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April 16, 2024

2023 Customer Power-Up Series - List Maintenance: Setting Your Year Up for Success (January)

2023 Customer Power-Up Series - List Maintenance: Setting Your Year Up for Success (January)

How to Improve Email Deliverability in 2023 đź“§

Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience and drive conversions. However, with the increasing number of emails being sent every day, it's becoming more challenging to ensure that your messages are getting delivered to the right people at the right time. In this article, we'll discuss how to improve email deliverability in 2023, including the best practices for list hygiene, engagement, and segmentation.

📝 Table of Contents

- Introduction

- The Importance of Email Deliverability

- The Nine Sources of Email Data

- Strategies for Building an Engaged Audience

- Metrics for Measuring List Quality

- Sunsetting Old Data

- How to Prepare for 2023

- Conclusion

- Resources

The Importance of Email Deliverability

Email deliverability refers to the ability of your emails to reach the inbox of your intended recipients. It's a critical factor in the success of your email marketing campaigns because if your messages are not getting delivered, they're not getting read, and you're not getting the desired results.

There are several factors that can impact email deliverability, including the quality of your email list, engagement rates, and the content of your messages. By following best practices for list hygiene, engagement, and segmentation, you can improve your email deliverability and increase the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.

The Nine Sources of Email Data

Not all email data is created equal. Some sources of email data are more valuable than others, and some can even harm your email deliverability. Here are the nine sources of email data, ranked from best to worst:

1. Organic confirmed opt-in email with captcha

2. Organic confirmed opt-in email

3. Organic opt-in email

4. Double opt-in or confirmed opt-in

5. Opt-in email

6. Third-party opt-in data (OK)

7. Scraped data

8. Purchased or rented data

9. Unknown data

It's essential to understand the quality of your email data and where it comes from to ensure that you're sending messages to engaged and interested recipients.

Strategies for Building an Engaged Audience

Building an engaged audience is critical to the success of your email marketing campaigns. Here are some strategies for building an engaged audience:

- Use organic methods to collect email addresses, such as web forms and sign-up sheets.

- Focus on quality over quantity when it comes to your email list.

- Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or unengaged subscribers.

- Segment your email list based on interests and engagement levels.

- Throttle your messages to improve inboxing and engagement rates.

By following these strategies, you can build an engaged audience that is more likely to open and engage with your messages.

Metrics for Measuring List Quality

Measuring the quality of your email list is essential to improving your email deliverability. Here are some metrics to consider:

- Open rates: The percentage of recipients who open your emails.

- Click-through rates: The percentage of recipients who click on links in your emails.

- Bounce rates: The percentage of emails that are returned as undeliverable.

- Spam complaint rates: The percentage of recipients who mark your emails as spam.

- Engagement rates: The percentage of recipients who engage with your emails.

By regularly monitoring these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and take action to improve your email deliverability.

Sunsetting Old Data

Sunsetting old data refers to the process of removing inactive or unengaged subscribers from your email list. By doing so, you can improve your email deliverability and avoid sending messages to uninterested recipients.

We recommend sunsetting subscribers who have not engaged with your emails for a full year. This will help you maintain a healthy reputation and avoid hitting spam traps.

How to Prepare for 2023

To prepare for 2023, it's essential to focus on list hygiene, engagement, and segmentation. Here are some tips:

- Use organic methods to collect email addresses.

- Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or unengaged subscribers.

- Segment your email list based on interests and engagement levels.

- Throttle your messages to improve inboxing and engagement rates.

- Monitor your email metrics regularly and adjust your strategy as needed.

By following these best practices, you can improve your email deliverability and increase the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns in 2023.

Conclusion

Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience and drive conversions. However, to ensure that your messages are getting delivered to the right people at the right time, it's essential to focus on list hygiene, engagement, and segmentation. By following the best practices outlined in this article, you can improve your email deliverability and increase the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns in 2023.

Resources

- Act-On Deliverability Services: https://www.act-on.com/products/deliverability/

- Webula: https://webula.com/

- NeverBounce: https://neverbounce.com/

- Spam House: https://www.spamhaus.org/

- Data Studio: https://www.act-on.com/products/data-studio/

FAQ

Q: What is email deliverability?

A: Email deliverability refers to the ability of your emails to reach the inbox of your intended recipients.

Q: What are the best sources of email data?

A: The best sources of email data are organic confirmed opt-in email with captcha and organic confirmed opt-in email.

Q: How often should I clean my email list?

A: We recommend cleaning your email list at least once a year for moderate risk levels and quarterly or monthly for high-risk levels.

Q: What are some metrics for measuring list quality?

A: Some metrics for measuring list quality include open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, spam complaint rates, and engagement rates.

Q: What is sunsetting old data?

A: Sunsetting old data refers to the process of removing inactive or unengaged subscribers from your email list.

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