Deliverability and your reputation

… the key is data management

Following an in-depth Adestra project into deliverability, a common theme has emerged. The number of complaints your emails received (for example, people clicking the mark as spam button) and the number of bounced records on your lists seriously impacts if ISPs will deliver your email into the inbox.

Good data management and data collection techniques are essential to keeping this complaint rate down. This article investigates the ideal data management techniques as recommended by the leading ISPs.

Confirmed Opt in is the gold standard of data capture

The ideal practice is to ensure the new subscriber is sure they want to receive your information. This is proven to reduce complaint rates and improve the quality of your email addresses captured, as there are less spelling mistakes.

How it works

Following an opt-in request, a confirmation email is subsequently sent to the person notifying him that some action is necessary before their email address will be added to the list. The person must respond or take other equivalent action to be considered confirmed.

Not only does this validate the email address (spelling mistakes in email addresses mean they won't be delivered!), but gives the marketer an opportunity to make the subscriber look to their inbox and add the sender to their safe senders list.

One of the largest problems is that the recipient has simply forgotten they signed up to receive the emails in the first place!

Data capture tactics that are proven to aid deliverability

There are some further techniques that can be used throughout the confirmed double opt in process so that subscribers recognise what you send them:

Make the consent process memorable & make it obvious what they will receive

Use clear signposting to privacy policies, sample emails and list any brands from which they may receive mail. If subscribers are permitting their data to be shared with third parties be sure to provide information about the nature of the information that is to be shared and the conditions for how third parties are allowed to use the data.

Explain how often you’ll be sending emails, and what they’ll contain, to set expectations.

Don’t hide things on the page

Locate links to sample emails or to privacy policies in a location that a typical subscriber would be sure to see it rather than in places viewers may not reach like near the submit button in a web signup form rather than in an area of text that requires scrolling down.

Use fonts and colors to draw attention to the information and make it more readable.

Ask to be added to the safe sender lists

With confirmed email, you’re got a unique opportunity to make a contact look for an email you’ve sent them. As part of this you can ask them to add you to their safe senders

Store information about the sign up

To quickly resolve any queries or complaints that come up, record the IP address, date, and time of the initial consent and/or the level of permission granted at subscription.

Ensure brand recognition with consistent from addresses and from names

This enhances the subscriber’s ability to recognize your brand and messages. This also reduces the risks of subscribers being fooled and your brand damaged if you suffer a phishing attack.

Overall, remember that data capture is only the first stage of your email relationship with recipients.

To this end, a continued, regular dialogue with contacts providing clear instructions on how to update their preferences are a must to ensuring a long term profitable relationship.

Some recommendations on this include:

• Automatic welcome messages to thank them for registering, provide an overview of what they have signed up for and how they can change those preferences

• Keep content as relevant as possible and do not use misleading or ‘cryptic’ subject lines

• If it is a third party using the names, ensure there is a footer explaining why they are receiving the message and how they can end ongoing messages

• Display unsubscribe instructions promptly to reduce people complaining using the ‘mark as spam’ button.

Free whitepapers

All Adestra clients enjoy unlimited support. Experience this for yourself with our free whitepapers on email marketing:

• econsultancy's Email Marketing Census - Produced by e-consultancy, commissioned by Adestra: Read econsultancy’s key recommendations and get the most out of your email marketing over the coming year
• Top tips for writing email copy - Covering before and after they open
• Pick your perfect email partner handbook - A practical checklist of questions for marketers looking to appoint a new email marketing partner
• Data lies at the heart of your deliverability - Adopt these recommendations for optimum deliverability.

For your free email marketing whitepapers, please contact us