Improving email deliverability in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) is crucial for ensuring that your emails reach your subscribers’ inboxes rather than getting caught in spam filters or being bounced. Here are some best practices and strategies to enhance email deliverability in SFMC:
1. Use a Dedicated IP Address:
- If you send a high volume of emails, consider using a dedicated IP address instead of a shared one.
- This helps build a strong sender reputation, as your IP’s reputation is not influenced by the activities of other senders.
2. Warm Up Your IP Address:
- When starting with a new IP address, gradually increase the volume of emails sent to build a positive sender reputation.
- Start with your most engaged subscribers to ensure positive interactions, and then slowly ramp up the volume.
3. Authenticate Your Emails:
- Implement email authentication protocols such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance).
- These protocols verify your email’s legitimacy and improve deliverability by reducing the likelihood of being marked as spam.
4. Maintain a Clean Email List:
- Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive or invalid email addresses.
- Use SFMC’s list management tools to suppress bounces and unsubscribes, ensuring that your emails are sent only to engaged subscribers.
5. Segment Your Audience:
- Segment your email lists based on engagement levels, purchase history, or other relevant criteria.
- Targeting specific segments with relevant content can improve engagement and reduce the chances of emails being marked as spam.
6. Monitor and Manage Bounce Rates:
- Track bounce rates closely and take action to address high bounce rates by removing or correcting invalid email addresses.
- Differentiate between hard bounces (permanent errors) and soft bounces (temporary issues), and handle them accordingly.
7. Optimize Send Frequency and Timing:
- Avoid sending too many emails too frequently, as this can lead to unsubscribes and spam complaints.
- Use SFMC’s analytics tools to determine the optimal send times for your audience, ensuring that your emails are delivered when recipients are most likely to engage.
8. Craft Relevant and Engaging Content:
- Create content that is relevant, engaging, and valuable to your subscribers.
- Avoid using spammy language (e.g., “free,” “buy now”) and excessive punctuation, as these can trigger spam filters.
9. Implement Double Opt-In:
- Use a double opt-in process to confirm subscribers’ email addresses and ensure that they genuinely want to receive your emails.
- This reduces the likelihood of complaints and ensures a more engaged subscriber base.
10. Provide a Clear Unsubscribe Option:
- Always include a clear and easy-to-find unsubscribe link in your emails.
- This not only complies with regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR but also reduces the chances of recipients marking your emails as spam.
11. Monitor Email Engagement:
- Track key engagement metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and spam complaints.
- Low engagement rates can negatively impact your sender reputation, so focus on improving content and targeting to boost engagement.
12. Use Suppression Lists:
- Maintain suppression lists to avoid sending emails to unsubscribed users, bounced addresses, or those who have previously marked your emails as spam.
- SFMC allows you to create and manage suppression lists effectively.
13. Test Before Sending:
- Use SFMC’s testing tools to preview and test your emails across different email clients and devices before sending.
- This helps identify potential issues that could affect deliverability, such as broken links or rendering problems.
14. Monitor Sender Reputation:
- Regularly monitor your sender reputation using tools like Sender Score, which provides insights into how ISPs view your IP address.
- A high sender score indicates a good reputation, which positively impacts deliverability.
15. Stay Compliant with Regulations:
- Ensure your email practices comply with regulations such as CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CASL.
- Compliance helps maintain your sender reputation and reduces the risk of penalties.
By following these best practices, you can significantly improve your email deliverability in SFMC, ensuring that your messages reach your subscribers’ inboxes and achieve your desired marketing outcomes.
For further reading, you can explore Salesforce’s guide to email deliverability and best practices.
