Email marketing can be an effective way to connect with your audience and promote your business, but it’s essential to follow best practices to ensure that your messages are received, read, and acted upon. In this blog, we’ll discuss some of the most important email marketing best practices, including how to increase engagement and avoid being labeled as spam.
One of the biggest challenges of email marketing is avoiding the dreaded spam folder. When your emails end up in spam, your recipients are unlikely to see them, let alone read them or take action on them. Plus, sending too many emails that are labeled as spam can hurt your sender reputation and make it even harder to get your messages delivered in the future.
To avoid being labeled as spam, it’s important to follow email authentication protocols like DMARC, DKIM, and SPF. These protocols help email servers verify that the messages you’re sending are legitimate and not spoofed or fraudulent.
DMARC : To minimize spoofiing
DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, is a protocol that builds on top of SPF and DKIM. It allows domain owners to specify how their emails should be handled if they fail DMARC checks, such as being sent to the spam folder or rejected outright. By implementing DMARC, you can help ensure that your emails are delivered to your recipients’ inboxes and avoid DMARC fail.
DKIM : For avoiding unwanted alterations in email content
DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, is a protocol that adds a digital signature to your emails, which can be verified by the recipient’s email server. This signature helps prove that the email was actually sent by the domain it claims to be from, rather than being spoofed. To use DKIM, you’ll need to create a DKIM signature and a DKIM selector for your domain and add them to your DNS records.
MTA-STS : To encrypt emails in transit
MTA-STS, or Mail Transport Agent Strict Transport Security, is a newer protocol that helps protect your emails in transit. It requires email servers to use encryption when sending and receiving emails, which helps prevent them from being intercepted or modified by third parties.
BIMI : For visual identification and authentication
Another way to improve your email deliverability and engagement is by using BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification. BIMI allows you to display your brand logo next to your emails in the recipient’s inbox, which can help increase brand recognition and trust. To use BIMI, you’ll need to create a BIMI record and add it to your DNS records.
Useful Tips
In addition to following email authentication protocols, there are a few other best practices you should keep in mind when sending marketing emails. Here are some tips to help increase engagement and avoid being labeled as spam:
- Send relevant, targeted emails: Don’t send the same generic message to everyone on your list. Instead, segment your list and send targeted messages that are relevant to each group.
- Use a clear subject line: Your subject line should be clear, and concise, and give recipients an idea of what to expect in the email.
- Include a clear call to action: Tell recipients what you want them to do after reading your email, whether that’s visiting your website, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter.
- Keep your emails short and sweet: People are busy, so keep your emails brief and to the point. Use bullet points and headers to break up text and make it easier to scan.
- Test and optimize your emails: Use A/B testing to try out different subject lines, calls to action, and email formats to see what resonates best with your audience.
By following these email marketing best practices, you can improve your email deliverability, engagement, and ultimately, your bottom line. So, take the time to implement DMARC, DKIM, SPF, and other protocols, and keep these tips in mind when crafting your next email campaign.