How accurate are SNDS colors in reflecting email delivery performance?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Email Marketing Agency states that effective audience segmentation can improve engagement metrics and lower complaint rates, which can contribute to a better sender reputation and potentially influence SNDS colors positively.
Email marketer from StackExchange suggests using SNDS data, including the colors, as a starting point for troubleshooting deliverability issues. They recommend investigating any sudden changes in color to identify potential problems with your sending practices or content.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares their experience that colors are sometimes random but more credible if the volume is high enough and the colors matched the spam % when daily volume is in the thousands. They view it as another indication to add up to seeding, measuring engagement, etc.
Email marketer from Email Consultant Website advises that following email marketing best practices, such as obtaining explicit consent, providing clear unsubscribe options, and avoiding spam trigger words, can improve your sender reputation and potentially influence SNDS colors.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum says that they've observed inconsistencies between SNDS colors and actual inbox placement. They recommend using a variety of deliverability testing tools and monitoring engagement metrics to get a clearer picture of email performance.
Email marketer from Email Provider Blog writes that the SNDS colors are a reflection of your IP and domain reputation, which can improve over time by sending engaging content to opted-in subscribers and following email best practices.
Email marketer from EmailGeeks Forum shares that SNDS colors should not be trusted as a reliable indicator of inbox placement. They suggest focusing on tracking actual inbox placement using seed lists and engagement metrics instead.
Email marketer from Email Geeks believes that with such low volumes, Microsoft does not build up any kind of reputation profile and a 0.5% complaint rate on such low volumes is indicative of other issues. They also state the colors have their own life.
Email marketer from Email Deliverability Service shares that consistent monitoring of your IP reputation via SNDS and other tools is crucial, but colors should not be the only metric. Actively addressing negative feedback and implementing authentication protocols are critical.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that SNDS colors can be misleading, especially with low volumes. They advise focusing on complaint rates and authentication status as primary indicators of deliverability, and treating the colors as a secondary data point.
Email marketer from Quora responds that SNDS colors can provide a general overview of Microsoft's perception of your sending reputation, but they should not be the sole basis for making deliverability decisions. They recommend focusing on building a strong sender reputation through consistent sending practices and engagement.
Email marketer from LinkedIn shares that SNDS colors are influenced by various factors, including complaint rates, spam trap hits, and authentication issues. They suggest focusing on improving these factors to improve your overall sending reputation and potentially influence the colors.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that SNDS data can be helpful, but focusing solely on the colors can be misleading. She emphasizes analyzing the underlying data, such as complaint rates and authentication failures, to gain a better understanding of deliverability issues. She also mentions using tools like the Microsoft JMRP in conjunction with SNDS.
Expert from Email Geeks states the colors in SNDS are supposed to represent user reaction to the message but they seem utterly random, and do not give any indication of where the mail is delivered.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that the SNDS colors are a very basic indicator of overall email health, but they don't provide granular detail on individual issues. They recommend using a combination of SNDS with third party monitoring tools and internal metrics to get a more accurate picture of deliverability.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Mailjet emphasizes the importance of proper sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve email deliverability and potentially influence SNDS results, including the colors displayed.
Documentation from Return Path explains the role of feedback loops in improving email deliverability and maintaining a positive sending reputation, which can indirectly affect the SNDS colors by reducing complaint rates.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that while SNDS provides data specific to Microsoft, Google Postmaster Tools offers a broader view of your sending reputation and deliverability across Gmail users. They suggest using both tools to get a more comprehensive understanding, rather than relying solely on SNDS colors.
Documentation from Microsoft explains that SNDS provides data about traffic, complaint rates, and authentication for your sending IPs. The colors are meant to give a quick visual representation of your sending reputation, but Microsoft does not directly correlate the colors with specific inboxing rates.
Documentation from SparkPost explains that SNDS data, including the colors, should be interpreted in conjunction with other deliverability metrics. They highlight the importance of monitoring bounce rates, spam trap hits, and feedback loops to get a comprehensive understanding of your sending reputation.