How should I handle users who may have been opted-in to marketing emails without consent, and how to diagnose low open rates with high inboxing rates?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that because the user has potentially mixed consenting and non-consenting users, they may need to start over, recommending a re-consent campaign as a possible solution.
Email marketer from a Marketing Forum explains that regularly cleaning your email list by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers can significantly improve your sender reputation and deliverability, as it reduces the risk of sending to spam traps and hard bounces.
Email marketer from Email on Acid notes that optimizing email preheaders to provide a compelling preview of your email content and influence recipients to open the email. A well-crafted preheader can significantly boost open rates.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that low open rates despite high inbox placement can be due to several factors, including unengaging subject lines, sending emails at the wrong time, or your email content not matching subscriber expectations. They suggest A/B testing different elements to optimize performance.
Email marketer from HubSpot advises segmenting your email list based on engagement. They suggest sending targeted re-engagement campaigns to inactive subscribers. If they don't respond, remove them to improve your sender reputation and overall deliverability.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that obtaining explicit consent is crucial. They advise implementing a double opt-in process to ensure users actively confirm their subscription, which helps maintain list hygiene and comply with data privacy regulations like GDPR.
Email marketer from Litmus advocates for A/B testing different elements of your email campaigns, such as subject lines, sender names, and content, to identify what resonates best with your audience and improve open rates.
Email marketer from OptinMonster shares ways to reduce the likelihood of emails being marked as spam. These actions include: avoiding spam trigger words, keeping the code to text ratio low, and removing broken links to prevent your email being filtered out as spam.
Email marketer from NeilPatel.com advises that effective email list segmentation involves dividing your subscribers into smaller groups based on demographics, behavior, or preferences. Sending targeted emails to these segments can significantly increase open rates and engagement.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign suggests using list segmentation to identify and target disengaged subscribers. They recommend sending these segments targeted content designed to re-engage them, or removing them from your list if they don't respond.
Email marketer from Reddit shares their experience by saying they ran a re-permission campaign with a clear explanation of why subscribers were receiving the email and a simple opt-in button. While they lost a portion of their list, their overall engagement rates significantly improved, and they saw a positive impact on deliverability.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks advises to first identify if there's a problem and what the specific problem is, before implementing solutions. She also points out the risk of making assumptions and potentially damaging the entire list by cutting off unengaged users based on inaccurate assumptions about low open rates.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that a good sender reputation is critical for deliverability. They advise monitoring your IP address and domain reputation, and addressing any issues promptly. They also note the importance of sending consistent volume and avoiding sudden spikes in email activity.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that when inheriting a list where consent is uncertain, the first action should be to clarify consent. She emphasizes the importance of clearly communicating the situation to subscribers and providing an easy way for them to opt-in or opt-out, while documenting the process.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from RFC explains that implementing email authentication protocols such as DKIM and SPF is crucial for verifying the legitimacy of your email and preventing spoofing. This helps build trust with email providers and improves deliverability.
Documentation from Google explains that their spam filters use various signals to determine if an email should be placed in the inbox or spam folder. Low engagement rates, high complaint rates, and sending irrelevant content can all negatively impact your sender reputation and lead to filtering issues.
Documentation from SendGrid emphasizes the importance of permission marketing, stating that you should only send emails to recipients who have explicitly granted you permission. For users of unknown consent, they recommend a re-permission campaign to re-confirm their interest or remove them from the list.
Documentation from Microsoft describes how SNDS can be used to monitor your IP reputation and identify potential deliverability issues with Outlook.com. Analyzing the data provided can help you pinpoint spam traps, complaint rates, and other factors impacting inbox placement.
Documentation from SparkPost explains inbox placement by saying it is influenced by your sender reputation, authentication protocols, and the content of your emails. Regularly monitoring your sender score and adhering to best practices can help improve inbox placement rates.