Actionable steps for small businesses

In email marketing, getting your message into the inbox — and not the spam folder — can sometimes be like finding a path through a labyrinth. For small businesses, this challenge is even more pronounced. But you don’t want all the work you did ideating, creating, and sending emails to go to the proverbial dumpster… so you’ve got to take the steps to ensure this doesn’t happen. 

Let this article guide you through seven in-depth strategies to enhance your email deliverability, ensuring your valuable content reaches its intended audience.

1. Maintain a Clean Email List

A clean email list is the foundation of high deliverability rates. Regularly scrub your list to remove inactive subscribers, incorrect email addresses, and those who have opted out. Don’t worry about numbers! If your subscribers aren’t opening or reading your emails, this is your sign to bless and release (aka remove) them. By sending emails only to the people who want to receive them, you’ll improve your engagement rates and signal to email service providers (ESPs) that you’re a credible sender. Utilize tools like email verification services to keep your list pristine.

Actionable Tip: Audit your email list once or twice a year. Use this time to remove non-engaging subscribers and correct any anomalies in your database.

2. Authenticate Your Emails

Email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are your digital signatures, proving to ESPs that your emails are legitimate. This reduces the likelihood of them being marked as spam. Starting February 1, 2024, Gmail and Yahoo will require you to maintain a <0.3% spam rate, so this is uber-important! Use these protocols to verify that the emails you send are from you (not a spammer), building trust with ESPs and your audience.

Actionable Tip: Work with your IT team or web host to ensure these authentication protocols are correctly set up for your domain.

3. Optimize Your Email Content

Your email content should be engaging, relevant, and valuable to your audience. Avoid spam-triggering words. Focus on creating personalized, well-structured emails. This means don’t send every single email to your entire list! Utilize tags and segments based on your audience’s preferences or actions to craft messages that target their desires. Use a responsive design to ensure your emails look great on both desktop and mobile and in both light and dark modes.

Actionable Tip: Regularly test different types of content, subject lines, and formats to see what resonates best with your audience. Keep an eye on your open and click-through rates to gauge effectiveness.

4. Consistent Email Sending Frequency

Consistency in your email sending frequency can significantly impact deliverability. If you send emails sporadically, ESPs might flag your activity as suspicious. Conversely, bombarding subscribers too frequently can lead to high unsubscribe rates. You’ve got to find the right sending rhythm. A balanced schedule will keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them. This is different for every business and audience. Test to see what works best for YOUR readers.

Actionable Tip: Experiment with different sending frequencies and monitor the response. Once you find a rhythm that works, stick to it to build familiarity and trust with your audience.

5. Leverage Email Segmentation and Personalization

With the sheer amount of content we all consume these days, generic messaging seems to get lost in the shuffle. To really stand out in the crowded inbox, you need to tailor your email content to your audience’s needs, wants, and desires. Segmentation and personalization are powerful tools to improve email engagement, boosting deliverability. By segmenting your audience based on their interests, behaviors, or demographics and personalizing content to these segments, you increase the relevance of your emails, leading to better engagement.

Actionable Tip: Use your CRM or email analytics data to create targeted segments. Personalize your emails based on these segments for more meaningful interactions.

6. Monitor Your Sender Reputation

Your sender reputation, determined by factors like spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement, matters. It influences how ESPs treat your emails. A poor reputation can lead to your emails being blocked or sent to spam. This negatively affects future email deliverability and is a tough hole to dig out of. You must regularly monitor your metrics and proactively maintain a positive reputation.

Actionable Tip: Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your reputation. Address any issues promptly to maintain a good standing.

7. Encourage Email Engagement

The very best way to show ESPs your emails are relevant is to receive replies. Opens and clicks are great, too (but not as great as replies!). Encouraging your subscribers to interact with your emails can significantly improve deliverability. Engaged users are more likely to open, click, and even reply to your emails, signaling to ESPs that your content is valued and relevant.

Actionable Tip: Include clear calls-to-action in your emails. Ask questions, encourage replies, or direct subscribers to interact with your content on other platforms.

Improving your email deliverability is an ongoing process, requiring attention to detail, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of your audience. 

By implementing these seven strategies, you can ensure that your emails not only reach the inbox but also resonate with your subscribers. Successful email marketing is a blend of art and science — it’s about crafting compelling content and understanding the technical aspects of email delivery. Start by following these actionable tips, and watch your email marketing efforts flourish.