Email Marketing 201Tips to Increase Email Delivery
(AKA “How Email Delivery Works”)
April, 2009
Craig Stouffer,
Pinpointe Email Marketing
(408) 834-7577 x125
www.twitter.com/pinpointe
www.pinpointe.com/blog
Forest Cassidy
ProspectDB, Inc.
877-591-3252 x2023
Agenda
� CAN-SPAM: Myths and Truths
� Overview: Email Delivery Architecture
� What Affects Email Delivery?
◦ Reputation
◦ Authentication / Authorization
◦ Content
◦ Sending Technology
� Pinpointe / ProspectDB Solution
1. Establishes requirements for Email senders
2. Spells out penalties
3. Gives consumers right to opt-out
What the CANWhat the CAN--SPAM Act DoesSPAM Act Does
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm
Or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP 1-877-382-4357
1. Bans false / misleading header information
2. Prohibits deceptive subject lines
3. Requires opt-out method for recipients(*)
4. Identify unsolicited commercial email as advertisement
5. Must include sender's postal address (P.O. box OK)
CANCAN--SPAM SPAM –– MythMyth� Email addresses must be opt-in
FALSE! You CAN send relevant content to Purchased Lists IF you abide by the above rules
CANCAN--SPAM SPAM -- ProvisionsProvisions
Email Delivery Architecture
Sender
DNS
SPAM Databases
Other Email
Recipients
(feedback)
ESP Servers Email
Firewall
Server
feedback
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Bet you thought is was simple!
Create / Send Email (Using an ESP)
� Create email w/ external HTML editor or online editor
� Best results: create “multi-part version” (Text + HTML)
� Run spam checker (Pinpointe feature)
� Use Pinpointe previewer to preview in various email clients (Outlook ’03, Outlook ’07, Yahoo, etc)
� Schedule / send away!
Sender
ESP Servers
� Tip: “MTA” means ‘Mail Transfer Agent – a fancy name for an email server (typically outbound)
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Email Received by Email Firewall
� Email received by recipient’s corporate spam filter
� Spam filter (email firewall) checks:
◦ Reputation of sending email server(s)
◦ Sending mail server settings
◦ Authenticates (Are you who you say you are?)
◦ Content filter / spam score (Spamassassin)
� If all tests pass –> next step (YEAH!)
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� Aggregated reputation information
� Reputation of sending email server IPs
� Blacklisted URLs? Domain?
� Any ‘SPAM honeypot hits?
� Historic bounce rates against domain?
� Complaint rates against domain? (<.1%)
� Length of domain registration?
� Do reverse DNS entries match?
� If PASS -> Forward to local inbox (YEAH!)
Checks with SPAM Repositories1 2
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Local SPAM Filter / Inbox (Finally!)
Local Inbox Filter
� Applies local / personal settings
� Is sender locally white-listed?
� … In address book?
� Is sender locally blacklisted?
� Have I marked previous emails from sender as SPAM?
� Often runs a local content filter with local settings
If you pass all this… You’ve made it to the in inbox!
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� ReturnPath claims >70% of decision to forward is based on reputation
� What factors into “reputation”?
� Everything we just covered!
� User complaints (‘this is SPAM’ button)
� Domain start / expire dates
� Volume, size of messages over time
� Number of bounces, spam honeypot hits
� Third party reputation lists (black/white lists)
Summary: Importance of ReputationSummary: Importance of Reputation
� Authorization: Are the sending email servers authorized to send on behalf of your domain?
� Protects against email servers being ‘hijacked’or “spoofed” for phishing attacks, scams etc
� Two standards:
� Sender ID (Microsoft – Hotmail, msn)
� ‘Sender Policy Framework’ (“SPF”)
� How? Entry added to DNS record
� Different standards but use compatible format
What is Email Authorization?What is Email Authorization?
� Sender transmits email
� Receiver's mail server receives email.
� Server checks which domain claims to have sent the message
� Server checks DNS record; verifies SPF record of sending domain
� Does sending server's IP address match IP addresses in published SPF record?
� If the IP addresses match, email is delivered
� If addresses do not match, � email fails
SPF Authorization: SPF Authorization:
� Domain = mycompany.com, registered w/GoDaddy.com
� Your ESP is Pinpointe (pinpointe.com)
� Go to old.openspf.org/wizard – SPF tool
Authorization: Setting up SPFAuthorization: Setting up SPF
� Now… Go to GoDaddy.com
� Modify DNS entry for mycompany.com
� Select ‘Add a TXT Entry / SPF Record’
� Add entry from old.openspf.org/wizard:
"v=spf1 a mx include:pinpointe.com ~all"
� Resources:
� www.openspf.org
� old.openspf.org
� www.microsoft.com/senderid/wizard
� For detailed instructions, see our blog:
� www.pinpointe.com/blog
Setting up SPF Example Setting up SPF Example (cont)(cont)
� Authentication: Are you who you say you are?
