How do I send Terms & Services emails to in-app users without disrupting deliverability?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Reddit suggests using a separate sending domain or subdomain specifically for transactional and T&S emails. This isolates your marketing email reputation from mandatory communications, minimizing the risk of deliverability issues.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests checking the ESP's AUP before doing it.
Email marketer from Email on Acid shares advice on actively monitoring your sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools. Identify any issues or spikes in spam complaints promptly and take corrective actions to maintain a healthy sending reputation.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests if it's a mandatory communication (and zero marketing) then there are a few things you can do. He also asks how many recipients and if email is the only channel available.
Email marketer from SuperOffice explains it's essential to remain compliant with GDPR. For T&S emails, it means only sending these emails to users where a contract exists or as legal requirements require. Provide an option to unsubscribe, and respect that choice.
Email marketer from Neil Patel shares that segmenting your audience and sending targeted emails can improve deliverability. For T&S emails, segment your in-app users who aren't regular subscribers and personalize the message to increase engagement.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that just because it is mandatory communication it does not mean you must contact them via email. They give an example of a banking app showing a notification when you open it. They also suggest the document Matt shared is good to follow to minimize all risks and to discuss it with your ESP.
Email marketer from StackOverflow recommends throttling sending speed when sending to a new segment. A slow, steady ramp-up allows you to monitor responses and issues before sending to the entire group
Email marketer from Litmus recommends practicing good email list hygiene by regularly removing inactive or unengaged subscribers. Sending to a clean list improves engagement rates and reduces the risk of deliverability issues.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests starting with your most engaged audience and working your way down to your least engaged to minimize risk upfront.
Email marketer from Gmass shares advice on avoiding language that might trigger spam filters. They suggest that using clear and concise subject lines, avoiding excessive punctuation, and including a physical mailing address in your email footer are good practice.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains the need to continuously monitor your email sending practices as the sending ecosystem is constantly changing, with mailbox providers updating their filtering techniques and users changing their engagement patterns. They advise adapting your strategy to remain compliant and maintain high deliverability.
Expert from Email Geeks shares a link to a document that should be reviewed: <https://www.m3aawg.org/sites/default/files/m3aawgsendingmandatedemailsbp.pdf>
Expert from Spam Resource explains the importance of a healthy 'from' reputation. They state that email senders should implement Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), which allows mailbox providers to verify that an email was sent from an authorized source.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests talking to your ESP in advance as they may have options to help you with these types of messages.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost emphasizes the importance of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability. Implementing these protocols verifies that your emails are legitimate and reduces the chances of being flagged as spam.
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that transactional emails can be sent through their platform but require a separate setup and IP address to avoid impacting marketing email deliverability. It's recommended to authenticate your sending domain and monitor sending reputation.
Documentation from SendGrid explains the importance of warming up a new IP address when sending a high volume of emails. Start with small batches and gradually increase the volume to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Monitor bounce rates and engagement metrics during the warm-up process.
Documentation from Google explains that using Google Postmaster Tools helps you monitor your domain and IP reputation with Gmail users. This includes spam rates, feedback loop data, and authentication status, enabling you to identify and address any issues affecting deliverability.