why aren't they registering? did they receive the email?

TheU: Why aren’t they receiving my eMail?

www.highroadsolution.com

Your Presenter:Jenny Lassi has been affiliated with HighRoad Solution for 7 years first as a client and then as an employee. With experience handling deployments and deliverability for a wide range of clients with optimized recipient engagement top-of-mind, Jenny routinely trouble shoots deliverability issues from ISP level filtering to email client level filtering (email Forensics as she refers to them). She also consults with clients on authentication, content, content strategy, email preference center management & other deliverability optimization tactics.


Today’s Content

• Why is monitoring your deliverability beneficial to your organization?

• What contributes to email deliverability?• The 5 C’s• What are the different reasons your organization’s

emails could be filtered or blocked from reaching recipient inboxes?

• How can you overcome deliverability obstacles to optimize your email programs?

• Best practices• Resources takeaways


Why is continually monitoring deliverability important for your organization?


Wasted eMail Spend

Invalid email Addresses +

Excessive email Bounces

+Emails Filtered to Junk/SPAM Folders

=Wasted $$


Do you know if your eMails are reaching an inbox?


Do you know if your eMails are reaching an inbox?

When a SureSend Domain Delivery Report is enabled when sending a Live message, you will see the Domain Delivery tab on the email stats


What contributes to your deliverability or ability to reach an inbox?


Wait for it…Wait for it…


The sum of all parts of a solid email strategy plan.

Do you have one of those?

No? Get in line…


Where should you start to build your email strategy plan?


eMail Strategy Plan


The 5 C’s of Email Marketing Strategy

•Configuration•Content•Create•Criticize•Continue


The 5 C’s: Configuration

• Firewall Settings• IP Address (Dedicated

or Shared)• DKIM (Domain Keys)• Sender ID (SPF

Record)


The 5 C’s: Content

• Content recipients find value in• Content recipients asked for• Content recipients expect• Clear call-to-action• Content delivered when recipients

want it• Content that renders correctly

on whichever desktop or device recipients are using


The 5 C’s: Create

• Clean html email template• Clean layout using “Read More” links to

keep most exciting content above the fold

• Newsletters should have a table of contents (TOC)

• Template that renders correctly on whichever desktop or device recipients are using.

• Create automated recurring message type emails to free up resources who can put more energy into strategy & analysis


The 5 C’s: Criticize

• Analyze delivery metrics (bounces, opens & clicks)

• Use bounce logs to address deliverability issues 24-48 hours post deployment (not a month later)

• Isolate subscribers who are not engaged with your emails (no opens/click throughs)

• Create a Win-Back campaign for non-engaged subscribers with an incentive to respond

• Suppress non-engaged subscribers until they respond to your Win-Back campaign

• Analyze how many subscribers opt-down or unsubscribe from particular messages (maybe the perceived value of content is low)


The 5 C’s: Continue

Use what you have learned and apply it

to future deployments


What are the different reasons your organization’s eMails could be filtered or blocked from reaching recipient inboxes?


eMail Filtering

Email Filtering Layers


Trouble Shoot Filtering Issues

Firewall Issues:Your organization’s firewall needs to be configured to allow in email traffic originating from outside of your firewall if you are using any email system hosted outside of your organization.

Configuration Issues:Email authentication like DKIM (Domain Keys) and Sender ID (SPF Record)

Blacklisting Issues:RBL listing resulting from SPAM traps or recipient complaints

Engagement Issues: Web-based ESPs (Example: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!) are looking at metrics like messages deleted without being read, percentage of email opens from any one specific sender to only inbox “wanted” mail and the rest are routed to spam folders.


