What are the key areas to cover in deliverability training for email marketers?

Summary

Effective deliverability training for email marketers encompasses a broad spectrum of technical and strategic areas. Sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, engagement metrics, and adherence to regulations like CAN-SPAM are foundational. Crucially, understanding the recipient's preferences and mailbox provider behavior is vital for optimizing inbox placement. The training must also integrate practical aspects such as email design best practices, spam trap avoidance, testing/monitoring protocols, feedback loop utilization, and SMTP standards. There's a recognized growing need for such training given the shifting email landscape.

Key findings

  • Sender Reputation is Critical: A strong sender reputation directly correlates with higher inbox placement and a positive brand image.
  • Authentication is Foundational: Proper implementation of email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for proving sender legitimacy and improving deliverability, particularly to Gmail.
  • Engagement Impacts Placement: Engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates significantly influence inbox placement, especially with Outlook.
  • List Hygiene is Essential: Maintaining a clean email list by removing inactive or invalid addresses improves sender reputation and deliverability.
  • Compliance is Non-Negotiable: Adherence to email marketing regulations, such as CAN-SPAM, is critical to avoid legal penalties.
  • Recipients Must Be Understood: Understanding recipient preferences and how mailbox providers filter emails is key to improving deliverability.
  • Training Demand is Increasing: There's a growing awareness and demand for comprehensive deliverability training.

Key considerations

  • Design for Deliverability: Email design and coding practices have a direct impact on deliverability. Training should cover optimization techniques.
  • Avoid Spam Traps: Training must educate marketers on how to identify and avoid spam traps to protect sender reputation.
  • Monitor and Test: Continuous monitoring and testing of email rendering and sender reputation are crucial for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.
  • Use Feedback Loops: Leveraging feedback loops provides valuable insights into spam complaints and allows for proactive issue resolution.
  • SMTP Fundamentals: A solid understanding of SMTP protocol enhances the ability to troubleshoot and optimize email delivery.
  • Personalization is Key: Tailoring content to specific audience segments improves engagement and reduces the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.

What email marketers say
8Marketer opinions

Deliverability training for email marketers should cover a wide range of topics, with a strong emphasis on sender reputation, authentication, list hygiene, email design, legal compliance (CAN-SPAM), personalization, testing, and the use of feedback loops. Understanding the recipient's mailbox provider, engagement metrics, and avoiding spam traps are also crucial elements to include. These areas help marketers ensure their emails reach the intended recipients' inboxes, maintain a positive sender reputation, and avoid legal repercussions.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is paramount as it directly impacts inbox placement. Training should cover how to build and maintain a positive sender reputation.
  • Authentication: Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for proving sender legitimacy and improving deliverability to major email providers.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists by removing inactive or invalid addresses reduces bounce rates and improves sender reputation.
  • Email Design: Coding practices and design elements can significantly impact deliverability. Training should cover optimization and avoiding spam triggers.
  • Legal Compliance: Adhering to regulations like CAN-SPAM is crucial to avoid legal penalties and maintain deliverability.
  • Personalization & Segmentation: Sending targeted and relevant content improves engagement and reduces spam complaints.
  • Testing & Monitoring: Regular testing and monitoring of email rendering and sender reputation metrics are vital for identifying and resolving deliverability issues.
  • Feedback Loops: Feedback loops from mailbox providers are important to receive feedback on spam complaints and take action.

Key considerations

  • Recipient Understanding: Understanding recipient preferences and mailbox provider filtering is key to improving inbox placement.
  • Engagement Metrics: Monitoring and improving engagement metrics (open rates, click-through rates) is essential for positive inbox placement.
  • Spam Traps: Training should cover how to identify and avoid spam traps to protect sender reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog recommends including testing and monitoring protocols in deliverability training. This involves teaching marketers how to use tools to check email rendering, identify deliverability issues, and monitor sender reputation metrics.

November 2021 - Email on Acid Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks emphasizes the importance and timing of deliverability training as more individuals take on roles involving deliverability, and mentions an upcoming partnership in the deliverability training certification space.

March 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog emphasizes focusing on sender reputation as a key area in deliverability training. They explain that sender reputation significantly impacts whether emails reach the inbox and highlight the importance of understanding factors contributing to it, such as email authentication, list hygiene, and engagement metrics.

July 2024 - Mailjet Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from GMass Blog shares that training should incorporate personalization and segmentation strategies. They suggest that sending targeted and relevant content to specific audience segments can significantly improve engagement and reduce the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.