� Protects against server hijacking/spoofing for phishing attacks, scams etc
� Crypto solution:
� Domain Keys (DK) – initial version
� DKIM (www.dkim.org) – final version
� Requires storage of public/private “keys”
� Public key -> DNS record (like SPF)
� Private key -> sending email servers
� Required by some consumer domains today
Email Authentication: Email Authentication:
� No absolute answer – many variables
� Empirically:
� 3% ~ 7% of emails to enterprise domains will fail today (source: Pinpointe)
� Higher failures for consumer domains
� Will be broadly implemented by enterprise filters over next ~12 months
� Non-compliant systems will see delivery fall-off
� Be prepared with an ESP that can help
Impact of Not Doing DKIM+ SPFImpact of Not Doing DKIM+ SPF
� Covered in Email Marketing 101 Webinar:http://www.pinpointe.com/resources/webinar-email-marketing-101-pdb
� Analyzes email content for “spammy” phrases
� Often based on spamassassin engine
� Examples and tips covered in previous webinar
� Link to spamassassin tests:http://spamassassin.apache.org/tests_3_2_x.html
� Tip: Always use your ESP’s online SPAM checker – worth the extra 3 minutes!
Email Delivery: ContentEmail Delivery: Content
� Proper IP address configuration
� Correct DNS / Reverse DNS settings
� Properly formed “From/Reply-to”
� Moderate sending rates to match receiving domain limits
� Dedicated IPs and/or Classes of Service
� Why? Errors can cause emails to be filtered
� Spammers don’t do these right!
Email Delivery: InfrastructureEmail Delivery: Infrastructure
� Email delivery is more than just content filtering
� If you understand email delivery, you will:
� Design better / more effective emails
� Select vendors more intelligently
� Improve delivery / response rates / ROI
� Be a better “email citizen”
� Resources-Real-time tweets – Q&A www.twitter.com/pinpointe
Real-time posts – top Q&A www.pinpointe.com/blog
SummarySummary
Pinpointe / ProspectDB Joint Solution
ProspectDB / Pinpointe Solution
� Set up Trial Account with Pinpointe / ProspectDB
� Get up to 1,000 ProspectDB records
� Pinpointe will create trial account and:
◦ Upload records
◦ Send up to 2,000 emails
What Sets ProspectDB Apart?
� B2B List Service
� Database of nearly 6 Million B2B business contacts
� Accuracy of data, every record is100% guaranteed
� Includes Email, phone (often direct ), company data, contact
� Unlimited license
� In-depth role-based coverage mid-management decision makers
• IT Decision makers
• C-Level Contacts
• CEOs and Presidents
• Operations Decision Makers
• … Many more
� Updated regularly
ProspectDB – Featured Databases
30,000 IT Decision Makers for $3,00030,000 Sales Decision Makers for $3,00030,000 Marketing Decision Makers for $3,000 30,000 C-level contacts for $3,00030,000 HR Decision Makers for $3,00030,000 Finance Executives for $3,00030,000 Operations Decision Makers for $3,00030,000 CEOs and Presidents for $3,00030,000 Lawyers and Attorneys for $3,00030,000 Real Estate Agents and Brokers for $3,00030,000 Mortgage Brokers for $3,00030,000 Stock Brokers for $3,00030,000 Residential and Commercial Contractors $3,000 30,000 Minority-Owned Small Businesses for $3,00030,000 Small Business Owners $3,00030,000 Small Business Owners - Retail for $3,00030,000 Women-Owned Businesses for $3,00020,000 Research Professors and Scientists for $2,50020,000 Insurance Agents & Brokers for $2,00010,000 Columnists, Writers, and Reporters for $2,00010,000 Printing, Advertising Decision Makers for $2,000
20,000 Physicians for $2,50020,000 Nurses for $2,50015,000 CPAs for $2,50015,000 Dentists for $2,50010,000 Decision Makers at VCFirms for $2,00010,000 Engineering Decision Makers for $2,00010,000 Non-profit Executive Directors for $2,0007,500 Purchasing Decision Makers for $2,0007,500 Customer Support DMs for $2,0005,000 Architects for $1,5005,000 Canadian (CFPs) for $1,5005,000 Librarians for $1,5005,000 R&D Decision Makers for $1,5004,000 Property Mgmt Decision Makers for $1,500
ProspectDB Customer ExamplesProspectDB Customer Examples
What Sets Pinpointe Apart?What Sets Pinpointe Apart?
• On-Demand Hosted Email Service Provider
• Service B2B companies:
• Sophisticated email marketing needs
• Not ready to use / fund complex marketing automation
• Feature Rich: Easy-to-use, WYSIWYG Editor, reporting, service
• Permit non-opt-in B2B lists from qualified vendors
• Provide strategic advice, guidance to improve results
• More than 5,000 companies using Pinpointe platform
Delivery & Tracking (Dashboard)
Delivery & Tracking (Dashboard)
Contact Information
ProspectDB, Inc.Forest Cassidy
(877) 591-3252
www.ProspectDB.com
PinpointeCraig Stouffer
408-834-7577 x125
www.pinpointe.com
www.twitter.com/pinpointe
www.pinpointe.com/blog
For questions or to set up a trial, please contact: