So, you've poured hours into creating an email campaign, eagerly awaiting its launch day. But when it finally goes live, the excitement turns into disappointment as you realize it's not performing well—only 11% of recipients are opening it. Ouch!
Digging deeper, you discover the problem: your emails are getting stuck in people's spam folders. It's a frustrating setback, but it happens to the best of us.
The good news? You're not alone, and there are ways to tackle this issue head-on. With a bit of research, you can understand why your emails are ending up in spam folders and take steps to improve deliverability.
Getting your emails marked as spam feels like a punch to the gut, but it's not the end of the world. Armed with knowledge and determination, you can make the necessary adjustments to ensure your future campaigns land in the inbox, where they belong.
Google and Yahoo's Strategy Shift to Outsmart Spammers
Google and Yahoo are tightening their rules starting February 1st, all in the name of giving users a better experience and keeping spammers at bay.
In the past, having things like SPF and DKIM set up on your website helped prove you were legit and not trying to spam anyone. This not only improved email delivery but also built trust in your brand and kept your emails out of the spam folder.
But spammers are smart—they're always finding new ways to sneak past the filters and clutter up inboxes. So, Google and Yahoo are making changes to stay ahead of them
Now, just having SPF and DKIM won’t be enough. If you send emails after February 1st with only those in place, chances are they'll get marked as spam right away or maybe not even get through at all!
This is causing a lot of worry for companies that rely on email marketing. If their emails start getting stuck in spam folders or blocked entirely, it could seriously hurt their bottom line.
But if you're ready for these changes, email marketing can still be a powerful tool.
So, I guess the question here is: What do you need to do now to play by Google and Yahoo's new rules?
Ensure Easy Unsubscribing
Under the new rules set by Google and Yahoo, it's now super important to make unsubscribing easy.
The old method of just asking "Are you sure?" isn't cutting it anymore. Google and Yahoo consider it unfavorable for users if unsubscribing is difficult, and they'll penalize senders who fail to simplify the process by marking their emails as spam.
So, Here's What You Need To Do: Make sure unsubscribing is easy! Check your emails to ensure they have a one-click unsubscribe feature, including broadcasts and automated messages triggered by customer actions.
Implement Domain-based Message Authentication
It's now a must-have in 2024 to set up Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) if you want to avoid your emails being marked as "spam," a requirement previously optional in 2023.
Alongside SPF and DKIM, DMARC is another way for Google, Yahoo, and other platforms to verify that your website and emails are legitimate. Without DMARC set up, your emails will be considered spam.
So, Here's What You Need To Do: Setting up DMARC is easy and straightforward. Just go to easydmarc.com and follow the instructions. It only takes 6 minutes to set up, becomes active in just 72 hours, and will help protect your emails from hitting the spam folder.
Once you’ve set up a record of your DMARC, the next step is simple. Log into your website’s DNS and create a record of the details given to you once you’ve completed your DMARC registration. Sounds easy, right?
Keep an Eye on Spam Complaints
Typically, it's best to keep the spam complaint rate below 0.1%. This means getting just 1 complaint for every 1,000 messages sent. If it's higher than that, it's considered too high. When it exceeds this threshold, you need to start adjusting your emails accordingly.
Now, with Google and Yahoo's new rules, there's a bit more flexibility. They consider a spam complaint rate of under 0.3% acceptable, meaning we need to aim for fewer than 3 complaints per 1,000 emails.
So, Here's What You Need To Do: Stay vigilant about monitoring spam complaints. While some prefer to check monthly, we suggest taking a proactive approach and doing it weekly. This allows you to catch any issues with our clients' spam rates early on.
The objective is to maintain a spam complaint rate below 0.3%, ensuring fewer than 3 complaints per 1,000 emails sent. Should the rate start climbing, adjustments can be made promptly to address it.
When Was The Last Time You Cleaned Your Email List?
It's important to keep your email list clean by removing inactive or invalid email addresses. If you don't do this regularly, it can really hurt how your emails are perceived.
So, Here's What You Need To Do: Make sure to clean your email list regularly. We rely on Hunter for both of our lists. Hunter offers an email verifier tool that helps identify invalid email addresses, reducing bounce rates and improving deliverability. It's user-friendly, cost-effective, and it boosts our credibility with Google and Yahoo.
Final Words
To wrap up, it's clear that keeping up with email marketing is all about staying on your toes and being proactive. With Google and Yahoo shaking things up and setting new rules, it's more important than ever to be in the know and take action to protect your email campaigns.
Remember, email marketing is all about staying flexible, staying informed, and always striving to do better. Keep these strategies in mind, and you'll be well on your way to email success!
SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?
Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.
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