March 2023 - GMass Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog identifies list hygiene as a fundamental area for deliverability training. They share that regularly cleaning email lists by removing inactive or invalid addresses reduces bounce rates and improves sender reputation, leading to better deliverability.

December 2022 - Sendinblue Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit's /r/emailmarketing emphasizes the need for training on CAN-SPAM Act compliance. They explain that understanding and adhering to regulations regarding email marketing, such as providing opt-out options and accurate header information, is crucial for avoiding legal penalties and maintaining deliverability.

June 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus Blog points out the connection between email design and deliverability, emphasizing that training should cover how coding practices and design elements affect deliverability. This includes topics like image optimization, responsive design, and avoiding spam trigger words.

February 2023 - Litmus Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow emphasises the importance of feedback loops in deliverability training, as these systems offer a way for mailbox providers to relay information about spam complaints, and action to take.

June 2021 - StackOverflow

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

Deliverability training for email marketers should prioritize sender reputation, authentication, and a deep understanding of the recipient and their mailbox provider. There's a growing need for deliverability training highlighted by recent industry changes. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is considered foundational. Knowing what the recipient wants, how they interact with email, and how their mailbox provider filters emails significantly impacts inbox placement.

Key opinions

  • Growing Need: There's an increasing demand for deliverability training driven by recent industry shifts.
  • Sender Reputation: Maintaining a positive sender reputation is critical for inbox placement and brand image.
  • Authentication: Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) forms the bedrock of a solid deliverability strategy.
  • Recipient Understanding: Understanding the recipient and their mailbox provider is crucial for successful delivery.

Key considerations

  • Recipient Preferences: Knowing what the recipient wants and how they engage with email should guide deliverability strategies.
  • Mailbox Provider Filtering: Understanding how mailbox providers filter and evaluate email is essential for avoiding spam filters.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares a survey link to gather feedback on deliverability training interests, highlighting the growing need for such training due to recent changes.

January 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise responds that Authentication and Identification (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are the foundation of any deliverability setup and must be covered in detail.

December 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource explains that understanding the recipient and their mailbox provider is a crucial aspect of deliverability training. They emphasize the importance of knowing what the recipient wants, how they interact with email, and how their mailbox provider filters and evaluates email, as these factors significantly impact inbox placement.

December 2022 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise Staff answers the question regarding sender reputation. They respond that sender reputation is key to cover in deliverability training as it directly affects inboxing and brand image.

February 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks thanks everyone who contributed to the deliverability survey and shares the survey link again.

July 2024 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Deliverability training should emphasize email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), engagement metrics, spam trap avoidance, and a foundational understanding of SMTP standards. Proper authentication proves legitimacy, engagement metrics influence inbox placement, avoiding spam traps protects sender reputation, and SMTP knowledge provides the technical underpinning for email delivery.

Key findings

  • Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) significantly improves deliverability rates, particularly with Gmail.
  • Engagement: Engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and complaints directly impact inbox placement, especially for Outlook users.
  • Spam Traps: Landing in a spam trap can severely damage sender reputation and deliverability.
  • SMTP Standards: Understanding SMTP protocol is key to mastering email delivery.

Key considerations

  • Gmail Deliverability: Prioritize proper authentication to improve deliverability to Gmail users.
  • Outlook Inboxing: Focus on improving engagement metrics to enhance inbox placement for Outlook users.
  • Reputation Protection: Implement strategies to avoid hitting spam traps and damaging sender reputation.
  • Technical Foundation: Provide a solid technical foundation by explaining SMTP concepts.
Technical article

Documentation from Spamhaus highlights the importance of training email marketers to identify and avoid spam traps. They explain that spam traps are email addresses used to identify spammers and that landing in one can severely damage sender reputation and deliverability.

July 2022 - Spamhaus
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Docs underscores the significance of engagement metrics in deliverability training. It notes that factors like open rates, click-through rates, and user complaints are key indicators of email quality and impact inbox placement for Outlook users, making it vital for marketers to understand how to improve these metrics.

October 2021 - Microsoft Docs
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help stresses the importance of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) as a crucial aspect of deliverability training. It explains that proper authentication helps prove the sender's legitimacy and improves email deliverability rates to Gmail users, which is essential knowledge for email marketers.

November 2023 - Google Postmaster Tools Help
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor highlights the understanding of SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) standards is key in deliverability training. It teaches the email transfer concepts from sender to receiver and understanding of the protocol is key.

March 2022 - RFC Editor