Deliverability

Email deliverability is the measure of success in getting your emails into recipients’ inboxes rather than being filtered into spam folders or blocked entirely. It’s one of the most critical aspects of cold email marketing, as even the most compelling message is worthless if it never reaches its intended recipient. Deliverability is influenced by numerous factors including sender reputation, authentication protocols, content quality, engagement rates, and recipient behavior patterns.

Sender reputation plays the largest role in deliverability and is determined by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) based on your sending history, complaint rates, bounce rates, and engagement metrics. A single sender reputation score is associated with your domain and IP address, which means that poor practices can damage your ability to reach inboxes for months. To maintain good deliverability, keep bounce rates under 2%, spam complaint rates under 0.1%, and ensure that recipients are actively engaging with your emails through opens, clicks, and replies.

Technical authentication is equally important for deliverability success. Implementing SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) protocols helps ISPs verify that your emails are legitimate and haven’t been spoofed. Additionally, warming up new email accounts by gradually increasing sending volume, maintaining clean email lists through regular hygiene practices, and crafting content that avoids spam trigger words all contribute to better inbox placement. Monitor your deliverability metrics regularly and consider using dedicated tools to track inbox placement rates across different ISPs.