How do I set up automated list management techniques in SFMC to keep deliverability high?

Summary

Maintaining high email deliverability in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) through automated list management involves a multi-faceted approach. Starting with acquisition, confirmed opt-in (double opt-in) is crucial to ensure genuine subscriber interest and high-quality lists. Engagement is a key focus: actively monitor metrics like opens, clicks, and conversions to identify and remove inactive subscribers through automation studio and supressions lists. SFMC's automatic bounce handling and subscriber status management streamline list hygiene. Implement sunset policies, including re-engagement campaigns, and leverage preference centers to allow subscribers to manage their communication preferences. Segmentation of lists based on demographics and behavior allows for targeted content, while the SFMC API facilitates advanced automation based on external triggers. Regular list cleaning, triggered sends based on behavior and a welcome email series are also essential components.

Key findings

  • Opt-in Confirmation is Essential: Double opt-in verifies subscriber interest and improves list quality.
  • Engagement Drives List Health: Monitoring and acting on engagement metrics is crucial for list hygiene.
  • Automation Streamlines Management: SFMC’s Automation Studio and API allow for efficient, automated list maintenance.
  • Preference Centers Empower Subscribers: Giving subscribers control over their preferences reduces unsubscribes.
  • Segmentation Enhances Targeting: Targeted content improves engagement and deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Defining Inactivity Thresholds: Establish appropriate inactivity criteria for suppression based on business type and subscriber behavior.
  • Re-engagement Before Removal: Implement re-engagement campaigns before sunsetting inactive subscribers.
  • Automation Studio Expertise: Effective use of Automation Studio requires technical skills and SQL knowledge.
  • API Integration Complexity: Using the SFMC API for advanced automation requires development resources and data integration planning.
  • Data Extension Management Strategy: Plan data extensions effectively with triggered emails, welcome series, bounce, and supressions data.

What email marketers say
14Marketer opinions

To maintain high email deliverability in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) through automated list management, several strategies are recommended. These include avoiding purchased lists and focusing on opt-in subscribers. Regularly suppress inactive users based on engagement metrics (opens, clicks) through automations and suppression lists. Implement sunset policies for long-term unengaged subscribers, potentially with re-engagement campaigns. Use preference centers to allow subscribers to manage their subscriptions granularly. Leverage SFMC's automated bounce handling and spam complaint management. Segment email lists for targeted content, and employ double opt-in processes. Regular list cleaning and creating a welcome email series are also important.

Key opinions

  • Opt-in is Crucial: Building lists from opt-in subscribers is foundational for high deliverability.
  • Engagement is Key: Tracking and acting on engagement metrics (opens, clicks) is vital.
  • Automate Suppression: Automated suppression of inactive users, bounces, and unsubscribes is essential.
  • Segmentation Matters: Segmenting lists allows for targeted content, boosting engagement.
  • Preference Centers Enhance Control: Preference centers give subscribers control over their subscriptions, reducing unsubscribes.

Key considerations

  • Automation Studio Skills: Implementing many of these techniques requires proficiency with SFMC's Automation Studio and SQL queries.
  • Defining Inactivity: Determining the appropriate timeframe for inactivity before suppression is crucial and varies by business.
  • Re-engagement Attempts: Before suppressing subscribers, consider a re-engagement campaign.
  • Data Extension Management: Managing suppression and exclusion data extensions effectively is key.
  • Welcome Email Series: Consider setting up Welcome Email Series to engage new subscribers and increase the open rates
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackExchange explains the importance of regular list cleaning to remove inactive subscribers. Suggests implementing a sunset policy to automatically unsubscribe contacts who haven't engaged in a specific timeframe to improve sender reputation.

May 2022 - StackExchange
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares the value of implementing a sunset policy to remove unengaged subscribers. Recommends sending a re-engagement campaign before removing subscribers to give them a chance to remain on the list.

June 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains to segment your email list into smaller groups based on demographics, interests, and behaviour. By segmenting your audience, you can send more targeted and relevant emails, which will improve engagement and deliverability rates.

August 2022 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Uplers shares the importance of implementing a preference center to allow subscribers to manage their subscription preferences. This allows subscribers to opt-out of certain types of emails rather than unsubscribing entirely, improving engagement and deliverability.

October 2022 - Email Uplers
Marketer view

Email marketer from Salesforce Trailblazer Community explains using Automation Studio to create a scheduled automation that refreshes a data extension based on a query. This query selects subscribers who meet specific criteria (e.g., haven't opened an email in X days) and adds them to a suppression list.

July 2023 - Salesforce Trailblazer Community
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that spam complaints result in immediate movement to Held status, preventing future sends. Unsubscribes are also automatically handled.

July 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that SFMC automatically moves hard bounces at trusted domains to 'Held' status after the first bounce. Soft and block bounces follow a 3-bounce rule before being moved to 'Held'.

