The Dos and Don’ts of Email Delivery

Dos & Don'ts of Email Delivery NEWS SEND There's more to email delivery than you might imagine. The content you share, the way your readers interact with your emails, and even how you grow your email list can have an effect on where your email gets delivered. Before you hit send on your next email, follow these tips to help get your email delivered to the inbox. ODO ODON'T USE DOUBLE OPT-IN USE PURCHASED OR RENTED LISTS Subscribers fill out your sign up form, then confirm the subscription to your list. This process helps keep your list free of low-quality sign ups and email addresses that may bounce. Pushing your way into someone's inbox is like invading his or her space. Instead of violating people's privacy by forcing your business on them, grow your list the right way by sending to opt-in recipients only. SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER EMAIL SENT WITH LINK TO CONFIRM (X) NAME EMAIL CLICK LINK TO CONFIRM OPT-IN SIGN UP DID YOU KNOW? EACH DAY 144.8 BILLION EMAILS ARE DELIVERED SOURCE: RADICATI.COM ODO O DON'T INCLUDE HTML FORMS, JAVASCRIPT, FLASH OR ACTIVEX HAVE AN EASY-TO-FIND UNSUBSCRIBE LINK If your readers can't find the unsubscribe link, they may use the Spam button, which can negatively affect your delivery. This type of code doesn't play nicely in most email programs and could get your email marked as Spam. Use clean HTML and nested tables. Click here to unsubscribe from our emails. DID YOU KNOW? THE FIRST EMAIL TO RAY WAS SENT BY RAY TOMLINSON FROM RAY TO HIMSELF IN 1971 SOURCE: EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/EMAIL ODO O DON'T SET EXPECTATIONS SEND THE SAME AND MEET THEM CONTENT OVER & OVER When readers subscribe to your mailing list, tell them what they're signing up for, how often, and what information you'll send. Repetitiveness could cause an engagement drop-off. Be relevant. Keep subscribers engaged. WEEK 1 ENGAGEMENT PER WEEK SIGN UP FOR OUR 10% OFF WEEKLY MARKETING TIPS WEEK 2 NEWSLETTER 10% OFF WEEK 3 NAME 10% OFF EMAIL SIGN UP 1 2 3 DID YOU KNOW? 22% OF OPT-IN EMAIL DOESN'T MAKE IT TO THE INBOX SOURCE: RETURNPATH.COM ODO O DON'T SEND A LINK TO IP ADDRESSES OR WELCOME EMAIL UNKNOWN WEBSITES Sometimes a single link or domain in an email can trigger Spam filtering because that element has been associated with email complaints. Send new subscribers a welcome WELCOME SALE email to engage them from the start, and turn them into long-term subscribers. IP 123.456.7.89 DID YOU KNOW? 24% OF EMAILS ARE OPENED IN THE FIRST HOUR OF DELIVERY SOURCE: RETENTIONSCIENCE.COM ODO O DON'T SEGMENT ENGAGED AND IGNORE UNENGAGED READERS REPORTING Segment recipients from each other and send them different Check your reporting for changes in unsubscribe activity; this could indicate a problem. content. Often, marketing effectiveness is affected by unengaged contacts, which can impact results with your engaged contacts. UNSUBSCRIBES DID YOU KNOW? OF SENT 84% EMAIL SPAM IS SPAM SOURCE: RADICATI GROUP O DON'T FOLLOW SPAM LAWS EMAIL SPORADICALLY No matter where in the world you're located, follow the requirements laid out by the CAN-SPAM Act, or other anti-spam laws where you mail. If your readers forget who you are or why they signed up, your emails could be marked as Spam. MONTH 1 MONTH 2 MONTH 3 CAN-SPAM Act I EMAIL SENT To get your email delivered to the inbox, remember these things: 1 Email to a good, opt-in list Keep your readers coming back with interesting & relevant content 3 Test all of your images and links If you've done all of the above, you can hit send with confidence knowing that your email should get delivered to the inbox. Verticalresponse Marketing. I Just Like That.