How to do an Email Deliverability Audit and what tools to use?

Once again, it is great to see all of you!??

Welcome to the 22nd edition of Outbound Success!

A whopping 21% of?emails vanish into the digital void, costing companies billions.

Our emails often contain important information, updates, and opportunities. When they don't reach their destination, it's not just frustrating - it can have real consequences.

But here's the game-changer: boosting your deliverability by just 5% can enhance your click-through rate by 30%

So, if your emails are not performing well, it is time to do a deliverability audit!

1. Analyze Your Email Performance Metrics ??

Start by reviewing key performance metrics like open, click, and bounce rates. Anomalies in these metrics can signal deliverability issues.

Investigate engagement patterns based on the time and day of the week. Emails sent during peak activity times for your audience often perform better.

If there is some change in all the metrics altogether, you have to see from where and when the change started happening and compare it with the past data.

Tools for Monitoring Open Rates, Click Rates, Bounce Rates: Saleshandy

2. Check your Inbox Placement??

Send test emails to yourself to reveal where your emails are landing – inbox, spam, or promotions.

Use multiple email addresses from different providers (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook) to better understand deliverability across platforms.

Tool for Testing: Glockapps

3. Check Domain and IP Reputation ??

Your domain and IP reputation significantly impact email deliverability. Regularly check these reputations to ensure your emails aren't being blocked or flagged as spam.

Older domains with consistent activity usually have better reputations. Check your domain's age and history regularly.

Also, check if your domain or IP is not on any blacklist because that can destroy your deliverability.

Tools for Domain Reputation: Google Postmaster Tools, Sender Score, Spamhaus.

4. Ensure Email Authentication ??

Proper email authentication verifies your identity to email providers, reducing the chances of your emails being marked as spam. Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly set up and consider implementing BIMI for brand visibility.

Align your DMARC policy with a reporting mechanism. This gives detailed insights into who is sending emails on your behalf and can help prevent phishing attacks.

Also, check if any of your records are unauthenticated from somewhere, if yes, authenticate them again.

Tools for Authentication: MXToolbox, DMARC Analyzer, BIMI Group

5. Manage Your Email List ???

Regular list cleaning and management ensure emails are sent to active and valid recipients, improving deliverability and reducing bounce rates.

Segment your list based on engagement levels. This allows you to tailor re-engagement campaigns to inactive subscribers, potentially restoring them to active status.

Tools for List Hygiene: NeverBounce, Saleshandy

6. Enhance Content Quality ??

High-quality, well-formatted content avoids spam filters. Pay attention to the words you use, the HTML/CSS formatting, and the balance of images to text in your emails.?Check if your email has spam words because that can impact your deliverability.

Incorporate interactive elements such as polls, GIFs, or dynamic content that adjusts based on the user's interaction. This engages your audience and reduces the likelihood of being flagged as spam.

Tools for Content Quality: SpamMeteor

7. Check your sequence score

Always check your sequence score before sending any email campaign to ensure you do not miss out on anything that can impact your deliverability.

This check should include email setup, campaign check, and email copy assessment because even one spam word can impact your deliverability.

So make sure everything is in place before you send your sequences.

Tools: Saleshandy

8. Test and Monitor Regularly ??

Regular testing and monitoring of where your emails land and checking blacklist statuses help maintain high deliverability.

Utilize advanced analytics to track email engagement heatmaps. Understanding which parts of your email get the most interaction can help you optimize future content.

Tools for Testing and Monitoring: Mail-Tester, Sender Score.

Check out some resources to help you improve your deliverability:

How to achieve 99% email deliverability in 15 days

Email deliverability best practices in 2024