Email Marketing 201Tips to Increase Email Delivery

(AKA “How Email Delivery Works”)

April, 2009

Craig Stouffer,

Pinpointe Email Marketing

cstouffer@pinpointe.com

(408) 834-7577 x125

www.twitter.com/pinpointe

www.pinpointe.com/blog

Forest Cassidy

ProspectDB, Inc.

fcassidy@pdb-email.com

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

Email

Server

feedback

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3b

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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2

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

fcassidy@pdb-email.com

(877) 591-3252

www.ProspectDB.com

PinpointeCraig Stouffer

cstouffer@pinpointe.com

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: