How to Improve Email Deliverability to Maximize B2B Outreach

15
Min
Created On:
January 17, 2024
Updated On:
August 16, 2024
How to Improve Email Deliverability to Maximize B2B Outreach | Smartlead

How to Improve Email Deliverability to Maximize B2B Outreach

15
Min
Created On:
January 17, 2024
Updated On:
August 16, 2024
How to Improve Email Deliverability to Maximize B2B Outreach | Smartlead

63% of email marketers say that email deliverability is their biggest concern. 

Emails getting delivered to the recipients’ inboxes is the biggest concern for cold email marketers. It hurts to see well-crafted emails landing in the spam folders. 

If you are worried about email deliverability, you’ve arrived at the right place. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to improve email deliverability to maximize B2B outreach. 

How to Improve Email Deliverability to Maximize B2B Outreach

1. Configure Your Domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Implementing SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) are essential to help prevent email spoofing and improve email deliverability. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC:

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain.

It indicates which mail servers are allowed to send emails on your behalf. When someone receives an email from you, SPF lets their email provider check if it's legit by verifying the sending server.

It indicates which mail servers are allowed to send emails on your behalf. When someone receives an email from you, SPF lets their email provider check if it's legit by verifying the sending server.

Log in to your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider's website.

Add a TXT record to your DNS settings with the SPF information. For example, it will look like this: “v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all”. This example allows servers listed in “_spf.example.co” to send emails on behalf of your domain.

Save and publish the DNS changes. It may take some time for the changes to propagate.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, adds a unique signature to your emails, which recipients can check against a key you've shared in your domain's settings. It allows the recipient to verify that an email was indeed sent and authorized by your domain. This signature ensures your email hasn't been tampered with and boosts trust in your sender identity. 

  • Generate public and private DKIM keys using your email server or a third-party tool.
  • Publish the public key in a TXT record in your DNS settings. For example, it will look like this: “v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQE…”
  • Add a DNS record for each selector (a unique identifier for the key) your email server uses.
  • Configure your email server to sign outgoing emails with the private key.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)

DMARC sets rules for email authentication. By aligning SPF and DKIM results, DMARC weeds out impostors, making it harder for scammers to play tricks. Plus, it gives you a behind-the-scenes report on who's using your domain. It boosts your email's trustworthiness and ensures your messages don't land in spam. 

  • Add a TXT record to your DNS settings. For example: “v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:postmaster@example.com; ruf=mailto:postmaster@example.com; sp=quarantine” where ‘p’ sets the policy (‘none,’ ‘quarantine,’ ‘reject’). ‘rua’ is the address to which aggregate reports are sent. ‘ruf’ is the address to which forensic reports are sent. And, ‘sp’ sets the policy for subdomains.
  • Save and publish the DNS changes.

Regularly monitor DMARC reports and adjust your policies as needed.

2. Warmup Your IP Address

Email warm-up is a gradual process used by senders to establish a positive sending reputation with email service providers (ESPs) and ensure better deliverability. ESPs closely monitor the sending behavior of new or dormant email senders. Warm-up is a way to signal to ESPs that you are a legitimate sender with genuine recipients. 

With Smartlead, you can automate the entire warmup process. If you are using a new email account, we recommend starting with 4-8 emails a day and ramping up the sending volume to 40 after two weeks. Sudden spikes in email volume from a new or inactive sender can trigger spam filters. Smartlead gradually increases the volume of sent emails, reducing the likelihood of being marked as spam when you send bulk emails. 

Gradual warming up also allows senders to identify and address issues such as high bounce rates or user complaints early in the process. This proactive approach helps maintain a good sender reputation.

Smartlead assigns custom identifier tags for warmup emails. Moreover, you can check your warmup status on the Smartlead dashboard, such as warmup emails sent, landed in inbox, saved from spam, and emails received.

Login to the Smartlead app, click on Email Accounts, click on the email account you want to check the analytics for and click on Overview. You will see the below page where you can check the summary for 7 days.  

Smartlead Automated Email Warmup Analytics Screenshot

You can also check the email performance, outbound status, and Inbox vs Spam score.

