What could cause a sudden drop in email open rates even after fixing email authentication?

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares to increase your email open rates by sending them to segmented lists. Send only content that matters to the right person.

Email marketer from Sender.net explains that changes in email content, especially the use of spam trigger words or suspicious links, can negatively impact deliverability, leading to lower open rates despite proper authentication.

Marketer from Email Geeks states that it's rare for major receiving networks to make sweeping changes impacting many senders, and even rarer for two top networks to do so in the same month. They suggest focusing on best practices and detailed monitoring to identify potential issues.

Marketer from Email Geeks asks if the click rate also declined and suggests that if the HTML is very long, the open beacon at the bottom may not have fired, or the email may have landed in spam.

Email marketer from Litmus shares that your emails might be landing in the promotions or spam folder instead of the inbox. Check your placement to ensure recipients see your emails, even with authentication in place.

Marketer from Email Geeks advises against assuming the lack of DKIM is the sole cause of deliverability issues, stating that while aligned DKIM is important, its absence isn't an automatic reason for a slump. They suggest looking into changes in content, sending practices, and contact acquisition.

Email marketer from ZeroBounce shares that high hard bounce rates (invalid email addresses) damage sender reputation, which in turn results in a loss in email deliverability.

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that irrelevant or unengaging content can lead to recipients ignoring or deleting emails, causing a drop in open rates despite proper authentication. Content should be valuable and targeted.

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor responds that inconsistent sending frequency or sudden increases in email volume can trigger spam filters, reducing open rates even with correct authentication. Maintaining a consistent sending schedule is important.

Email marketer from Hubspot shares to A/B test subject lines and preview text. Subject lines should intrigue to get them opened.

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that poor list hygiene, resulting in high bounce rates and spam complaints, can drastically lower open rates even after implementing authentication. Regularly cleaning your email list is crucial.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that even with proper authentication, a sudden drop in open rates often indicates a hit to your sender reputation. This can be due to increased spam complaints or blacklisting, requiring immediate investigation.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that a sudden drop in open rates can be caused by list bombing, where spammers sign up real email addresses to various services. If these addresses aren't permissioned appropriately, it can lead to a surge in low-quality emails and decreased engagement.

Expert from Email Geeks recommends focusing on fixing known problems instead of trying to determine why previous incorrect setups worked before, as that approach is unlikely to be fruitful.

Expert from Word to the Wise answers that another reason to consider for a drop in email open rates after fixing email authentication is that you are still sending to older, unengaged users. Enforce a 'sunset policy' where older users are removed from the email list.

Documentation from RFC describes feedback loops (FBLs) used by ISPs. A high number of user spam complaints received through these loops can negatively affect sender reputation and cause deliverability issues despite correct authentication.

Documentation from SparkPost explains that being added to a blocklist (blacklist) can severely impact deliverability and open rates, even with proper authentication. Regularly check if your IP or domain is on any blocklists and take steps to be removed.

Documentation from ReturnPath shares that mailbox providers use engagement data (opens, clicks, deletes) to assess sender reputation. A decline in engagement can lead to filtering and lower open rates, even with proper authentication.

Documentation from Microsoft Docs explains that compromised accounts can send spam and thus ruin the sending IP reputation. Check your IP using tools, check your open relay and ensure compromised machines are found.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that a sudden drop in open rates, even with proper authentication, can be caused by a poor sender reputation. Factors contributing to this include sending unwanted mail, sudden spikes in email volume, and a high complaint rate from users.