Deliverability Defined
82 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago -Each week, Deliverability Defined will dive deep into topics about email deliverability, giving you the insight you need to reach the inbox of your subscribers.
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Episodes
Optimizing Subscriber Experience for Better Deliverability
April 23, 2024 07:00 - 30 minutes - 29 MBMany people find their inboxes overflowing with generic emails and promotional content, all vying to grab their attention. But what separates an email that gets deleted from one that gets opened, sparks engagement, and drives results? Ultimately, effective emails prioritize value over promotion. It's finding and understanding your target subscribers and delivering value that addresses their needs. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa talk about the steps a...
How Does Shared Reputation Work?
April 16, 2024 07:00 - 34 minutes - 32.7 MBDomain reputation has been a theme this season. And for good reason. In the world of email, IP addresses and domains have reputations that can make or break an email’s journey. While it might seem a little technical, understanding these nuances can have a big impact on your email deliverability. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the differences between shared and dedicated reputation regarding IP addresses and domains. They talk about the importa...
Benchmarks for Email Metrics
April 09, 2024 07:00 - 27 minutes - 25.8 MBIf you’ve ever found yourself in a tangle of numbers, wondering which email metrics actually matter, this episode is for you. This week, Alyssa and Melissa unravel the tangled web of open rates, bounce rates, click rates, and complaint rates, guiding email senders toward clarity. They discuss why maintaining low bounce and complaint rates is essential, and explore the impact of metrics on email deliverability. They also explore the value of subscriber engagement and the reality of...
A Creative Way to Boost Replies
April 02, 2024 07:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBIn this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa explore some creative ways to boost email replies and enhance deliverability. From leveraging engagement signals and building community to using incentive-driven tactics, they share valuable strategies to amp up replies and strengthen relationships with subscribers. The discussion also touches on the impact of replies on domain reputation and suggests practical methods for handling and organizing replies. As email delive...
Keeping Your List Healthy While Using Recommendations
March 26, 2024 07:00 - 25 minutes - 24 MBIn this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa dive into the topic of using recommendation tools to grow your email list while maintaining healthy deliverability. They explore the potential impact of using ConvertKit’s Creator Network recommendation tool, and provide insights on how to effectively manage new subscribers. Balancing list growth with subscriber engagement is critical for email senders. Making a strong first impression with new subscribers through a clea...
A Guide to DMARC
March 19, 2024 07:00 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBEver feel like you're decoding an ancient script when trying to comprehend email authentication? DMARC may seem like just another complex acronym in the world of email, but it's a guardian against the spoofers and spammers. Setting up DMARC is like locking your digital doors—it's not just necessary; it's your first line of defense. And since missed emails mean missed opportunities, understanding DMARC is a critical piece of the email deliverability puzzle. In this episode of Del...
Managing Your Domain Reputation
March 12, 2024 07:00 - 47 minutes - 44.9 MBIf managing your domain reputation sounds complicated, you’re not alone. Recent changes to Yahoo’s and Google’s authentication rules have forced all email senders to take a more active role in the path to the inbox. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa untangle some of the mysteries around domain reputation and why it’s so important. They highlight how trends in open rates, complaint rates, and bounce rates are not just metrics but invaluable insights that...
A Guide to Google Postmaster Tools
March 05, 2024 08:00 - 26 minutes - 24.8 MBIf you’ve ever wondered how to improve your domain reputation, Google Postmaster Tools is here to help. In the wake of Google’s and Yahoo’s changes and authentication requirements, Google Postmaster Tools has become a crucial resource for email senders. In this episode of Deliverability Definied, Alyssa and Melissa take a deep dive into Google Postmaster Tools—what it is, how to get the most out of it, and why it’s so important for monitoring domain reputation and ensuring optimal e...
An Update on Yahoogle Requirements
February 27, 2024 08:00 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MBWelcome back to Season Five of Deliverability Defined! Do you ever feel like you're navigating the Bermuda Triangle when it comes to understanding the latest email marketing requirements? You're not alone. Staying ahead of these changes and requirements is crucial in maintaining email deliverability. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the recent changes from Yahoo and Google and how they impact email senders. They dive into the new authentication requirements, the one-clic...