3. Monitor Sender Reputation and Blocklists

Maintaining a good sender reputation is crucial for the success of email marketing campaigns. Email service providers (ESPs) and mailbox providers use various metrics to assess the reputation of email senders. Here are some key reasons why keeping a check on sender reputation and blacklists is important:

  • Deliverability: A good sender reputation positively influences the deliverability of your emails. ISPs and mailbox providers are more likely to deliver emails from reputable senders to the inbox, ensuring that your messages reach the intended recipients.
  • Avoiding Spam Folders: A high sender reputation helps prevent your emails from being marked as spam and placed in recipients' spam folders. Emails in the spam folder are less likely to be opened and read.
  • Reducing Bounce Rates: Monitoring bounce rates is important for sender reputation. High bounce rates can result from outdated or incorrect email addresses, negatively affecting your sender score. Regularly cleaning your email lists helps maintain a low bounce rate.
  • Minimizing Complaints: Complaints filed by users, especially spam complaints, can harm your sender reputation. Keeping an eye on the number of complaints and addressing any issues promptly is essential to maintain a positive reputation.
  • Blacklist Prevention: Blacklists are databases of IP addresses or domains known for sending spam. If your sender reputation is low, there's a higher risk of being blacklisted. Once blacklisted, your emails may be blocked by various ISPs and mailbox providers, severely impacting your ability to reach recipients.
  • Monitoring Email History: Understanding your company's email history allows you to identify patterns and make necessary adjustments. This includes analyzing past email campaigns, engagement rates, and any issues that may have affected your sender reputation.
  • Using Reputation Monitoring Tools: Tools like Senderscore.org, BarracudaCentral, Google Postmaster, and Microsoft SNDS provide insights into your sender reputation. Regularly using these tools allows you to address any issues and improve your email deliverability proactively.
  • Proactive Issue Resolution: Having mechanisms in place to inform you about potential issues, such as blacklisting, allows for proactive resolution. Timely action can help prevent prolonged deliverability issues and maintain a positive sender reputation.

In case your IP or domain gets blacklisted, it's important to communicate with the blacklisting services to resolve the issue. Mailmodo's approach of informing users about blacklisting and assisting in the removal process is a proactive and helpful measure.

Overall, regular monitoring, analysis, and proactive measures to remove your domain from blacklists and maintaining best practices to prevent landing in Blacklists are essential to maintain a positive reputation and ensuring the effectiveness of your email campaigns.

Check out the detailed guide on “UCEPROTECTL3 Blacklist: Insights & Steps to Remove Listing” here

**Some blocklists accept donations for blacklist removal. We don’t recommend that. Instead, make sure you are following best practices to not land in a blocklist in the first place. Most blocklists usually remove a listing in 7-30 days.

4. Use Double Opt-In Forms

Using double opt-in for your email list is a must to create a solid lead list. It adds an extra layer of confirmation by asking subscribers to verify their email addresses after signing up. This not only validates the authenticity of their email but also ensures that your emails reach only genuinely interested individuals.

By confirming their subscription, users actively express interest in your content or product for a more engaged audience. This leads to higher open rates and improved overall email interaction. Double opt-in is a simple yet effective method to filter out invalid email addresses and reduces the risk of sending messages to disinterested or inactive users. It contributes to maintaining a high-quality email list, which positively impacts your sender reputation and email deliverability. In essence, double opt-in enhances the quality of your email subscribers for a more responsive and engaged audience for your email campaigns.

5. Build Your Own Email List

We’d recommend not buying third-party email lists for cold email outreach. In scraped lists, you will end up with inactive/incorrect email accounts, and, worse, spam traps. You can design a clear and compelling opt-in form on your website or landing page. Request essential information, such as name and email address. Encourage sign-ups by providing valuable incentives, such as discounts, exclusive content, or free resources. Make it worthwhile for users to subscribe.

Produce high-quality, relevant content that attracts your target audience. Include opt-in forms within your content to capture interested readers. Develop lead magnets like ebooks, whitepapers, or webinars that cater to your audience's needs. Require an email address for access.

Organize online events or webinars and ask attendees to register with their email addresses. This creates engagement and adds new subscribers. Promote your opt-in form on social media platforms. Leverage paid advertising or organic posts to reach a wider audience.

Encourage current subscribers to refer others by implementing a referral program. Offer incentives for successful referrals.

Ensure that your landing pages are optimized for conversions. A clear call-to-action and compelling messaging can boost sign-up rates. As your list grows, segment subscribers based on their interests or behaviors. This allows for targeted and personalized communication.

Employ exit-intent pop-ups or timed pop-ups to capture visitors who are about to leave your site. However, be mindful of user experience. Host contests or giveaways and require participants to enter with their email addresses. Ensure the prize is attractive to your target audience.

Ensure that your opt-in forms and emails are mobile-friendly. Many users access emails on their smartphones. Clearly communicate how often subscribers will receive emails and what type of content to expect. Transparency builds trust.

Adhere to email marketing regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM. Obtain explicit consent before sending marketing emails.

6. Make Unsubscribe Easy

Ensure that your subscribers don’t have any blockers while opting out of your email list. The unsubscribe process should not be difficult or confusing, which increases the chances of your emails getting marked as spam. As per GDPR, you should have a clearly visible unsubscribe button on your email for easy opt-out.

The easier the process of unsubscribing, the lesser the chances of spam reports. Use relatively bigger buttons for mobile screens.

