The Ultimate Guide to Cold Email Deliverability(2024)

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Tired of your cold emails getting lost in the depths of spam folders? 

Join me as we explore the secrets to boosting your email deliverability and getting your messages in front of the right people.

In this ultimate guide, I’ll dive into the key factors that influence inbox placement and arm you with featuring tactics to enhance your campaigns for optimal results.

Let’s revolutionize your cold email game together!

Key Takeaways

  • Email deliverability is a crucial factor that determines the likelihood of your emails reaching the recipient’s inbox, directly affecting the success of your cold email campaigns.
  • Your sender reputation, based on factors like IP and domain reputation, engagement rates, and mailing list quality, plays a significant role in email deliverability. Maintaining a good reputation is essential.
  • The content, formatting, and proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) of your emails can significantly influence deliverability rates and help your messages bypass spam filters.
  • How recipients interact with your emails (open rates, clicks, replies, complaints) serves as a strong engagement signal that impacts your sender’s reputation and, consequently, your email deliverability.

What is Email Deliverability?

The chances of your email making it to the recipient’s inbox are what I refer to as email deliverability.

When an email bounces back or gets caught in the spam folder it indicates a decrease in your deliverability rate.

High deliverability indicates that your emails consistently reach their intended destinations. While low deliverability suggests issues such as emails being flagged as spam or blocked by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). ISPs use ISP spam filters to block emails.

The Negative Effects Of Poor Email Deliverability

According to Statista, over 333 billion emails are sent and received each day and when the email is not delivered properly then the visibility will be affected. It gets diverted to the spam folder or disappears, possibly due to being blocked by the email service provider. 

Distribution of Commercial Emails

When your email deliverability suffers, it can have serious consequences for your business, such as:

  • Lower open and click through rates
  • Decreased ROI from email campaigns
  • Damage to the sender’s reputation
  • Emails landing in the spam folder, making it harder to reach prospects
  • Increased likelihood of being blacklisted by ISPs

Key Factors That Impact Email Deliverability

Several key factors can make or break your email deliverability rates:

1. Sender Reputation

Sender reputation is a score assigned by ISPs that reflects the trustworthiness of an email sender. It’s based on factors like:

  • IP Reputation

Determined by the sending practices associated with an IP address of the same domain, such as bounce rates, spam complaints, etc.

  • Domain Reputation 

Like IP reputation but tied to a specific sending domain. Influenced by factors like DKIM/SPF authentication and recipient engagement.

  • Engagement

How recipients interact with your emails (opens, clicks, replies, complaints, etc.) has a big influence on your reputation.

Example: 

Company A and Company B both send a newsletter to their subscribers. Company A has a consistent sending schedule, low bounce rates, and minimal spam complaints, resulting in a high sender score of 90. 

Company B, however, sends sporadic blasts to an outdated list, resulting in high bounces and spam complaints, and a low sender score of 30. As a result, Company A’s emails consistently land in the inbox, while Company B’s often get caught in spam filters.

2. Email Content and Formatting

The content and formatting of your emails play a big role in deliverability. Some key considerations:

  • Proper HTML Formatting

Ensure your HTML code is clean and follows best practices.

  • Visible Unsubscribe Link 

Make it easy for recipients to opt out to reduce complaints.

  • Email Client Compatibility

Test emails to render properly across clients and devices.

  • Mobile-Friendliness

Over 50% of emails are opened on mobile, so optimization is crucial.

Example: 

Retailer X sends an email with the subject line “HUGE SALE! 50% OFF EVERYTHING!” and a body full of large, flashy images and little text. 

Retailer Y, on the other hand, sends an email with the subject line “New Season, New Styles: 50% Off Select Items” and a clean, balanced layout with engaging copy and product images. 

Retailer Y’s email is more likely to pass spam filters and generate clicks due to its more professional content and formatting.

3. Email Authentication

Properly authenticating your emails helps ISPs verify you are who you say you are and not a spammer. Three key authentication methods to implement:

  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework) 

Specifies which IP addresses are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain or email account.

  • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

Adds a digital signature, such as DKIM ( DomainKeys Identified Mail), to verify a message hasn’t been altered.

  • DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)

Ties SPF and DKIM together and tells receivers what to do if authentication fails.

DMARC

Example: 

Company C sets up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for their sending domain. When their email reaches a recipient’s server, the server checks these records to verify that the email is authentic and hasn’t been spoofed or altered. 

Because the authentication checks pass, the email is delivered to the inbox. In contrast, Company D doesn’t have authentication set up, so their emails are more likely to be flagged as spam or rejected altogether.

4. Recipient Engagement

How recipients interact with your emails has a huge influence on deliverability. 

Positive Engagement Signals:

  • Opening and reading emails
  • Clicking links
  • Replying to emails
  • Moving messages to folders
  • Adding senders to address book
  • Marking messages as “not spam”

Negative Engagement Signals:

  • Deleting emails without reading
  • Unsubscribing from lists
  • Marking messages as spam
  • Blocking the sender’s email address

The more positive engagement your emails generate, the better your deliverability will be. This underscores the importance of sending relevant, valuable content to engaged recipients.

Example: 

Brand M sends highly targeted, personalized emails based on each recipient’s interests and purchase history. 

As a result, their emails generate high open rates, click through rates, and positive engagement like forwards and replies. 

Brand N, however, sends generic, one-size-fits-all emails that fail to resonate with recipients, resulting in low engagement and high unsubscribe and complaint rates. Over time, Brand M’s emails enjoy better deliverability due to their strong engagement, while Brand N’s struggle to reach the inbox.

