Why are my email open and click rates decreasing, and what can I do to fix low engagement from Microsoft Outlook/Hotmail?

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum explains that some users had success improving deliverability to Hotmail by cleaning their email list to remove unengaged subscribers, warming up their IP address gradually, and monitoring their sender reputation using Microsoft SNDS.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that the user experienced Hotmail blocking and resolved it by ensuring their IP address wasn't blacklisted, implementing proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and contacting Microsoft support to request removal from their block list.

Email marketer from Return Path Blog (now Validity) shares that regularly removing inactive or unengaged subscribers from your email list improves your sender reputation and deliverability. Sending emails to engaged recipients increases the likelihood of positive engagement signals, signaling to email providers that your emails are valuable.

Email marketer from Mailchimp shares that segmenting your email list and personalizing email content based on subscriber interests and behaviors can significantly improve open and click rates. Tailoring the message to the recipient increases relevance.

Email marketer from GMass shares that personalizing your emails by using merge tags to include recipient names, tailoring content based on subscriber data, and sending relevant offers can increase open and click rates. Personalized emails are more likely to resonate with recipients.

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog explains that using a double opt-in process, regularly cleaning your email list, and avoiding spam trigger words are crucial for maintaining a healthy sender reputation and preventing emails from being marked as spam, which impacts open rates.

Email marketer from Litmus explains that using clean HTML code, optimizing images, and ensuring your email renders correctly across different email clients (including Outlook/Hotmail) are important for avoiding spam filters and improving engagement. Poorly designed emails can be flagged as suspicious.

Email marketer from Email Deliverability Blog shares that improving your sender reputation involves consistently sending valuable content, engaging with subscribers, promptly removing unsubscribers, and avoiding spam traps. A positive sender reputation increases the likelihood of emails reaching the inbox.

Marketer from Email Geeks recommends setting up Microsoft SNDS (Sender Network Data Services) to monitor and troubleshoot Microsoft spam filtering issues, even without explicit blocking notifications.

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests to set up SNDS if on a dedicated IP.

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that several factors can influence email open rates, including sender reputation, subject line relevance, list quality, and timing. Improving these aspects can lead to better engagement.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that measuring the success of your emails shouldn't just focus on opens and clicks, but also conversions. The goal is to get the email opened, clicked, and have the recipient do something that benefits your company.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that the best way to improve your sender reputation and get your emails delivered is to not send spam. Focus on sending wanted emails, and low engagement with recipients is the first sign that you are sending spam.

Expert from Email Geeks suggests slowing/stopping sends to the problematic domain (Microsoft in this case) and gradually re-engaging with active users to rebuild reputation. Also to contact the Microsoft postmaster team with technical details about sending practices.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that being removed from a blocklist doesn't fix underlying deliverability issues. While removal might provide temporary relief, it's crucial to address the root cause (e.g., spam complaints, poor list hygiene) to prevent future blocklistings and maintain healthy engagement.

Expert from Email Geeks uses an analogy of a restaurant grand opening to explain why it is important to prioritize fixing immediate deliverability issues even if that means delaying or impacting upcoming plans.

Expert from Email Geeks suggests checking results by domain to identify issues, particularly with Microsoft (MBP). He warns that low engagement from a major provider could indicate an impending block.

Documentation from Microsoft explains that using the Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) and Junk Mail Reporting Program (JMRP) can provide insights into your sender reputation and help identify deliverability issues specific to Outlook/Hotmail users. These tools allow you to monitor complaint rates and IP reputation.

Documentation from DKIM explains that DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) works by adding a digital signature to the email header, which can be verified by the receiving email server. This confirms that the email was indeed sent by the domain owner and has not been tampered with during transit.

Documentation from Microsoft explains that authenticating your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is critical for improving deliverability to Outlook/Hotmail. These authentication methods help verify that your emails are legitimate and not spoofed.

Documentation from RFC shares that SPF records must be properly set up and maintained to show email clients that your email server is authorized to send on behalf of your domain.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. It also provides reporting mechanisms to monitor and improve email authentication practices, benefiting deliverability to all email providers, including Outlook/Hotmail.