1. Delivery vs. Deliverability
- Expectation: “I have 95% deliverability” is seen as a success.
- Reality: High delivery rates only mean that emails are sent out; true deliverability means reaching the primary inbox and engaging the recipient. Merely “delivering” an email doesn’t guarantee that it will be read.
2. Promotions Tab vs. Spam Folder
- Expectation: Landing in the promotions tab is like being in the spam folder—a complete failure.
- Reality: The promotions tab isn’t the same as the spam folder. Using Jennifer’s house analogy, the primary inbox (the “kitchen”) is where critical emails belong, while the promotions tab (comparable to a “game room”) is still accessible to users. Not every user even has tabs enabled, so being in promotions isn’t inherently negative.
3. Consent: “Yes, I Have It” vs. Re-Earning Trust
- Expectation: Once you have subscriber consent, you’re set.
- Reality: Consent isn’t a one-time, permanent guarantee. It’s fluid, and every email sent is an opportunity to reaffirm that trust. If your communications don’t consistently meet subscriber expectations, that consent can quickly be withdrawn.
4. Reputation Is a One-Time Build vs. Continuous Effort
- Expectation: Build your sender reputation once and relax.
- Reality: Reputation must be maintained continuously with consistent sending behaviors and quality content. Even a single misstep can slowly erode that reputation over time.
5. Quantity Over Quality
- Expectation: More emails (or higher volume) mean more revenue..
- Reality: Flooding recipients with emails can dilute engagement. A balanced approach is required—quality content and well-planned volume increases are both crucial to avoid overwhelming inboxes and triggering spam signals.
6. Authentication: A Magic Bullet?
- Expectation: Implementing authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) alone will ensure your emails land in the inbox.
- Reality: While authentication is essential for brand protection and establishing legitimacy, it is only one part of the equation. Good sending practices, consistent volume management, and engagement signals are also critical for strong deliverability.
7. Shared IPs vs. Dedicated Infrastructure
- Expectation: Being on a shared IP automatically leads to poor deliverability.
- Reality: Although shared IPs can present challenges, especially at higher volumes, they may work well for low-volume senders. However, regardless of the infrastructure, reputation and consistent sending habits remain key.
8. The Warming Process: Quick Fix vs. Long-Term Strategy
- Expectation: Warming up a new sending infrastructure is a quick process.
- Reality: Warming (gradually increasing email volume to build reputation) takes time and careful planning. Rushing this process can trigger spam filters or lead to throttling by mailbox providers.
9. Look-Alike Domains for Protection
- Expectation: Using look-alike domains will shield your main brand’s reputation.
- Reality: Look-alike domains can backfire by confusing recipients and even training them to trust phishing attempts. They don’t provide true protection and may end up harming the brand.
10. Subdomains: A Separate Entity?
- Expectation: Separating email streams using subdomains will completely isolate issues.
- Reality: Although subdomains can help segment different programs, their reputations are still interconnected with the main domain. A problem in one area can impact the broader brand.
11. Unsubscribes Are Catastrophic vs. Natural List Hygiene
- Expectation: A high unsubscribe rate is a disaster akin to spam complaints.
- Reality: Unsubscribes are a natural part of managing a healthy email list. They help cleanse the list of disengaged users, thereby reducing the likelihood of spam complaints.
12. Default Security Settings vs. Comprehensive Protection
- Expectation: Default security settings (or minimal DNS protections) are sufficient to safeguard your email program.
- Reality: It’s critical to perform regular audits and implement robust security measures (including multi-factor authentication and strict DNS management) to prevent unauthorized access and protect your reputation.
13. Email “Weight” Isn’t a Big Deal vs. Impact on Performance
- Expectation: The size and HTML “weight” of an email are minor concerns.
- Reality: Overly heavy emails can be clipped by providers like Gmail, potentially harming user experience and engagement metrics. Optimizing email code and limiting unnecessary redirects is important.
14. Engagement Metrics Are Universal vs. Provider Nuances
- Expectation: Open rates and click rates are straightforward, universal indicators of success.
- Reality: Engagement signals can vary greatly between providers (Gmail, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc.). For example, Gmail might use different signals (such as dragging from spam to the inbox) to gauge engagement, so relying solely on open rates can be misleading.
