How To Increase Deliverability So More People Receive Your Emails… Guaranteed!
Sometimes when you send an email, it can feel like you’re shouting into an endless void. And maybe you are – especially if you haven’t worked on improving the deliverability of your emails.
So… If you want to ensure your emails reach their intended targets, follow these simple steps…
Step 1: Start With a Reliable Email Service Provider
First things first… pick an email service provider that prioritizes deliverability. In lesson one from this digital library, there’s a tutorial on choosing an ESP, so be sure to check it out.
Step 2: Be Sure to Send Out Consistent Emails
The idea here is to send emails consistently, like… once per week. And secondly, make sure they’re value-based quality emails. Failing to do either of these can lead to spam complaints which, in turn, reduce deliverability. For example…
Let’s suppose you become a bit lazy sending emails to your list. A few weeks pass, and you realize you should probably send something to them. However… at this point!
You’re a distant memory, especially for those who’ve only subscribed. So when this strange email lands in their inbox… they’ll just hit SPAM, and get on with their day, not giving you a second thought.
Here’s another important point…
If the emails you send trip an ISP’s spam filter, they’ll end up in the spam folder rather than where you want them to go. You’ll always want to check each email’s spam score before sending. And you can improve you spam score by…
- Avoiding excessive exclamation points.
- Avoid sensitive words and phrases like “fast money.”
- Avoiding trying to trick spam filters by disguising words (e.g., “f@st M0ney”)
When using a spam checker like the one included inside many ESP dashboards, you’ll get specific advice for improving your score for that particular email.
And speaking of spam…
Step 3: Avoid Spam Complaints
As you’re starting to see, you want to avoid spam complaints to boost deliverability. Here are four other ways to do just that…
Don’t create “spammy” subject lines.
If your email looks spammy, some subscribers will assume it is and send it to spam land… never to be seen again. Subject lines like… “Get Rich Quick.”
Use Confirmed Opt-In (AKA Double Opt-In)
If you use a single opt-in, and someone makes a spam complaint, it’s difficult to prove the subscriber really did join your list. For example…
Their friend could have subscribed them. When you use confirmed opt-in, they need to click a link inside an email to confirm they want to be on the list. And this confirms they’ve requested to be on your list.
Don’t Repurpose Your List
We’ve mentioned this tip in the lesson library, but it applies here. Don’t send content your audience doesn’t want or expect. Otherwise, some of them will hit the spam button.
Don’t Purchase Emails
Some email marketers are desperate to build their lists quickly, so they buy email addresses and lists. DON’T DO IT!
Erase the idea from your mind if you’re considering it. You see… one problem with purchasing lists is you don’t know where the emails originated. They could be spamming lists – meaning you’ll get nailed for spam when you start sending. Or you could get low-quality or untargeted lists… although the net result’s the same… The SPAM police will be all over your ass!
Bottom line…
Build your own lists from your own traffic sources and use confirmed opt-in.
Step 4: Allow Users FULL Control
Users in control of their inboxes are less likely to mark your emails as spam. So follow these two tips…
Make unsubscribing EASY
If someone wants to unsubscribe… make it EASY to do so. If it’s not, they’ll just hit the spam button instead. That’s why your unsubscribe process should be one-click and done (encourage those who are NOT a good fit to hit that button).
Let users decide what emails they want.
The next step for improving your deliverability is to clean your list regularly. The bigger the list, the more often you must do this. For example…
If you’ve got a large list, you may purge your list of bad addresses once weekly. For medium lists, once per month… and smaller lists every month or quarter.
Conclusion
Listen…
There’s no sense in working your butt off to build and maintain your list if your emails aren’t getting to their destination. That’s why you’ll want to use the tips you’ve just learned, including high-quality content and avoiding spam complaints.
See you in the next lesson, and you’ll love it… because it’s about BOOSTING your open rates!