New Requirements from Gmail and Yahoo
November 06, 2023 23:03 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBGmail and Yahoo have announced new sender requirements taking affect in February of 2024. You can read more here: https://help.convertkit.com/en/articles/8538056-gmail-and-yahoo-s-new-requirements-for-2024-and-what-to-expect The 3 main steps to take: - Set up a verified sending domain in your email provider - Set up a DMARC record if you haven't already - Start monitoring your spam complaint rates within Google Postmaster Tools
How to Utilize AI for Your Newsletter with Naomi West
June 27, 2023 07:00 - 44 minutes - 41.3 MBEmail remains one of the oldest and most popular digital communication channels, yet content creators struggle to stand out in their audience’s email inboxes. The explosion of ChatGPT has prompted questions about AI’s role in the deliverability space. Should AI be integrated into email marketing strategies, and if so, in what capacity? In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa talk with email marketing expert Naomi West about her relationship with AI. Naomi is a seasoned SaaS Lifecycle...
How to Grow and Monetize Your Newsletter Featuring Dylan Redekop
June 20, 2023 07:00 - 38 minutes - 36.1 MBAs a creator, you are never going to feel “ready” to build something. The hardest part is getting started and accepting that creation is an iterative process, and the mistakes you make along the way will lead to stronger content over time. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa talk with Dylan Redekop, Growth Currency Newsletter Strategist and Product Marketer at SparkLoop, about his journey building his newsletter from scratch. What started as a multitopic newsletter niched down int...
Selling Digital Products Featuring Charli Prangley
May 23, 2023 07:00 - 49 minutes - 46.2 MBMany people strive to become creators but often forget the discipline, hard work, and consistency required to build an audience. But while the task can seem daunting, it’s not impossible. The best way to learn how to grow a subscriber base is by learning from creators who have successfully done so. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa talk with Charli Prangley, Creative Director at ConvertKit, about her experience as a YouTuber with more than 220K subscribers, and the author of the ...
Why Is Email Still a Key Player in Today’s Marketing Landscape?
May 16, 2023 07:00 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MBEmail is a universal method of communication that brings together people of all different ages and backgrounds. While some people may check their emails more than others, it remains true that everyone needs an email address to survive in the digital world. Whether you use your email to stay up-to-date on current events, manage your reservations, or collect discount codes, email is a versatile tool to stay informed and connected. Email is a more reliable form of communicating with...
Answering Your Deliverability Questions
May 09, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 29.9 MBThe way our email inboxes operate has changed dramatically with the evolution of the internet and increased awareness and caution around email scams. Email security and privacy have become a top priority for users, resulting in enhanced protection measures and more stringent regulations. With so many changes happening in the email deliverability world, several factors could be affecting your success metrics as an email marketer or a content creator. Email strategies need to be adap...
What We Learned From a Promotions Tab Experiment
May 02, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 29.6 MBEmail service providers are committed to providing their users with the best possible experience, increased security and safety measures may come at the expense of content creators’ success. A content creator’s biggest fear may be their emails landing in the spam folder, but emails landing in the promotions tab is also a major worry. The promotions tab is determined by Gmail’s ever-changing and unpredictable algorithm. While these messages are not technically labeled as spam, they ...
How to Grow Your Email List Using Instagram
April 25, 2023 07:00 - 29 minutes - 28.1 MBWhether you’re a consumer, business owner, or content creator, Instagram's potential to expand your reach is undeniable. With more than one billion active users, Instagram can help you connect with new audiences and engage existing ones. Although growing your Instagram following is important, it's only half of the battle. While Instagram remains a popular social media platform, its future is unpredictable. Algorithms can change and platforms can go out of business or be replaced by...
B2B vs B2C Deliverability
April 18, 2023 07:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBWhile creators hope their audience will open and read their emails, the first step is to ensure emails actually make it into the intended audience’s inbox. The goals of B2C audiences (business to consumer) are not the same as B2B audiences (business to business). By understanding the unique challenges of B2B and B2C subscribers and tailoring the message accordingly, creators can achieve better results in their deliverability strategy. While we have control over our personal email i...
What to Do if You Are Looking to Move to a New ESP?
April 11, 2023 07:00 - 33 minutes - 31.5 MBCreators hope to grow a following, but communicating with an audience at scale is challenging. Technology can help facilitate communication with your subscribers, especially if you’re seeking analytics on email performance and engagement. Email service providers, or ESPs, are services that allow you to send campaigns to subscriber lists. Different ESPs have different features, such as automation, audience segmentation, template builders, A/B testing, and customer support. Not all...
How to Run an Inbox Placement Test
April 04, 2023 07:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBWhen emails don’t perform well, creators will do whatever it takes to uncover the root cause of the issue and win back their subscribers. Senders can learn whether their messages could get lost in the spam folder by running an inbox placement test that predicts deliverability issues. This type of test gives creators more insight into their emails, especially if open rates have been lower than usual. Perhaps there’s a single word in the copy that’s causing the entire email to defau...
