Deliverability... behind this neologism, almost impossible to fit into Scrabble, lies a major issue: that of your e-reputation!
Spend so much time applying our invaluable tips for building a high-performance prospecting email , only to end up in spam because you behaved badly!...
All it takes is a few unhappy Internet users and you've got blacklisted emails, penalized deliverability and, come on, the marketing manager's in the corner!
A few good practices will save you from the dunce's cap and the pangs of undesirability ( 🥶🥶🥶), especially when you're sending your prospecting emails to a target that's had no contact with your brand whatsoever.
Two factors have a major impact on the deliverability of your prospecting emails:
- A human factor: a low open rate, inactive email addresses, etc.
- A technical factor: such as the use of incorrect e-mail addresses or identification protocols...
Whether you use your own database or rely on publishing partners: follow these 7 rules to ensure optimum inbox delivery!
1. Clean your base regularly!
Sending your emails to inactive or incorrect addresses will do you a disservice!
Email providers take this into account when analyzing email campaigns. Clean up hard bounces, opt-outs and inactive addresses (which must be entered into reactivation scenarios before they are permanently discarded).
2. Choose a sender linked to your domain name
Surf on your reputation and that of your brand by using a sender address and a sender that includes your domain name. Don't hesitate to play on a reputation (or e-reputation!) that's already established.
If you're just starting to make a name for yourself, avoid addresses that evoke a Ukrainian semi-automatic machine gun, such as xxx@mrk.trz.com which could generate mistrust among prospects or e-mail providers.
3. Implement identification standards
Have you ever received an email from your bank or your telecom operator that wasn't... your bank or your telecom operator!
DKIM, SPF, DMARC... Reduce your chances of receiving SPAM by signing your e-mails using these 3 identification protocols. The best way to authenticate your identity to e-mail providers... and reassure your prospects.
4. Segment your base and target your mailings
A mass mailing to your entire base would come in very handy!
Yes, but here's the thing... your prospects also have their own particularities. Take this into account in your mailings by creating typologies and segmentations. Your KPI's such as a good open rate and a low complaint rate will thank you...
Content, sending frequency: define your communication strategy for your prospect base according to the commitment of each address.
5. Respect good e-mailing practices and the constraints linked to the GDPR
- Include an unsubscribe link (and like Jacques Brel, why not write them a song)
- Find the frequency. Avoid over-solicitation and excessive commercial pressure.
- Respect the consent of Internet users as stated by the CNIL and GDPR.
- Be kind and adopt an effective welcome email or welcome process.
6. Look after your wording!
- The subject must be neat.
- Avoid SPAM Wordsthe royal road to... the SPAM box! Are you afraid of slipping through the cracks, even if you don't mean to? Has a nasty "saperlipopette" ever escaped you during an important meeting? Don't worry, it's only human. Turn instead to our article "Emailing: what content will get around spam filters? to make sure you avoid the swear word!
7. Select and support your publishing partners... "
You've chosen to work with a publisher. It's time to build trust!
- Make sure your partners respect the good practices mentioned in points 1 to 6, particularly with regard to CNIL / GDPR (and test them with a Scrabble "emailing vocabulary" battle...);
- Try to find out the origin of their database collection (competitions, co-registration, etc.) and make sure that the addresses collected are properly opt-in.
- If you want to "impose" an object on the publisher, don't hesitate to provide them with several (4 or 5) to distribute your campaigns. They know their bases well, and will be able to select the most suitable object to optimize your campaign's deliverability and boost its open rate. Note, however, that given their expertise and experience, publishers are in the best position to design an object that will generate the best performance...
- Regularly renew your email templates, designs and offersThis is particularly important if you're distributing your emails to publishers. A static creative that is distributed for several months will have a negative impact on the effectiveness of your campaign. A final word of advice: revisit (approximately every 3 months) your creative structures.
As you can see, the deliverability of your campaigns depends on many factors (it's actually quite funny to talk about factors when we're talking about mail distribution, even electronic mail!).
A good way of ensuring deliverability is to get into the habit of testing your campaigns before sending them, and checking for undesirability on platforms such as mail-tester.com, for example.
If you've read this article all the way to the end, it's been optimized for deliverability! Well done!
You can also find all our advice on html integration of your emails to optimize your deliverability here.
