But here’s the twist—while most people focus solely on sender reputation or spam filters, there’s a broader and more nuanced approach to truly mastering email deliverability. We’ll cover it in this blog post.
What is Email Reputation and Why It Matters
Email reputation is an umbrella term covering the trus chinese overseas australia phone number data tworthiness of your IP addresses, domain names, and email sender reputation. In simplest terms, it’s how mailbox providers, like Gmail and Outlook, decide whether your emails deserve a place in the inbox or the spam folder.
Your reputation is influenced by data points like how many recipients engage with your emails, spam complaint rates, and overall sending volume. But here’s the kicker: even though most people think “how to improve email reputation” is a technical task, it’s largely influenced by human behavior.
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Mailbox providers use complex algorithms and data points to calculate your email reputation. They monitor your email campaigns, looking at signals such as the number of spam complaints and whether recipients mark your messages as spam.
Email reputation encompasses several factors, like IP reputation, domain reputation, and sending reputation. So, when you talk about improving your email reputation, you are really asking how to improve your IP and domain reputation.
Sender and Domain Reputation: Your Key Metrics
Sender reputation is how mailbox providers view your emails and rank your sending practices. Factors like spam complaint rates, email engagement (how often recipients open your emails or click links), and the IP address you send from affect your sender score.
Domain reputation refers to the trustworthiness of your domain name, and it plays an equally crucial role. A strong sender reputation leads to better inbox placement, meaning more people will see your emails instead of them landing in spam folders.
One of the best ways to understand your reputation is through Google Postmaster Tools and other free tools that measure how mailbox providers perceive your domain and IP. These tools offer insights into metrics such as spam complaint rates, spam trap hits, and email deliverability scores.
You can track whether your IP address ranks well, what your IP reputation score is, and how your domain’s email performance holds up across multiple providers.
A Contrarian View on IP Reputation and Shared IPs
A common belief is that dedicated IP addresses are always better for your email program. But in reality, shared IPs can work wonders for businesses with smaller sending volumes. If you send too few emails, your IP reputation won’t have enough data points to be rated, which can hurt your inbox placement.
A shared IP, which pools your sending volume with other businesses, can actually boost your sender score because mailbox providers will have more data to work with.
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However, poor sender reputation from others on the same shared IP could negatively impact you. This is where Barracuda Reputation System and other real-time databases come into play, monitoring shared IPs for any sign of spammy behavior. Keep an eye on spam traps, spam score, and spam reports related to your shared IP. If you notice a dip in your IP reputation score, it’s worth considering whether other businesses on the same IP address are dragging you down.
How to Improve Email Reputation: Focus on Engagement
When considering how to improve email reputation, many businesses focus too much on avoiding spam filters and spam complaints. While this is important, the real game-changer lies in recipients engaging with your emails.
Think of your email program as a conversation with your subscribers—if they’re opening, reading, and interacting with your messages, email providers will reward you with a better reputation. Much like a successful business proposal, which engages stakeholders through clear communication and mutual understanding, fostering interaction with your emails can enhance your email reputation. On the other hand, if they ignore or mark your emails as spam, your reputation score plummets.
