Is More Always Better?

Picture this: You're a brand manager, sipping your morning coffee, scrolling through your sales reports. Your heart sinks. Despite your best efforts to ramp up email marketing, sales are plummeting faster than a lead balloon. Sound familiar? Well, let's explore the treacherous terrain of email marketing gone awry.

Recently, we encountered a client who found themselves in this exact predicament. They had done everything by the book – or so they thought. They'd fine-tuned their email automations, crafted a meticulous newsletter schedule, and segmented their audience with great care. Yet, somehow, their email channel was underperforming significantly.

As we examined their strategy, a curious pattern emerged. While their intentions were good – no spamming, only valuable content – their email volume had been gradually increasing. Slowly but surely, they'd fallen into the classic trap of quantity over quality.

Now, let's jump into some technical aspects of email deliverability. It's a complex system that goes far beyond simply hitting 'send' and hoping for the best. Email deliverability is essentially the ability of your emails to reach your subscribers' inboxes. It's influenced by a multitude of factors, including:

1. Sender reputation: This is like your email credit score. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) assign a reputation score to your sending domain and IP address based on your sending practices.

2. Authentication: Protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help verify that your emails are legitimate and not spoofed.

3. Content quality: ISPs analyze the content of your emails to determine if it's spammy or valuable.

4. Engagement rates: How often recipients open, click, or interact with your emails affects deliverability.

5. Bounce rates and spam complaints: High bounce rates or frequent spam complaints can severely damage your sender reputation.

In our client's case, technical issues with email build and data flow had caused their deliverability score to plummet. Their sender reputation had taken a hit, and inbox algorithms were increasingly flagging their emails as potentially unwanted. Before they knew it, their score was labeled 'poor', with less than half of their emails actually reaching their intended audience.

So, what did we do? We developed a comprehensive strategy to rebuild their email reputation and improve deliverability:

1. Dramatically reduced send volume: This might seem counterintuitive, but it's crucial. By sending fewer emails, we could focus on quality and slowly rebuild trust with ISPs.

2. Cleaned the email list: We removed inactive subscribers and invalid email addresses to reduce bounce rates.

3. Improved email authentication: We ensured proper implementation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols.

4. Enhanced content quality: We focused on creating highly relevant, personalised content that recipients would genuinely want to engage with.

5. Optimised send times: By analysing when subscribers were most likely to engage, we improved open and click-through rates.

6. Implemented a warm-up strategy: We gradually increased send volume over time, closely monitoring engagement metrics.

The results were impressive. We estimated it would take five months to get their deliverability score back to 'good'. But we achieved it in just three! It turns out that when you're genuinely in tune with your customers and focus on sharing valuable content, remarkable things happen.

Now, let's get into some detailed advice to help you avoid falling into this email marketing pitfall:

1. Quality over quantity and close performance monitoring:

Instead of aiming for a specific number of emails per week, focus on creating messages that provide real value. This could mean sending fewer, more impactful emails. To ensure you're on the right track, keep a close eye on key performance indicators such as open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, and spam complaints. Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools or Microsoft SNDS to track your sender reputation. By consistently monitoring these metrics, you can quickly identify and address any issues before they escalate into major problems.

2. Segmentation, personalisation, and subscriber preferences:

Use data to segment your audience based on factors like purchase history, engagement level, or demographics. Then, create tailored content for each segment. This approach allows you to send more relevant emails, increasing the likelihood of engagement. Take it a step further by implementing a preference center, allowing subscribers to choose the type and frequency of emails they receive. This puts them in control and further increases the likelihood of engagement. Remember to use double opt-in when building your list – this ensures that only people who genuinely want to receive your emails are subscribed, reducing the risk of spam complaints.

3. Compelling content and subject lines:

Craft subject lines that intrigue your readers without misleading them. A/B test your subject lines to see what resonates best with your audience. When it comes to the email content itself, ensure it's valuable, relevant, and engaging. With more than half of all emails opened on mobile devices, it's crucial to optimize your emails for mobile viewing. This means using responsive design, keeping your content concise, and using clear call-to-action buttons that are easy to tap on smaller screens.

4. Strategic use of automation:

Set up triggered emails based on subscriber behaviour, but be careful not to overwhelm recipients with too many automated messages. For example, you might set up a welcome series for new subscribers, abandoned cart reminders, or post-purchase follow-ups. The key is to ensure each automated email adds value to the recipient's experience with your brand. Regularly review and update your automated sequences to keep them fresh and relevant.

5. List hygiene and infrastructure management:

Regularly clean your list by removing inactive subscribers and invalid email addresses. Consider running a re-engagement campaign before removing long-term inactive subscribers. This not only improves your deliverability but also ensures you're not wasting resources on uninterested parties. On the infrastructure side, ensure your email service provider maintains a good IP reputation. If you're a high-volume sender, consider using dedicated IPs to have more control over your sending reputation.

6. Continuous testing and easy opt-out:

Regularly test your emails across different email clients and devices to ensure they display correctly. This includes testing not just the design, but also the functionality of any links or interactive elements. Additionally, make it simple for recipients to opt-out if they wish. Provide clear, easy-to-find unsubscribe links in every email. It's better to lose a subscriber than get marked as spam, which can damage your sender reputation.

Remember, in the world of email marketing, sometimes less really is more. It's not about bombarding your audience with messages; it's about sending the right message to the right person at the right time. Email marketing is a powerful tool when used correctly, but it requires constant attention and optimisation.

By focusing on quality, relevance, and subscriber preferences, you can build a robust email channel that not only reaches inboxes but also drives engagement and conversions. So, the next time you're tempted to increase your email volume, ask yourself: "Is more really better?" Your deliverability score, your engagement rates, and ultimately your sales figures will thank you for taking a more strategic approach.