Trouble Shoot Filtering Issues

Email Server Filtering Software Issues:Email server filtering software (Example: Postini, Message Labs) use a complex mixture of engagement, keywords, IP blocks, and DNSBL/RBL (Real-time Blackhole Lists) that may route your email to SPAM or Junk folders

Email Client Issues:Email clients like Outlook, MAC mail, Mozilla Thunderbird, etc. all have junk folders that the Email recipient needs to “train” over time to inbox what is considered a “wanted” email.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-%20%20help/about-the-junk-e-mail-filter-HP005242967.aspx

http://www.maclife.com/article/columns/maclife_101_how_filter_spam_apple_mai%20%20l

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Junk_Mail_Controls


What filtering hoops can you jump through to reach inboxes?


Jumping Through HoopsFirewall Hoops:

Have your IT department whitelist the IP block or IP address your email account is sending mail from. Not every email service handles IP addresses the same way so speak to your provider on best next steps.

Configuration Hoops:Ask your provider for instructions on how to implement DKIM (Domain Keys) and Sender ID (SPF Record) for your organization’s domain DNS. Usually this is only possible if your email service has a dedicated IP address for your organization.

If you have a dedicated IP and implement DKIM and Sender ID, always warm the IP address first by sending small and consistent bursts of email traffic daily.

Blacklist Hoops:Look up your organization’s domain or IP address with an RBL tool (Example: http://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx, http://whatismyipaddress.com/blacklist-check) to see if you are on any blacklists. If so, follow instructions on how to be removed as each RBL will have it’s own way of being removed.

http://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx

http://whatismyipaddress.com/blacklist-check


Jumping Through HoopsEngagement Hoops: Web-based ESPs (Example: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!) are looking heavily at engagement metrics. Try A/B testing to know what content, email type or call-to-action is getting the best lift in engagement and response.

Email Server Filtering Software Hoops:Reach out to postmaster@ or abuse@ at the domain using the email filtering software (Example: Postini, Message Labs). Ask them to whitelist the IP address or IP block associated with your email service.

Email Client Filtering Hoops:Ask your email recipients to add you to their safelist or as a trusted sender in the preheader of your email. Engagement hoops also play into this so try A/B testing to know what type of content resonates with your audience and will elicit the best open/click through rates.


Jumping Through HoopsHigh Level View: DKIM/Sender ID (it’s not a scary term or complicated at all… I promise)• You tell us what domain(s) you send from • We supply you with 4 snippets of text that you add to your domain’s DNS and instructions• You add the txt records to your DNS and tell us when you’re done• We test/validate the keys and enable on your account


Jumping Through Hoops


The HighRoad Solution Deliverability Cops – Dedicated IP

• Sender Rejected• Message Filtered• Unknown Users• Infrastructure• Volume• Spam Traps• Blacklists• Complaints• FBL Compaints (Routed to

your Opt-Outs)


The HighRoad Solution Deliverability Cops – Shared IP

• Spam Traps• Blacklists• Complaints


Best Practices Takeaways• Be more strategic with your email sends with a 5-C

strategy.• Only send to good email addresses.• If you don’t know if an email address is good, run a

test using an email validation service. A good service is http://www.briteverify.com/

• Only send to recipients who asked for it. If they didn’t and you want to send to them, ask for permission in a permission pass email first.

• Never purchase an email list. If you do a reverse append process to get an email address of a record you already “own”, don’t assume it’s ok to send to it. Do a permission pass email first.

http://www.briteverify.com/


Permission Pass• Briefly explain the reason

for asking permission• Have clear Yes or No call-

to-action buttons• You can have minimal

marketing messaging, but the main point to the email is asking them Yes or No you can email them.

• This can be used when reaching out to prospects or for asking existing members if you can send a new type of email message to them.


Questions?


Next Up at TheU:

Post-Event Depression: Keeping Your Attendees Happy

When: Friday, September 27th

Time: 11 am EDT

Content Leader: Suzanne Carawan, Chief Marketing Officer, HighRoad Solution

CAE Credit Hour: Earn 0.5 hour by attending the live webinar

Register: https://www.eventsforce.net/hrs/7/home


Thank you!Other questions for Jenny?

eMail = [email protected]

Twitter = @highroadjenny

mailto:[email protected]

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