How can I improve email deliverability and open rates for a client with a bad domain reputation, especially with Gmail, and what strategies should I use for unengaged users?

Summary

Improving email deliverability and open rates for a client with a poor domain reputation, especially within Gmail, requires a holistic approach encompassing authentication, list management, content strategy, and continuous monitoring. Authentication through SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is fundamental. Proactive list hygiene, including the removal of inactive subscribers and email validation, is critical. Segmentation allows for tailored content that resonates with specific audience segments, increasing engagement. Strategies for unengaged users involve re-engagement campaigns, but ultimately, suppression may be necessary. Focusing on Gmail requires separate attention, encouraging engaged users to move emails from spam folders and adjusting sending strategies based on real-time performance. Monitoring metrics like bounce rates and complaint rates is vital for iterative optimization. IP warming is crucial when initiating email campaigns from new domains or IPs.

Key findings

  • Authentication is Key: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify email authenticity and improve sender reputation.
  • List Hygiene Matters: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive, bounced, and invalid addresses.
  • Segmentation Improves Engagement: Segment your audience to deliver relevant content, increasing open rates and reducing spam complaints.
  • Gmail Requires Special Attention: Prioritize Gmail delivery issues separately, focusing on engaged subscribers and spam folder placement.
  • Reputation Impacts Deliverability: Monitor and improve sender reputation through consistent, valuable content and low complaint rates.

Key considerations

  • Evaluate Spam Placement: Use tools like 250ok or Sender Score to gauge spam placement and understand deliverability issues.
  • Warm Up New Domains: Gradually increase email volume when using a new domain or IP to establish a positive reputation.
  • Avoid Spam Trigger Words: Minimize the use of spam trigger words in your email content to improve inbox placement.
  • Incentivize Re-engagement: Offer incentives or exclusive content to re-engage inactive subscribers.
  • Monitor Performance Metrics: Track key metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates, to identify areas for improvement.
  • Unsubscribe Process: Make the unsubscribe process easy to use to improve the reputation.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

Improving email deliverability and open rates, especially with Gmail when facing a bad domain reputation, requires a multi-faceted approach. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial, as is diligent list hygiene, including removing bounced, unsubscribed, and inactive contacts. Segmentation and personalization are key to sending relevant content. Monitoring performance metrics like open rates, bounce rates, and complaint rates helps identify issues. For unengaged users, targeted re-engagement campaigns with incentives and clear value propositions can be effective, but pruning inactive subscribers is also essential. Consistent, valuable content, avoiding spam trigger words, and easy unsubscribe processes contribute to a positive sender reputation. When all else fails, especially with new domains, warming up the domain gradually is essential, and may require reverting to a previous domain if inboxing is not achieved with the new domain.

Key opinions

  • Authentication: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your email and improve sender reputation.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list by removing bounced addresses, unsubscribed contacts, and inactive subscribers.
  • Segmentation & Personalization: Segment your audience and personalize email content to increase engagement and relevance.
  • Re-engagement Strategies: Implement targeted re-engagement campaigns with incentives to win back unengaged users.
  • Performance Monitoring: Track key metrics (open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, complaint rates) to identify and address deliverability issues.
  • Gmail Focus: Gmail requires specific attention; focus on recent subscribers/openers, ask them to move emails from spam, and separate gmail reporting from others.

Key considerations

  • Domain Reputation: Actively work to improve sender reputation by consistently sending valuable and engaging content.
  • Spam Triggers: Avoid using spam trigger words in your email content and ensure your unsubscribe process is user-friendly.
  • New Domain Warming: If using a new domain, warm it up gradually to establish a positive sending reputation; it may take a long time and may not work.
  • Email Validation: Use email validation services to identify and remove invalid email addresses from your list.
  • Bounce Rate: Ensure your bounce rate stays below 2%.
  • Sender Score: Consider using Sender Score and ReturnPath to measure and track domain reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot shares that regularly cleaning your email list is crucial for maintaining good deliverability. Remove bounced email addresses, unsubscribed contacts, and inactive subscribers. Use email validation services to identify and remove invalid email addresses. Segment your list based on engagement and target your messaging accordingly.

August 2024 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailchimp shares that improving open rates involves sending relevant content to a segmented audience. Clean your email list regularly to remove unengaged subscribers. Use compelling subject lines that entice recipients to open the email. Test different send times to find when your audience is most receptive.

April 2021 - Mailchimp
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel shares that addressing email deliverability issues requires monitoring bounce rates and complaint rates. Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers. Segment your audience and personalize your email content. Improve sender reputation by authenticating your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

August 2021 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that improving sender reputation involves consistently sending valuable and engaging content. Avoid using spam trigger words in your email content. Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers. Ensure that your unsubscribe process is easy to use and honor unsubscribe requests promptly.

September 2021 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass explains that when your Gmail deliverability is poor, the first thing you should check is your spam folder. If you're sending to a large list, make sure you're not triggering spam filters. Personalise your emails, set proper authentication, and review your content

April 2023 - Gmass
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks recommends looking into email validation and gauging spam placement using tools like 250ok or Sender Score with ReturnPath. They also suggest analyzing open rates for specific domains and studying how ApartmentList.com manages mailing permissions with reminder options. They also offer to share their experience in improving deliverability with marketplaces.

November 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that when having deliverability issues with a client ensure all the email authentication has been done. After this, check your bounce rate is less than 2%, and you're segmenting your sending.

June 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that monitoring email performance is essential for identifying and addressing deliverability issues. Track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and complaint rates. Use analytics tools to understand how recipients interact with your emails. A/B test different elements of your email to optimize performance.

May 2021 - Litmus
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that warming a new domain takes time, and even with warming, inboxing issues can persist. They share an example of a client who had to revert to their original subdomain due to the difficulty in warming the new domain effectively.

