s how it works: 

  1. An email server connects a unique signature (watermark) to the email.
  2. The email, when sent to the email server, can now verify through this unique DKIM signature that the contents of this email are from the specified domain and have not been changed. 

What is DMARC?

DMARC = Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance.

This is an email authentication policy and reporting protocol.

Here’s how it works: 

  1. A sender can use DMARC as an added layer to show that their emails are safe and secure by DKIM and SPF. 
  2. If the email does not pass their authentification process, the recipient can either send it to junk or flag it as spam. 
  3. This process makes it easier to expose hackers, and phishing emails and further protect the sender and recipients. 

What is Send Throttling?

Send Throttling is a technique that allows you to select a time range and limit for a specified amount of emails/SMS to be sent. 

Here’s how it works: 

  1. A specified number of emails/SMS are chosen to be sent out within a timeframe. This ensures volume restrictions aren’t imposed, which affect your bounce and sender reputation. 
  2. Emails are sent out in batches instead of one large campaign, which can trigger spam filters.
  3. Emails are delivered to the recipient’s emails without any issues.

Feedback Loops and ISPs

Feedback loops help the sender monitor their sender reputation and deliverability.

Here’s how it works: 

  1. A feedback loop with ISPs allows you to take corrective action on any receiver requests or ineffective practices.
  2. Scanning and responding to recipients wanting to be taken off the list, the number of spam reports and bounce rates going through can help increase and maintain your reputation and deliverability rate.
  3. Understanding why these drawbacks can help you improve your email campaign success. 

Tips for Deliverability

  1. Get your domain authenticated: The process of getting your domain authenticated helps the email server verify that it is, in fact, you sending the emails and thus improving email deliverability.

Here’s a step-by-step article on how to authenticate your domain.

  1. Do not buy an email list: List building should start by getting your ideal audience to ‘opt-in‘ to your list. In order to get the most ROI out of your email marketing, it is essential to build a list of people who are eager and willing to get emails from you.

Buying a list goes against email-sender policies. It will likely result in many people marking your emails as spam since they never opted in and a significant bounce rate with expired or inactive email addresses.

People consider their email addresses as sacred, that’s why businesses create opt-ins to encourage people to part with their email. If all of a sudden you start getting emails from a random email address, you are likely going to mark it as spam and never interact with that content.

  1. Warm-up your list: You need to prove yourself at first by sending out emails to your list. Over time this will verify your reputation and move your emails out of spam.

A great way to do this is by sending out a weekly newsletter to your list. 

  1. Segment your list: There are many reasons to segment your list. You can segment your list based on their needs and preferences and the audience who has not yet bought from you.

You can send out an email to your list asking them if they would like to be added to your newsletter or upcoming live training.

If they respond ‘yes’ they can be added to a segmented list called ‘Newsletter’ and when you create emails to send out, they will be automatically sent out to that group, and if they respond ‘no’ they will remain on the current list.

  1. Clean your list: Having a large list can be expensive, so it can be beneficial to either create a campaign by segmenting inactive subscribers to increase engagement or let your email provider remove email addresses who have not opened your emails within the last 6 months.

An email marketing platform can help you identify inactive users so you can easily remove or retarget them.

  1. Avoid spam filters: Avoid using words that have been marked as spam and create a text-to-image ratio to increase deliverability. Words such as free, guarantee & credit should not be used used to avoid being marked as spam in the subject line. 

If you want to avoid the failure of your email campaign, make sure that it is delivered successfully. 

Amy Rendel

Amy Rendel

Author

AMY RENDEL is a marketing consultant from South Africa currently residing in Israel. She has a B.Com in marketing and has worked with companies in South Africa, Israel, the UK, and the US. She spends her days writing blogs, website content and social media posts.

We can help you with

Digital marketing can be difficult and the competition is harsh. Hand the work to the experts.

Email Marketing

Email marketing can bring an insane average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. We’ll handle everything from winning copy to beautiful design to precise targeting, making the most of every one of your dollars.

SEO Services

You want your website to pop up first on search engines like Google and Bing, right? Well Search Engine Optimization is the way to get that done. Page one of search is waiting for you, we’ll help you get there.

PPC Services

PPC ads are a bang-for-your-buck marketing channel because you only pay for the ads that get clicked. We’ll set you up with a winning strategy, engaging copy and beautiful design.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 08, 2022

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

  • Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service.

  • Company (referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Agreement) refers to Kas Andz Marketing Group, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN.

  • Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.

  • Country refers to: United Kingdom

  • Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone or a digital tablet.

  • Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.

  • Service refers to the Website.

  • Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used.

  • Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).

  • Website refers to Kas Andz Marketing Group, accessible from kasandz.

  • You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

  • Email address

  • First name and last name

  • Phone number

  • Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City

  • Usage Data

Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service. The technologies We use may include:

  • Cookies or Browser Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, You may not be able to use some parts of our Service. Unless you have adjusted Your browser setting so that it will refuse Cookies, our Service may use Cookies.
  • Flash Cookies. Certain features of our Service may use local stored objects (or Flash Cookies) to collect and store information about Your preferences or Your activity on our Service. Flash Cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as those used for Browser Cookies. For more information on how You can delete Flash Cookies, please read “Where can I change the settings for disabling, or deleting local shared objects?” available at flash player.
  • Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Service and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).

Cookies can be “Persistent” or “Session” Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser. Learn more about cookies on the Free Privacy Policy website article.

We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:

  • Necessary / Essential Cookies

    Type: Session Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the services that You have asked for cannot be provided, and We only use these Cookies to provide You with those services.

  • Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies

    Type: Persistent Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website.

  • Functionality Cookies

    Type: Persistent Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember choices You make when You use the Website, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid You having to re-enter your preferences every time You use the Website.

For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please visit our Cookies Policy or the Cookies section of our Privacy Policy.

Use of Your Personal Data

The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

  • To provide and maintain our Service, including to monitor the usage of our Service.

  • To manage Your Account: to manage Your registration as a user of the Service. The Personal Data You provide can give You access to different functionalities of the Service that are available to You as a registered user.

  • For the performance of a contract: the development, compliance and undertaking of the purchase contract for the products, items or services You have purchased or of any other contract with Us through the Service.

  • To contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application’s push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the functionalities, products or contracted services, including the security updates, when necessary or reasonable for their implementation.

  • To provide You with news, special offers and general information about other goods, services and events which we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased or enquired about unless You have opted not to receive such information.

  • To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your requests to Us.

  • For business transfers: We may use Your information to evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Data held by Us about our Service users is among the assets transferred.

  • For other purposes: We may use Your information for other purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and to evaluate and improve our Service, products, services, marketing and your experience.

We may share Your personal information in the following situations:

  • With Service Providers: We may share Your personal information with Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service, to contact You.
  • For business transfers: We may share or transfer Your personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of Company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of Our business to another company.
  • With Affiliates: We may share Your information with Our affiliates, in which case we will require those affiliates to honor this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include Our parent company and any other subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other companies that We control or that are under common control with Us.
  • With business partners: We may share Your information with Our business partners to offer You certain products, services or promotions.
  • With other users: when You share personal information or otherwise interact in the public areas with other users, such information may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside.
  • With Your consent: We may disclose Your personal information for any other purpose with Your consent.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company’s operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.

The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

  • Comply with a legal obligation
  • Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company
  • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
  • Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public
  • Protect against legal liability

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Children’s Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, We take steps to remove that information from Our servers.

If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require Your parent’s consent before We collect and use that information.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:

  • By email: team@kasandz.com