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Every email marketer wants their messages to arrive in the inbox and not the spam folder. When then Gmail and Yahoo have announced that they will enforce new sender guidelines that severely impact deliverability for anyone sending to their addresses has made every email marketer sit up and take notice. Therefore why We hosted virtual Litmus Talks with experts from Yahoo, Braze and SocketLabs to consider how these requirements can best be met.
Don't have time to watch a virtual event? Here are some of the key findings:
- What are the requirements? and how will they impact deliverability?
- What steps to take technical and strategic
- Here's how to make these adjustments for internal stakeholders
Now let’s dive into the details…
What are the new requirements? And how do they affect deliverability?
First, let's briefly summarize what these requirements entail. If you are a mass sender – which Google defines as anyone who sends 5,000 or more emails in a day – you must:
The first thing to note about these “new” requirements is that they aren’t actually new – these standards have existed for years but have not been enforced. The only change now is that Gmail and Yahoo are enforcing it due to ever-increasing spam accumulation.
Functionally, when it is enforced, it will look no different than it does now. Non-compliant senders may have their messages deferred (delivery delayed), blocked, or sent to the spam folder, as appropriate Sender reputation, among other things. If you don't comply initially, you'll likely see an increase in delays before blocking or bouncing occurs.
All of our guest experts specifically pointed this out Even if you think you're below that 5,000 message mark, it's still in your best interest to follow these guidelines as best practices This will serve you well now and as your list grows.
The final point here is that these requirements – while they certainly require additional effort – will undoubtedly result in a better overall sender experience. Our guest Alison Gootee (Braze) put it best: “Less competition with crap in your inbox means people see your content sooner, better and more accurately.”
How to prepare technically and strategically for the sender's requirements
When it comes to figuring out what steps you need to take to ensure you follow these guidelines, there are two perspectives. You could simply think of the requirements as a technical checklist, and in any case you want to make sure you complete each of these steps:
- Use a tool like Testing the Litmus spam filter to determine if you have SPF records, DKIM, and DMARC set up (and use the context links provided to take action if you don't).
- Check with your email service provider (ESP) to see if they automatically add a List-Unsubscribe header to your emails or if you need to add it yourself
- Use a tool like Google Postmaster to check your spam compliance score (Yahoo has one). SenderHubwhich is currently in beta) to see where you are now
However, there are many spammers who know how to follow these technical steps, who know how to authenticate, etc. Following these steps alone is not enough, which is why you also need to be careful about how and what you send strategically Position.
Sending emails that are relevant and valuable to your subscribers is central to effective email marketing because if you don't, you can be authenticated and include a List-Unsubscribe header and still be seen as Be marked as spam. The bigger question to ask here is: Are you sending messages that your subscribers want to receive?
You can help answer this question by keeping a close eye on your engagement metrics. For example, click rates are a good measure of relevance and interest. Bounce rates can tell you whether you need to check the validity of the email addresses on your list more closely. And always make sure to honor unsubscribes as quickly as possible (unless they are handled automatically through your ESP).
How to talk to internal stakeholders about the requirements
Finally, it is likely that some of the steps you may need to take to comply with Gmail and Yahoo policies will require approval from managers or directors who may not be as familiar with the details of email marketing as She. Let's talk about how you might demonstrate the need for these changes to internal stakeholders.
Step 1: Skip the acronyms
First, you don't have to use all the acronyms like DKIM, DMARC, etc. To make your point, it's enough just to explain that Gmail and Yahoo require three specific forms of sender identity verification. The need to demonstrate multiple forms of identification is a concept that every adult is already familiar with, and this familiarity makes it easier to understand.
Step 2: Find out about the spam complaint rate
Second, when talking about spam complaint rate, 0.03% doesn't translate as easily as saying, “We can't receive more than three spam complaints per 1,000 messages we send.” In a simple Language makes it clear how few spam complaints you can afford.
This also helps identify measures you need to take to avoid spam complaints such as:
Step 3: Address the impact directly
Third, you need to be clear about the consequences. If you receive more than three spam complaints per thousand messages or do not implement the other technical steps, the delivery of your emails will at least be delayed. Be aware of the potential negative impact of delaying time-sensitive emails such as sales notifications, event notifications, or product launches. If your emails are blocked or sent to spam, it is directly linked to the impact on sales, lead acquisition, or other key performance indicators of your email program.
Understanding, preparation and communication are key
Although these Gmail and Yahoo sender requirements seem like a big change compared to the attention they're getting, there's no need to panic. Just take a deep breath and remember these things:
- These requirements are not newthey are finally being enforced precisely because of the increasing spam accumulation
- Setting up DMARC, DKIM, SPF records and List-Unsubscribe headers helps maintain and increase the trust of subscribersand are good for everyone
- Following the technical steps alone is not enough To avoid ending up in the spam folder, you also need to ensure that the emails you send are relevant to and desired by your subscribers
- Use simple language and connect consequences directly to key performance indicators (KPIs) when formulating required changes to your email program for internal stakeholders,
If you keep these points in mind, you will be well positioned to safely master the changes.
We are here to help
In case you didn't know, Litmus has a new feature, Email Guardian, that allows you to monitor your emails and alert you to changes in email clients that could cause your messages to arrive incorrectly in your inbox . As you strive to stay below that 0.03% spam complaint rate, Email Guardian can help give you peace of mind.
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