How to Keep Your Emails Off the No-Fly List (And Why It Matters Now More Than Ever)
How to Keep Your Emails Off the No-Fly List (And Why It Matters Now More Than Ever)
’ve had a lot of conversations with clients over the last few months about email marketing and deliverability.
Notable—how much email marketing gets overlooked these days, especially when compared to the shiny appeal of social media. But did you know that email marketing still outperforms social media in terms of routine conversions? On average, emails have a conversion rate of about 8%, while social media hovers around 3% (EmailTooltester.com). Plus, the ROI on email marketing is staggering—up to 3600% compared to 180% for social (Mailmodo). I hope these numbers remind you why email is such a powerful tool for your marketing strategy.
But here’s the catch:
for email to work its magic, it actually has to reach your audience's inbox—not get stuck on the no-fly list (a.k.a. the spam folder).
In case you didn’t know, this year has been particularly challenging for email, as major providers like Google and Yahoo have implemented stricter policies to combat spam. These changes have made it harder for legitimate emails to reach inboxes, leading to a rise in emails being flagged as spam or landing in the promotions tab. As a result, many businesses (including tons of you) have seen a decline in open rates and overall email engagement, making it more important than ever to focus on deliverability strategies.
1. Double-Opt-In for Double Assurance
Encouraging subscribers to confirm their interest through a double opt-in process is one of the best ways to make sure your list is filled with people who truly want to hear from you. It’s like building a community of the most engaged folks right from the start, which naturally improves your sender reputation.
2. Optimize Those Images
Big, beautiful photos are great, but they can also slow down your emails and impact engagement. Compressing your images ensures they load quickly, and adding alt text not only boosts accessibility but also helps search engines understand your content, which can improve deliverability.
3. Protect Your Domain with DMARC, DKIM, and SPF
These terms might sound like a foreign language, but setting up DMARC, DKIM, and SPF protocols is crucial for keeping your emails out of the spam folder. These protocols protect your emails from being spoofed and help maintain your domain’s reputation. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a step-by-step guide that can walk you through it. And if you want a more detailed breakdown, this article has you covered.
4. Keep Your Emails Healthy with Authentication
Using tools like Google Postmaster Tools gives you insights into how your emails are performing. Think of it as a wellness checkup for your emails—monitoring things like delivery errors and spam reports can help you stay ahead of any potential issues.
5. Craft Emails Your Audience Loves
Subject lines matter more than we think. Personalized subject lines, in particular, have a 26% higher open rate (EmailTooltester.com). The more your audience engages with your emails, the better your deliverability rates will be, so focus on creating content they’ll look forward to reading.
Let's Wrap This Up
So, we know email marketing packs a punch, but it's on us to make sure our messages actually land where they should. These steps aren't just about improving some abstract "deliverability" metric—they're about making the most of one of your most powerful marketing tools. Think about it: a well-crafted email that actually reaches your customer's inbox and holds their attention? That's marketing gold, my friend.
