How do user spam reports, delivery errors, and domain reputation relate and what affects domain reputation?
Summary
What email marketers say13Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Litmus shares that maintaining a clean email list is critical for sender reputation. Regularly removing inactive subscribers and those who have not engaged in a while can improve engagement metrics and lower bounce rates. They also recommend using permission-based marketing and a preference center to manage subscriptions effectively.
Email marketer from Reddit discusses how user-reported spam directly and negatively impacts sender reputation, leading to lower deliverability rates. They stress the importance of acquiring emails ethically, using a double opt-in process, and honoring unsubscribe requests promptly to minimize spam complaints.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability and is affected by factors such as spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement. They recommend using double opt-in, segmenting lists, and consistently monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
Email marketer from ReturnPath explains that high bounce rates negatively affect sender reputation by indicating poor list hygiene and outdated email addresses. Monitoring and managing bounce rates, along with immediately removing bounced emails from the list, are essential steps for maintaining good sender reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from EmailOnAcid details how list segmentation helps to send targeted and relevant emails. Sending emails to engaged subscribers improves open rates and click-through rates, while ignoring inactive subscribers reduces the risk of spam complaints and bounces. This results in better sender reputation.
Marketer from Email Geeks says that a deep understanding of product/market fit, verifiable campaign metrics, faith in the list integrity, and logical segmentation are more valuable for long-term success than external data points like GPM Tools.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that if open rates are high (40%+) and conversions are occurring, then GPM Tools data may be inaccurate and can be ignored. Tracking the performance of call to actions is important to determine if a content audience mismatch is present.
Email marketer from HubSpot discusses domain reputation. They suggest strategies for improving and maintaining domain reputation, including consistent email authentication, relevant email content, and list segmentation. They recommend monitoring domain reputation tools and avoiding sudden spikes in sending volume.
Email marketer from GlockApps details that sender reputation depends on various factors, including the IP address and domain reputation, spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement metrics. Poor sender reputation can lead to emails landing in the spam folder or being blocked. Regular monitoring and improvements are essential for maintaining a good reputation.
Email marketer from StackOverflow says that spam filters analyze various factors, including email content, sender reputation, and authentication. Avoiding spam trigger words, using a dedicated IP address, and regularly monitoring blocklists are essential for improving deliverability. High spam scores can lead to emails being filtered into the spam folder.
Marketer from Email Geeks advises focusing on external data points, especially metrics from the sending platform, to find the root cause. Trend analysis on changes to bounces, clicks, and complaints is crucial.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that delivery errors can be unrelated to reported spam and recommends keeping the spam vote rate below 0.3% or ideally 0.1%. Domain reputation is crucial, while IP reputation is less so. Addressing the root cause of reputation issues is essential, followed by a gradual resumption of sending with monitoring. Depending on the severity, pausing sending or refining segmentation might be necessary, potentially involving deliverability expertise.
Email marketer from SendPulse shares that factors like IP address reputation, domain reputation, spam complaints, email authentication, and engagement rates significantly impact sender reputation. They advise warming up IP addresses, authenticating email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and regularly cleaning email lists.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that domain reputation is significantly impacted by factors like spam complaints, engagement metrics (opens and clicks), and the quality of email list acquisition. They emphasize the importance of permission-based marketing and actively managing subscriber engagement to maintain a positive reputation.
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, responds that deliverability problems are sometimes caused by sending the wrong kind of mail. She also explains that sometimes deliverability problems are caused by other people sending the wrong kind of mail using their sending address.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) are essential for email authentication. Proper implementation of SPF and DKIM helps verify the sender's identity and reduce the risk of email spoofing and phishing, thereby improving domain reputation and deliverability.
Documentation from Microsoft Documentation says that maintaining a good sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability to Outlook.com and Hotmail. Key factors include keeping spam complaint rates low, authenticating email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and monitoring reputation using Microsoft's SNDS program.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that sender reputation is influenced by various factors, including the volume of mail sent, spam complaints, authentication, and sending practices. Low reputation can result in emails being delivered to spam or blocked entirely. Google recommends authenticating email, sending wanted mail, and providing easy unsubscription options.
Documentation from dmarc.org shares that implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps protect against email spoofing and phishing attacks, thereby improving domain reputation. DMARC provides a way for domain owners to specify how email receivers should handle unauthorized use of their domain, thus increasing trust and deliverability.
Documentation from SparkPost Documentation shares that SMTP errors or bounce codes directly affect sender reputation by signaling deliverability issues. Hard bounces (permanent delivery failures) and soft bounces (temporary issues) should be monitored closely. High bounce rates can damage sender reputation and lead to increased spam filtering.