You've spent hours crafting the perfect email newsletter, with beautiful images and well thought out copy. You hit 'send,' excited to connect with your audience, only to find your open rates are lower than expected. The likely culprit? Your emails are getting lost in the dreaded junk folder. In our recent webinar, 'Inbox or Junk? Your Email Deliverability Playbook,' Constant Contact's Director of Email Deliverability & Compliance, Jon Marburger, broke down exactly how you can take control of your deliverability. Here are the key takeaways to help you start reaching the inbox, every time.
Build a Rockstar Sender Reputation
Think of your sender reputation like a credit score for your email address. A great sending reputation gets you into the inbox; a poor one sends you straight to spam. According to Jon, it all comes down to three things:
Authentication: By setting up authentication protocols like DKIM, you're proving to providers that you are who you say you are.
Consent: Your list should only contain people who have explicitly agreed to hear from you.
Engagement: The more positive engagement you have, the mailbox providers will prioritize your emails for the inbox.
Maximize Your Email List and Boost Engagement
A healthy, engaged list is your golden ticket to the inbox. It's not about having the biggest list; it's about having the most engaged one. Some tips here include:
Finding Your Cadence: Email consistency is crucial. It’s important to find a regular schedule that works for your audience.
Always Include a Call-to-Action: Clicks are a powerful, positive signal to inbox providers. Even if you're just sending an informational update, give your readers something to click on.
Segment, Segment, Segment: Break your list into smaller groups based on their interests or how they've engaged with your past emails. Sending targeted, relevant content to each segment can improve your open and click-through rates.
Win Back Your Silent Fans
What about subscribers who used to be active but have gone quiet? Don't give up on them just yet! A re-engagement campaign can bring them back into the fold.
Jon suggests a progressive strategy:
After 30-60 days of inactivity: Try reducing the sending frequency.
After 90 days: Send a dedicated re-engagement campaign. Ask them what content they'd like to see, offer a special incentive, or simply ask if they still want to receive your emails or if there is a different channel they would prefer, like text messaging or social media.
After 6 months: If they still haven't engaged, it's time to say goodbye. Removing unengaged contacts helps increase your percentage of engaged subscribers.
The Bottom Line
By focusing on building a great reputation, maintaining a clean and engaged list, and strategically winning back lapsed subscribers, you can ensure your messages land where they belong: the inbox.
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