Growing Your Audience Through Recommendations
March 28, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBWord-of-mouth has proven to be one of the most consistent business tactics of all time. If someone we admire and trust recommends something to us, we are much more likely to take their recommendation seriously and take action. The same holds true for creators. Successful creators who have already built their audiences know which newsletters are worth subscribing to and which creators are worth following, and they only recommend the content they believe in to maintain their audience’...
Deliverability Horror Stories
March 21, 2023 07:00 - 33 minutes - 31.5 MBWe’ve all been there: you press “send” on an email and immediately recognize there’s a mistake. Recalling an email requires quick reflexes, and unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that your request will be successful. The good news is that we are all human, and email mistakes such as typos, inaccessible links, and failed deliverability are much more common than you’d expect. When sending emails, you may occasionally have more control over a situation than others and can take preve...
How Deliverability Impacts Newsletter Sponsorships
March 14, 2023 07:00 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBCreators are always looking for a way to earn income through their efforts, which traditionally evolves into sponsorship or brand deals. Of course, creators want to earn this extra income, but they struggle to keep their audiences happy; no one likes to feel like they’re being sold to when reading their favorite newsletter. Is there an option that balances the needs of creators, audiences, and sponsors alike? One solution is newsletter sponsorship. Creators spend a long time crafti...
How Nathan Barry Made $50K From a Passive Evergreen Newsletter
March 07, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 45.1 MBYou may be familiar with traditional newsletters, but an evergreen newsletter is a smart and automated approach to standard email newsletters. It allows established creators to step off the content hamster wheel, build a personalized journey for new subscribers, and make better versions of future email sequences based on audience feedback. Nathan Barry, CEO of ConvertKit, has made $50K from “a secret newsletter about money.” He noticed that a lot of content existed for new creato...
How to Fix Reputation Issues with Gmail
March 08, 2022 08:00 - 21 minutes - 20 MBAccording to Finances Online, as of January 2020, Gmail had over 1.8 billion active users. When you’ve got a mailbox provider so prevalent on your email list, keeping yourself on good terms with that provider is essential for the survival of your subscriber count. But how do you know if your reputation with Gmail has tanked? And what’s the best way to respond? While every mailbox provider cares about customers first, Gmail has its advantages for senders too. For example, Gmail all...
How to Clean Your List
March 01, 2022 08:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBFrom likes to follows to subscribers, when everything feels like a numbers game, the idea of actively deleting your subscribers can feel counterintuitive and downright terrifying. But there’s power in deleting people from your list who aren’t opening or engaging any longer. List cleaning saves you money and saves your reputation, a gift to yourself and the subscribers who matter. Well, at least the subscribers opening your emails. But how exactly do you clean your list? Is the bes...
Email Behind the Scenes
February 22, 2022 08:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBMany creators know the ins and outs of authentication, spam traps, BIMI, and listbombing. And if you’ve been creating for a while, you probably understand best practices for email strategy and creative tips for encouraging engagement. But what about the basics? Do you really understand what happens to your email after clicking “send”? Most creators don’t, and there’s a strong case for shifting that statistic. When a tool helps you earn a living, it’s important to have a general un...
How to Learn From Unsubscribes
February 15, 2022 08:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBRejection is a terrible feeling. Especially when you’re pouring everything into a business and yearning for the approval of a new audience. But there are things to learn from every negative in life, and unsubscribes are no different. So if you’re feeling down about your unsubscribes, consider this: the unsubscribe button is an automated list-cleaner, allowing subscribers the option to opt-out themselves, saving you the hassle of removing them manually when your deliverability start...
iOS 15’s Impact on Open Rates So Far
February 08, 2022 08:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBWhen change happens, many of us panic. The rules of yesterday no longer apply and our future feels uncertain. But not all changes are catastrophic. In fact, a few recent email updates may seem more dramatic than they actually are. Case and point: Apple’s new privacy changes. Earlier in 2021, Apple announced an update that sent many senders stressing. Within Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection feature, pixels load automatically and recipients are unable to determine who’s actually open...
Top 5 Email Myths
February 01, 2022 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBAre there tips and tricks to avoiding the promotions tab? Can simple keywords send you straight to the spam folder? Is email on the way out? Misinformation about best practices can send your email strategy spiraling. While it sounds cliche, avoid trusting everything you read on the internet. Because despite living in the era of information, many email mythologies have survived. If you’re feeling lost and confused about what’s true, what’s old news, and what never served anyone in ...