August 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that strategies for re-engaging unengaged users include sending targeted re-engagement campaigns. Offer incentives like discounts or exclusive content. Clearly communicate the value of remaining subscribed. Use a double opt-in process to ensure subscribers actively want to receive your emails. Prune inactive subscribers after multiple attempts to re-engage.

January 2022 - Sendinblue

What the experts say
7Expert opinions

Improving email deliverability and open rates, especially with Gmail when facing a bad domain reputation, requires focusing on sending email that recipients want and suppressing those who don't engage. A key strategy involves segmenting and tailoring messaging based on engagement levels, especially for unengaged users, with options for opting down or receiving more relevant content. For Gmail, it's crucial to target recent subscribers/openers and encourage them to move emails from the spam folder. Reducing email volume to Gmail, especially to unengaged users, can rebuild reputation but needs to be tracked separately from other providers. Additionally, consider excluding problematic domains like Microsoft if they consistently show low engagement and focus on sending the right message to the right person at the right time rather than mass newsletters.

Key opinions

  • Relevant Content: Send emails that people want to receive; suppress those who don't engage.
  • Gmail Focus: Specifically address Gmail deliverability by focusing on recent subscribers/openers.
  • Segmentation & Tailoring: Tailor messaging based on engagement; offer options for opting down or more relevant content.
  • Reduce Volume: Reducing email volume to Gmail helps rebuild reputation.
  • Problematic Domains: Consider excluding problematic domains like Microsoft if engagement is consistently low.

Key considerations

  • Spam Complaints: Reducing the number of recipients who mark emails as spam is critical.
  • Track Gmail Separately: Gmail deliverability must be tracked separately from other email providers.
  • Right Message, Right Time: Focus on sending the right message to the right person at the right time instead of mass mailings.
  • Spam Folder Placement: Encourage engaged Gmail recipients to move emails from the spam folder to the inbox.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests eliminating problematic domains like Microsoft from resends if they show low engagement, which may improve deliverability and program-wide engagement.

April 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that improving domain reputation involves sending email people want. If people don't want the emails then they should be suppressed. Once you get below a certain number of recipients who complain (i.e. hit the spam button) then filters will stop automatically junking your mail.

April 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests that the key issue is poor delivery at Gmail, and fixing that should improve overall results.

January 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises that if they're trying to mail everyone a newsletter, they may be chasing the wrong metrics and need to focus on the right message to the right person at the right time.

July 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise responds that when facing Gmail delivery issues, focus on recent subscribers and openers, ensuring they pull messages from the spam folder to their inbox. Reducing volume and engagement, especially with Gmail, can help build a positive sending reputation, but you need to track gmail deliverability seperately to other services.

November 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises stopping sending mail to Gmail addresses unless you're sure it will reach the inbox. Instead, focus on recent openers and new sign-ups, instructing them to check their spam folder and move the welcome message to their inbox for 2-3 weeks to improve Gmail reputation.

June 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests tailoring messaging to users who haven't engaged in a while by asking if they are still looking for an apartment, if they would refer/recommend the service, or if they want to opt-down or receive emails about furnishing their new place.

June 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Improving email deliverability, especially with Gmail and a bad domain reputation, hinges on proper authentication, responsible sending practices, and gradual IP warming. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for authentication and protecting against spoofing. Monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score is crucial. Sending unwanted mail and high complaint rates must be avoided. When using new IPs, gradually increase sending volume. Segmenting lists and targeting content also reduces spam complaints.

Key findings

  • Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for authenticating email and protecting against spoofing.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score to monitor domain and IP reputation.
  • IP Warming: Gradually increase email volume from new IPs to establish a positive sending reputation.

Key considerations

  • Complaint Rates: Keep complaint rates low by avoiding sending unwanted mail.
  • DNS Records: Ensure valid forward and reverse DNS records for sending domains and IPs.
  • Unsubscription: Implement one-click unsubscription for marketing emails.
  • List Segmentation: Segment email lists to send targeted content and reduce spam complaints.
  • Policy Transition: Gradually transition DMARC policies from 'none' to 'quarantine' or 'reject'.
  • SPF Configuration: Ensure SPF records are correctly configured and up-to-date with all authorized sending sources.
Technical article

Documentation from Gmail Help explains that senders should authenticate their email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Ensure that sending domains or IPs have valid forward and reverse DNS records. Keep complaint rates low and avoid sending unwanted mail. Use the Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain reputation. If sending marketing emails, implement one-click unsubscription.

August 2024 - Gmail Help
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Docs explains to ensure proper sender authentication by setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Monitor your sender reputation through tools like Sender Score. Warm up new IPs gradually before sending large volumes of email. Segment your email lists to send targeted content and reduce the chances of recipients marking your emails as spam.

January 2025 - Microsoft Docs
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC policies help email receivers handle messages that fail authentication checks. Implementing DMARC can protect your domain from spoofing and phishing attacks. Monitor DMARC reports to identify and address any authentication issues. Gradually transition from a policy of 'none' to 'quarantine' or 'reject' as you gain confidence in your authentication setup.

February 2024 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from RFC 4408 explains that SPF records authorize which mail servers are permitted to send email on behalf of your domain. Ensure that your SPF record is correctly configured and includes all authorized sending sources. Regularly update your SPF record to reflect changes in your sending infrastructure.

October 2022 - RFC 4408
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that IP warming is the process of gradually increasing the volume of email sent from a new IP address to establish a positive sending reputation. Start with small volumes and gradually increase over time. Monitor your deliverability metrics closely and adjust your sending schedule as needed. Avoid sending large volumes of email to inactive subscribers during the warming process.

June 2022 - SparkPost