5. Mailing List Quality

The quality of your mailing list directly impacts email deliverability. Some tips for maintaining a clean, healthy list:

  • Remove Inactive Subscribers

If a recipient hasn’t engaged in 3-6 months, remove them. Continuing to email unengaged contacts hurts deliverability.

  • Practice Good Email Hygiene

Regularly clean your list of invalid, fake, or outdated email addresses to minimize bounces.

  • Avoid Purchased Lists

Using purchased or rented lists is a quick way to destroy your sender’s reputation. Focus on building your opt-in lists instead.

Example: 

Company E uses a double opt-in process for its email sign-ups and regularly cleans its list of bounced and inactive addresses. As a result, their list is full of engaged, active subscribers, and their emails see high deliverability rates. 

Company F, however, uses purchased lists and single opt-in, resulting in a list full of invalid, inactive, and uninterested addresses. Their emails frequently bounce or get marked as spam, hurting their deliverability.

6. Sending Frequency

Finding the right sending frequency is a balancing act. Send too little and subscribers forget you; send too much and they tune you out or unsubscribe. A few guidelines:

  • Let subscribers choose

At opt-in, let subscribers choose their preferred frequency (e.g. weekly, monthly, etc.).

  • Monitor engagement

If engagement drops, reduce the frequency to win them back.

  • Segment your list

Different segments may prefer different frequencies. Use segmentation data to tailor email cadence.

When considering the sending frequency of your emails, it’s important to look at industry standards to understand what your subscribers might expect. 

Example: 

Brand Q allows subscribers to choose their preferred email frequency at sign-up and sends targeted emails based on user behavior. 

Some subscribers receive a weekly newsletter, while others receive daily product updates or occasional promotional offers. 

By tailoring frequency to individual preferences, Brand Q maintains high engagement and deliverability. 

In contrast, Brand R sends daily emails to all subscribers regardless of their preferences, leading to high unsubscribe rates and reduced engagement and deliverability over time.

The attached chart provides insight into the average email open rates by industry in 2022, giving you a benchmark to measure your engagement.

cold email deliverability

Best Practices to Boost Cold Email Deliverability

Sending emails can be a valuable strategy for fostering connections and expanding your business. 

Yet it’s essential to guarantee that your emails reach the intended recipient’s inboxes to achieve outcomes. Below are some tips to enhance the deliverability of your cold emails:

  • Warm up your email account gradually by sending a small number of emails initially and slowly increasing volume over time. This establishes a positive sending reputation.

  • Verify your email list to ensure you’re only sending to valid, engaged recipients. Remove invalid, inactive, or risky addresses that could harm deliverability.

  • Personalize your emails with relevant details about each recipient to improve engagement. Engaged recipients boost your sender’s reputation.

  • Keep your email copy concise, relevant, and providing clear value to the reader. Avoid using spammy or salesy language that could trigger spam filters.

  • Set up proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to prove to mailbox providers that you’re a legitimate sender and help your emails reach the inbox.

  • Inbox Rotation Techniques optimize email workflow by periodically archiving, deleting, or reassigning incoming messages to maintain an organized and manageable inbox.

Important Do’s And Don’ts Of Email Deliverability

To make sure your emails land in the inbox and achieve outcomes it’s essential to adhere to recommended email deliverability guidelines. Below is a compilation of key dos and don’ts to consider when dispatching emails:

DO’s DON’Ts
Authenticate with SPF, DKIM, DMARC Don’t neglect authentication
Clean list – remove inactive/invalid emails Don’t email disengaged contacts
Segment list, tailor content/frequency Don’t send one-size-fits-all emails
Monitor engagement metrics Don’t ignore engagement signals
Enable easy unsubscribe Don’t make opt-out difficult
Warm up new IPs gradually Don’t blast from new IPs
Use double opt-in Don’t add without consent
Test email client/device compatibility Don’t neglect compatibility testing
Use dedicated IP Don’t share IP with bad senders

FAQs

1. How can I check if I have a deliverability issue? 

Look out for declining open rates, increasing bounces/spam complaints, or emails landing in spam folders. You can also use email deliverability tools to analyze your performance in detail.

2. What is a good email deliverability rate to aim for? 

A deliverability rate of 95% or higher is considered excellent. Anything below 80% indicates issues that need to be addressed urgently.

3. How often should I send cold emails? 

For most businesses, sending 2-3 cold email campaigns per month is a good starting point. But optimal frequency depends on your audience, content, and engagement levels.

4. Does buying an email list help improve deliverability? 

No, using purchased lists for sending emails is one of the biggest mistakes that can severely damage your sender’s reputation and deliverability. Focus on building your opt-in email lists instead.

5. What authentication methods should I use for better deliverability? 

Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication to verify your identity as a legitimate sender, which can vastly improve inbox placement rates.

Boost Your Cold Email Results With Better Deliverability

Achieving email deliverability is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of your cold emailing campaigns. By following the recommended practices you can ensure that your emails consistently land in the recipient’s inboxes and yield better outcomes. 

Here are three key points to remember:

  • Focus on establishing a sender reputation through authentication and engaging with your contact lists.
  • Divide your audience into segments. Customize the content and frequency of your emails for each specific group.

By prioritizing deliverability you can strengthen connections, with leads and elevate the success of your cold email endeavors. Don’t hesitate any longer, start enhancing your cold email campaign with deliverability today!

References

The Benefits of Cold Email Outreach, Glock Apps

Do Cold Emails Work?, Findymail

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Cold Email Outreach, Forbes

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