The Audience-Building Flywheel
January 25, 2022 08:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBThe most common question deliverability experts hear is, “how do I get more subscribers?” As a brand new creator, finding followers is probably your top concern. And although there are many answers depending on who you ask, the best explanation may be something called the flywheel effect. In short, you have to put out content consistently and strategically, blending social media with email to reach the most subscribers possible. While it’s hardly rocket science, sending out conte...
Real World Email Examples of Great Emails
January 18, 2022 08:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBEvery once in a while, we stumble upon a promotional email from a brand we love or a service we recently subscribed to and think, “that’s a great email.” Today, Alyssa and Melissa break down some of their favorite examples. Because when it comes to teachable moments, stellar examples of real-world emails are the best way to translate best practices and learn from the email experts all around us. And while we often spend time discussing the “don’ts” of email marketing, nothing lig...
The Future of Email
January 11, 2022 08:00 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBIf you could peek into a crystal ball and see the next 10 or 15 years of email evolution, what would it look like? Are the strategies you’re implementing ready for the future? Many say that in a world of ever-changing algorithms, email stays the same. While it’s never an exact science, the predictability and control senders have over their content certainly makes email an attractive outlet. However, nothing is ever stagnant, email included. For example, Apple’s recent privacy chang...
Utilizing BIMI to Display Your Logo in Subscriber's Mailboxes
January 04, 2022 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBWhat happens when security and style combine? Enter BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification, a text record that lives in your DNS records and helps verify your email address against phishers with malicious intent. This verification can be found in the brand’s logo, conveniently embedded in a sender’s email. While this high-tech security option may be a tough bet for small creators working alone, if you’ve got a large following and an equally large team, BIMI is a great...
Why Some Subscribers Don't Confirm Their Opt-In
December 28, 2021 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBAs creators and email marketers, we’ve got a lot of important things keeping us up at night. From our marketing strategy, the hassle of freelance taxes, and, of course, those subscribers who don’t confirm their double opt-ins. But of all our worries, is an unconfirmed subscriber really something to stress over? After all, what’s “normal” subscriber behavior? It might be time to rethink how you expect subscribers to engage with your emails. Because subscribers don’t follow the same...
Protecting Your Email List and Reputation
December 21, 2021 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBAs creators, trust is everything. The trust between you and the subscribers who stay tuned is the foundation of your business and the source of your creative freedom. And while it can take months or years to build up hard-earned trust, it only takes one spammer to derail it. In the tech-driven twenty-first century, spamming is more prevalent than ever. Unfortunately, an email list and an ESP mean you’re a prime target for spammers seeking lists, data, and, above all else, subscrib...
How to Serve Multiple Audience Types
December 14, 2021 08:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBAs we evolve as creators, it’s inevitable that our audiences evolve with us. If you find yourself serving multiple audiences, deciding which audience to speak to and when can feel like an impossible task that inevitably isolates one fan base or another. Unfortunately, with most mediums, creators must choose. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa answer the question, how do you create for multiple audiences? Because this is Deliverability Defined, email is always the answer. And whil...
Growing Your List With a Referral Program
December 07, 2021 08:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBCreators always ask, “how do I grow my audience?” While the answer is different for everyone, when you’re an emerging creator with a tight budget, referral programs are a great way to expand without burning revenue. And not only expand, but find subscribers more likely to engage. As we continue moving away from open rates as our main metric, referral programs are a great step toward increased engagement. Luckily, where there’s a will, there’s an app. Tools like SparkLoop smooth out...
Creative Strategies to Increase Engagement
November 30, 2021 08:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBIf we learned anything last season, it was that open rates are no longer the magic email metric. Changes to Apple’s privacy settings dethroned an already shaky measurement tool, albeit one many marketers loved to tout. While staying laser-focused on one metric is a surefire way to derail your email strategy (and fill your subscribers’ inboxes with spam-friendly subject lines), is there a new golden standard for senders? Now that open rates are a thing of the past, how can we shift ...
Ask Our Experts: How to Prepare for the Holiday Season!
October 12, 2021 07:00 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBWith the holiday season right around the corner, it’s never too early to start planning. In fact, the longer you wait, the more likely you are to find yourself on the naughty list, aka, in the spam folder. When it comes to sales, deals, and purchasing potential, the holiday season is in a category of its own. Subscribers are slammed with more emails than ever, retailers slash prices, and inbox providers are extra sensitive to spam. One rookie mistake can derail your most profitable...