7. Avoid Spam Words in Your Emails

Spam words in your B2B outreach emails increase the chances of landing in spam folders. It’s easy to fall into the trap of adding spammy or sales-y words, be it the subject line, email copy, or preheader texts.

These words in your emails trigger spam filters and signal that the email contains spam words. Some of the spam-trigger words are: 

  • XX% Discount 
  • FREE! 
  • For only $XX
  • Act immediately 

Besides spam-trigger words, you should also avoid writing in all CAPS, too many punctuations like “,!<>” etc. You should also refrain from using inflated numbers like 12345, $$$, 100%, etc. 

8. Clean Your Lists Regularly and Use Segmentation

Maintaining a clean and well-managed email list is crucial for improving deliverability and ensuring that your messages reach intended recipients. Here are best practices for cleaning your email lists regularly and using segmentation to enhance deliverability:

Hard bounces occur when emails cannot be delivered due to issues like invalid email addresses. Regularly remove email addresses that result in hard bounces from your list to keep it clean. 

Use segmentation to divide your email list into smaller, targeted groups based on specific criteria. This could include factors like demographics, behavior, psychographics, or purchase history. Segmentation allows you to send more personalized and relevant content, improving engagement. Segment your list based on engagement levels. 

Leverage user preferences and survey data to segment your audience. This allows you to tailor your content to the specific interests and preferences of different subscriber groups to improve deliverability to maximize B2B outreach.

Conclusion 

These are some of the effective tips to improve your email deliverability to maximize B2B outreach. Following these tips, you can fill your pipeline with sales-qualified leads. 

Smartlead offers impeccable deliverability with its fully automated email warmups. It ramps up the email-sending volume gradually so your email deliverability is top-notch. 

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The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

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A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

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Author’s Details

Sattwik Das

Sattwik is a Digital Marketing professional at Smartlead. He is a dedicated content writer who focuses on juggling words to bring out meaningful content. He is experienced in well-researched and SEO-optimized content creation, content editing, and copywriting for various businesses throughout the globe. His expertise in SEO, SMM, and SMO with a touch of creativity helps businesses grow and maximize their credibility and sales.

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Frequently asked questions

General Questions

What is Smartlead's cold email outreach software?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Smartlead's cold email outreach tool helps businesses scale their outreach efforts seamlessly. With unlimited mailboxes, fully automated email warmup functionality, a multi-channel infrastructure, and a user-friendly unibox, it empowers users to manage their entire revenue cycle in one place. Whether you're looking to streamline cold email campaigns with automated email warmups, personalization fields, automated mailbox rotation, easy integrations, and spintax, improve productivity, or enhance scalability with subsequences based on lead’s intentions, automated replies, and full white-label experience, our cold email tool implifies it in a single solution.

What is Smartlead, and how can it enhance my cold email campaigns?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Smartlead is a robust cold emailing software designed to transform cold emails into reliable revenue streams. Trusted by over 31,000 businesses, Smartlead excels in email deliverability, lead generation, cold email automation, and sales outreach. A unified master inbox streamlines communication management, while built-in email verification reduces bounce rates.
Additionally, Smartlead offers essential tools such as CNAME, SPF Checker, DMARC Checker, Email Verifier, Blacklist Check Tool, and Email Bounce Rate Calculator for optimizing email performance. 

How does the "unlimited mailboxes" feature benefit me?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Our "unlimited mailboxes" feature allows you to expand your email communications without restrictions imposed by a mailbox limit. This means you won't be constrained by artificial caps on the number of mailboxes you can connect and use. This feature makes Smartlead the best cold email software and empowers you to reach a wider audience, engage with more potential customers, and manage diverse email campaigns effectively.

How does Smartlead as a cold emailing tool can automate the cold email process?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Smartlead’s robust cold email API and automation infrastructure streamline outbound communication by transforming the campaign creation and management processes. It seamlessly integrates data across software systems using APIs and webhooks, adjusts settings, and leverages AI for personalised content.

The cold emailing tool categorises lead intent, offers comprehensive email management with automated notifications, and integrates smoothly with CRMs like Zapier, Make, N8N, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive. Smartlead supports scalable outreach by rapidly adding mailboxes and drip-feeding leads into active campaigns Sign Up Now!

What do you mean by "unibox to handle your entire revenue cycle"?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

The "unibox" is one of the unique features of Smartlead cold email outreach tool, and it's a game-changer when it comes to managing your revenue cycle. The master inbox or the unibox consolidates all your outreach channels, responses, sales follow-ups, and conversions into one centralized, user-friendly mailbox.

With the "unibox," you gain the ability to:
1. Focus on closing deals: You can now say goodbye to the hassle of logging into multiple mailboxes to search for replies. The "unibox" streamlines your sales communication, allowing you to focus on what matters most—closing deals.