July 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit recommends using suppression lists in SFMC to exclude subscribers who have unsubscribed, bounced, or marked emails as spam. Automate the process of adding subscribers to these lists based on system events to maintain a clean and engaged list.

February 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains to create an automation to move inactive users to a suppression DE that you would apply against any send.

August 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Salesforce Trailblazer Community shares insights on using Automation Studio to automate the process of unsubscribing inactive users. Use SQL queries to identify subscribers who haven't opened or clicked in a defined period and then update their subscription status accordingly.

March 2023 - Salesforce Trailblazer Community
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot shares the importance of cleaning your email list. It explains how to remove subscribers who haven't engaged in a long time or who have bounced. It is recommended to clean the list every three to six months, because it will help to improve your deliverability rates and keep your list healthy.

March 2024 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares how to create a welcome email series for new subscribers. This helps introduce subscribers to your brand and keeps them engaged. These emails tend to have high open rates.

May 2023 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that double opt-in asks new subscribers to confirm their email address before being added to your list. This helps to ensure that your list is made up of engaged subscribers, which will improve your deliverability rates.

February 2023 - Campaign Monitor
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares key list management techniques: avoid buying lists, only email opt-ins or previous purchasers, suppress inactive users (3-6 months inactivity), send engaging content, and avoid over-frequency.

January 2023 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

To maintain high email deliverability, confirm opt-ins with double opt-in to ensure list quality and genuine subscriber interest. Monitor engagement metrics such as opens, clicks, and conversions, and remove inactive subscribers to improve sender reputation.

Key opinions

  • Double Opt-in: Confirmed opt-in processes verify email addresses and ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive emails.
  • Engagement Monitoring: Tracking engagement metrics helps identify inactive subscribers.
  • Inactive Removal: Removing inactive subscribers improves sender reputation and deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Implementation of Double Opt-in: Ensure double opt-in is properly set up during subscriber acquisition.
  • Defining Inactivity: Establish clear criteria for identifying inactive subscribers based on engagement metrics.
  • Sunset Policy: Implement a sunset policy to remove subscribers that are no longer engaged.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains how monitoring engagement metrics like opens, clicks, and conversions is crucial for maintaining list health. They share that identifying and removing inactive or unengaged subscribers helps improve sender reputation and deliverability.

August 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource emphasizes using confirmed opt-in (double opt-in) to ensure high-quality lists. They explain that confirmed opt-in helps verify email addresses and ensures subscribers genuinely want to receive emails, resulting in higher engagement and improved deliverability.

August 2022 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) provides automated bounce management, automatically suppressing hard bounces and managing soft bounces by retrying them before unsubscribing the subscriber. Subscriber statuses are automatically updated based on email interactions, and manual updates are possible via imports or API. The SFMC API can be used to automate list management based on external triggers. Triggered Sends allows users to target specific subscribers depending on their behavior.

Key findings

  • Automated Bounce Handling: SFMC automatically manages bounces, suppressing hard bounces immediately and handling soft bounces.
  • Dynamic Subscriber Status: Subscriber statuses are dynamically updated based on email interactions.
  • API Automation: The SFMC API enables programmatic control over list management.
  • Triggered Sends for Engagement: Triggered Sends allows users to target specific subscribers depending on their behavior

Key considerations

  • Soft Bounce Configuration: Understand the default soft bounce retry settings and adjust as needed.
  • API Development Resources: Utilizing the SFMC API requires development resources and expertise.
  • Subscriber Data Integration: Automating list management with the API requires integration with external data sources.
  • Triggered Sends planning: Consider a Triggered Sends strategy based on typical user behavior
Technical article

Documentation from Salesforce Developer details how to use the SFMC API to automate list management tasks. Describes how to programmatically add, update, or delete subscribers based on external triggers, enabling real-time list hygiene based on website activity or other data sources.

June 2023 - Salesforce Developer
Technical article

Documentation from Salesforce Help provides insight into managing subscriber statuses (e.g., Active, Unsubscribed, Held) within SFMC. Describes how SFMC automatically updates subscriber status based on email interactions and how to manually update statuses via imports or API calls to enforce list hygiene.

July 2024 - Salesforce Help
Technical article

Documentation from SFMC describes that Triggered Sends are messages that are sent to individual subscribers in response to some action the subscriber takes. Use this feature to send personalized messages automatically when a subscriber engages. This allows you to target subscribers and keep them engaged with your brand.

May 2022 - SFMC
Technical article

Documentation from Salesforce Help details how SFMC automatically handles bounces. Hard bounces are immediately suppressed, while soft bounces are retried for a specified period. After a set number of soft bounces, the subscriber is automatically unsubscribed to protect deliverability.

December 2023 - Salesforce Help