Ask Our Experts: Help, My Emails Are Landing in the Promotions Tab!
September 07, 2021 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBWhen it first landed in our inbox, many believed the promotions tab would ruin email marketing for good. Years after Gmail’s controversial update, it’s time to set the record straight for scared senders. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa break down their take on the promotions tab while unpacking insights from ConvertKit’s team of email pros. When it comes to deliverability, there are plenty of email mishaps to worry about. But is landing in the promotions tab one of them? Whi...
Ask Our Experts: What Metrics Should Senders Focus On?
August 03, 2021 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBWhile Season 02 of Deliverability Defined has come to an end, email never stops! Before we kick off Season 03, we’re doing a series called Ask Our Experts, where we pose important deliverability questions to our amazing team at ConvertKit. Today’s question: Other than open rates, what metrics should senders focus on? With Apple’s new privacy laws furthering the fall of open rates, it’s time for senders to get creative and pivot to a measurement system that’s right for their busines...
Top 4 Takeaways of Season 02
July 20, 2021 07:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBWhether you’re a musician or an author, a blogger or an artist, email is the secret sauce to owning your audience and making a passion project your full-time hustle. While deliverability may sound like an algorithm with built-in metrics for success, there’s more than one way to reach the inbox and engage subscribers. Last season, we defined the ABCs of deliverability. In season 02, we went beyond the basics, looking at the complexities of email and (hopefully) proving that inbox su...
How to Have the Perfect Signup Form
July 13, 2021 07:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBAs a new creator, you may feel like reaching as many eyeballs as possible is the most important end goal. Just remember, not all subscribers are created equal. Having an opt-in form helps weed out the unengaged and uninterested subscribers that aren’t worth paying for and can damage deliverability. However, like subscribers, not all opt-in forms are equally as effective. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa walk through their must-haves for top-performing signup pages while showcasi...
Apple’s New Privacy Changes
July 06, 2021 07:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBYou’ve probably heard about Apple’s latest privacy changes. Their new OS includes an update that marks all emails as opened, removing a metric many senders relied on to measure email success. Privacy is incredibly important and there’s no universe where senders are entitled to a recipient’s data. However, as deliverability specialists, it’s our job to find workarounds that help senders reach the inbox of their subscribers. And there’s no denying this update has impacted senders’ a...
How’s Your Email Reputation?
June 29, 2021 07:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBEveryone strives to reach the inbox of their subscribers. While many factors determine deliverability, it’s no secret that reputation is among the most important. So what can you do to fix a broken reputation? How can you know what your reputation is or if it needs improving? And what role does an ESP play in working email magic? Like most things with deliverability, the answers aren’t always straightforward, and often, there’s no easy fix. However, it’s important to focus on the ...
What Makes a Good Subscriber?
June 22, 2021 07:00 - 36 minutes - 34 MBEvery creator hopes for thousands of YouTube subscribers, Instagram followers, and Twitter likes. But if you’re approaching your email list with a similar “more is better” mentality, you may be missing the mark. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa discuss why not all email subscribers are created equal and why smaller, high-value lists are healthier than a massive list filled with cold and unengaged subscribers. Let’s outline what makes a great subscriber, the common mistakes th...
Why Are My Open Rates Dropping?
June 15, 2021 07:00 - 40 minutes - 37.9 MBIf you see a sudden and dramatic drop in your open rates, don’t panic. There could be an easily fixable solution behind those scary numbers. And even if it takes a bit more digging, your open rates aren’t the be-all and end-all metric for measuring success. Nevertheless, lower open rates could signify a larger issue, whether it’s your marketing strategy or something as simple as an HTML error. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa outline the questions every email marketer should as...
How to Use Twitter to Build Your Email List
June 08, 2021 07:00 - 30 minutes - 28.8 MBAre you intimidated by Twitter? Do you scroll and consume 24-7? Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Twitter can be invaluable for building an audience and boosting visibility. If you’re strategic and intentional, Twitter can help you reach massive creator milestones. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa discuss actionable steps to growing a following on Twitter and expanding your email list. Don’t just look for a retweet. Engage with people who will become high-value subscr...
How to Level up Your Emails with Automation
June 01, 2021 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBSending one-time emails to your entire list may feel like a familiar and reliable default. And automating anything related to email might sound intimidating. However, automation opens the doors for incredible results and makes your life as a sender much easier. It’s a cardinal rule of business that you should never treat every customer (or every subscriber) the same. The beauty of automation is that it allows you to differentiate your otherwise anonymous email list and send each su...