What is Email Deliverability?
Email deliverability refers to the ability of an email to successfully land in a recipient's inbox. To ensure high deliverability, it's essential to optimize both the technical and content aspects of your email campaigns. Factors such as proper
authentication, clean email lists, and relevant content play a significant role in achieving this.
Why is Domain Authentication Important?
Domain authentication helps in verifying that the emails you send are from a legitimate source. Common authentication methods include
SPF (Sender Policy Framework),
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). Implementing these protocols helps reduce the risk of your emails being marked as spam and improves your sender reputation.
How to Set Up SPF?
SPF is a DNS record that specifies which mail servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. To set up SPF:
Access your domain's DNS settings in your hosting provider's dashboard.
Add a new TXT record with the name 'v=spf1' followed by the IP addresses or domains authorized to send mail.
Save the changes and wait for DNS propagation.
How to Set Up DKIM?
DKIM involves adding a digital signature to your email headers, which can be verified by the recipient's mail server. To set up DKIM:
Generate a DKIM key pair using your email service provider or a DKIM generator tool.
Add the public key to your domain's DNS settings as a TXT record.
Configure your email server to sign outgoing emails with the private key.
Test the setup using DKIM validation tools.
What is DMARC?
DMARC is a protocol that builds on SPF and DKIM to provide instructions to email servers on how to handle emails that fail authentication checks. To set up DMARC:
Create a DMARC record in your domain's DNS settings.
Specify the policy (none, quarantine, or reject) and the email address for receiving reports.
Save the record and monitor the reports to adjust policies as needed.
What is a Dedicated IP Address?
A
dedicated IP address is an IP address that is exclusively used by your email sending domain. Using a dedicated IP can enhance your sender reputation and improve deliverability, especially if you send a high volume of emails. However, it requires proper
IP warming to build a positive reputation gradually.
How to Warm Up a New IP Address?
IP warming is the process of gradually increasing the volume of emails sent through a new IP address to establish a good sender reputation. To warm up your IP:
Start by sending emails to your most engaged recipients.
Gradually increase the volume over several weeks.
Monitor deliverability metrics and adjust the sending pace as needed.
What are Feedback Loops?
Feedback loops (FBLs) are services provided by ISPs that notify you when a recipient marks your email as spam. Subscribing to FBLs helps you maintain a clean email list and reduce spam complaints. Major ISPs like
Yahoo,
AOL, and
Microsoft offer FBL services.
Regularly remove bounced emails and inactive subscribers.
Use double opt-in to ensure valid email addresses.
Segment your list based on engagement levels.
Verify email addresses with tools before adding them to your list.
Why is Monitoring Important?
Continuous monitoring of your email campaigns helps identify issues that may affect deliverability. Utilize analytics tools to track open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints. These insights can guide you in optimizing your email strategy for better performance.