How does Gmail's new spam rate calculation impact email list management and engagement?
Summary
What email marketers say13Marketer opinions
Email marketer from the forum suggests implementing a sunset policy for unengaged subscribers. After a period of inactivity (e.g., 6 months), send a re-engagement campaign and remove those who still don't respond. This improves list quality and deliverability.
Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog shares that Gmail's spam rate calculation highlights the need for better list hygiene practices. Implement double opt-in, segment lists based on engagement, and remove inactive subscribers. Monitoring engagement metrics and acting on them proactively are crucial for avoiding spam complaints.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that a higher spam complaint rate can significantly damage sender reputation, leading to reduced inbox placement. Actively managing your list and removing inactive users is crucial.
Email marketer from Email Geeks confirms luke martinez's example of Gmail Spam rate calculations is correct
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor says to personalizing emails by tailoring content to individual subscriber preferences and behaviors. Dynamic content, personalized subject lines, and relevant offers can significantly improve engagement and reduce spam complaints.
Email marketer from MailerLite Blog explains that Gmail's updated spam rate calculation emphasizes the importance of engaged subscribers. Senders should focus on acquiring permission-based email lists and regularly cleaning their lists to remove unengaged subscribers. This helps maintain a healthy sender reputation and improves deliverability.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Gmail now calculates spam rate as # of spam complaints / # of active recipients (previously was # of complaints / # of recipients, active or not).
Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog responds by explaining that Gmail’s new policies put more importance on recipient engagement. Senders need to actively monitor opens, clicks, and unsubscribes to identify and remove disengaged subscribers. Re-engagement campaigns can also help revive interest, but ultimately, those who remain inactive should be removed from the list.
Email marketer from Litmus blog explains that focusing on recipient engagement through personalization and relevant content is crucial. Send emails that subscribers want to receive and make it easy for them to unsubscribe if they no longer find the content valuable.
Email marketer from Email Geeks believes Dmytro's interpretation is correct. and provides an example of if I send 100,000 messages and they _all_ reach the inbox, 10 spam complaints should be less of an indictment on the quality of my mail than if I sent 100,000 messages and only 10,000 reached in the inbox and generated 10 spam complaints.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign suggests using automation to manage email lists effectively. Implement automated re-engagement campaigns, trigger-based segmentations, and list cleaning workflows to keep your list healthy and engaged.
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that segmenting email lists based on subscriber behavior allows for more targeted and relevant messaging. This increases engagement, reduces spam complaints, and improves overall deliverability.
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that Gmail has officially said that sending to an unengaged audience will now make every spam complaint carry significantly more weight if your emails are inboxing and less weight if your emails are already junking. Senders with great inboxing rates should be extra careful with list management.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource responds by explaining that list hygiene is more important than ever with Gmail's new spam rate calculation. Senders should implement strategies to remove unengaged subscribers, such as sunset policies and re-engagement campaigns, to maintain a healthy sender reputation.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that engagement signals, such as opens, clicks, and replies, are crucial for Gmail deliverability. Senders must actively monitor these signals and adjust their list management practices to ensure that only engaged subscribers receive emails. Ignoring engagement can lead to increased spam complaints and decreased inbox placement.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost explains that high bounce rates and spam complaints can negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability. Regular list cleaning and validation are essential to maintain a healthy list and avoid being flagged as a spammer.
Documentation from Google Support explains that Gmail's spam filters consider user engagement as a significant factor. If users frequently mark emails from a sender as spam, Gmail is more likely to filter subsequent emails from that sender into the spam folder. Therefore, senders should prioritize sending relevant and valuable content to keep recipients engaged.
Documentation from RFC states that email standards emphasize the importance of responsible sending practices, including obtaining consent and providing easy opt-out mechanisms. Compliance with these standards helps maintain a positive sender reputation and ensures deliverability.
Documentation from DMARC.org states that implementing DMARC authentication helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. This builds trust with email providers and improves deliverability.
Documentation from Microsoft highlights the need for legitimate email sending practices, including proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and avoiding spam trigger words. Following these guidelines improves sender reputation and deliverability.