2. Centralized lead management: All your leads are managed from one central location, simplifying lead tracking and response management. This ensures you take advantage of every opportunity and efficiently engage with your prospects.

3. Maintain context: The "unibox" provides a 360-degree view of all your customer messages, allowing you to maintain context and deliver more personalized and effective responses.

How does Smartlead ensure my emails don't land in the spam folder?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Smartlead, the best cold email marketing tool, ensures your emails reach the intended recipients' primary inbox rather than the spam folder. 

Here's how it works:
1. Our "unlimited warmups" feature is designed to build and maintain a healthy sending reputation for your cold email outreach. Instead of sending a large volume of emails all at once, which can trigger spam filters, we gradually ramp up your sending volume. This gradual approach, combined with positive email interactions, helps boost your email deliverability rates.

2. We deploy high-deliverability IP servers specific to each campaign. 

3. The ‘Warmup’ feature replicates humanized email sending patterns, spintax, and smart replies.
 
4. By establishing a positive sender reputation and gradually increasing the number of sent emails, Smartlead minimizes the risk of your emails being flagged as spam. This way, you can be confident that your messages will consistently land in the primary inbox, increasing the likelihood of engagement and successful communication with your recipients.

Can Smartlead help improve my email deliverability rates?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Yes, our cold emailing software is designed to significantly improve your email deliverability rates. It enhances email deliverability through AI-powered email warmups across providers, unique IP rotating for each campaign, and dynamic ESP matching.
Real-time AI learning refines strategies based on performance, optimizing deliverability without manual adjustments. Smartlead's advanced features and strategies are designed to improve email deliverability rates, making it a robust choice for enhancing cold email campaign success.

What features does Smartlead offer for cold email personalisation?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Smartlead enhances cold email personalisation through advanced AI-driven capabilities and strategic integrations. Partnered with Clay, The cold remaining software facilitates efficient lead list building, enrichment from over 50 data providers, and real-time scraping for precise targeting. Hyper-personalised cold emails crafted in Clay seamlessly integrate with Smartlead campaigns.

Moreover, Smartlead employs humanised, natural email interactions and smart replies to boost engagement and response rates. Additionally, the SmartAI Bot creates persona-specific, high-converting sales copy. Also you can create persona-specific, high-converting sales copy using SmartAI Bot. You can train the AI bot to achieve 100% categorisation accuracy, optimising engagement and conversion rates.

Can I integrate Smartlead with other tools I'm using?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Certainly, Smartlead cold email tool is designed for seamless integration with a wide range of tools and platforms. Smartlead offers integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Clay, Listkit, and more. You can leverage webhooks and APIs to integrate the tools you use. Try Now!

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Is Smartlead suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises?

Smartlead accommodates both small businesses and large enterprises with flexible pricing and comprehensive features. The Basic Plan at $39/month suits small businesses and solopreneurs, offering 2000 active leads and 6000 monthly emails, alongside essential tools like unlimited email warm-up and detailed analytics.

Marketers and growing businesses benefit from the Pro Plan ($94/month), with 30000 active leads and 150000 monthly emails, plus a custom CRM and active support. Lead generation agencies and large enterprises can opt for the Custom Plan ($174/month), providing up to 12 million active lead credits and 60 million emails, with advanced CRM integration and customisation options.

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

What type of businesses sees the most success with Smartlead?

No, there are no limitations on the number of channels you can utilize with Smartlead. Our cold email tool offers a multi-channel infrastructure designed to be limitless, allowing you to reach potential customers through multiple avenues without constraints.

This flexibility empowers you to diversify your cold email outreach efforts, connect with your audience through various communication channels, and increase your chances of conversion. Whether email, social media, SMS, or other communication methods, Smartlead's multi-channel capabilities ensure you can choose the channels that best align with your outreach strategy and business goals. This way, you can engage with your prospects effectively and maximize the impact of your email outreach.

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

How can Smartlead integrate with my existing CRM and other tools?

Smartlead is the cold emailing tool that facilitates seamless integration with existing CRM systems and other tools through robust webhook and API infrastructure. This setup ensures real-time data synchronisation and automated processes without manual intervention. Integration platforms like Zapier, Make, and N8N enable effortless data exchange between Smartlead and various applications, supporting tasks such as lead information syncing and campaign status updates. Additionally, it offers native integrations with major CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive, enhancing overall lead management capabilities and workflow efficiency. Try Now!

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Do you provide me with lead sources?

No. Smartlead distinguishes itself from other cold email outreach software by focusing on limitless scalability and seamless integration. While many similar tools restrict your outreach capabilities, Smartlead offers a different approach.

Here's what makes us uniquely the best cold email software:

1. Unlimited Mailboxes: In contrast to platforms that limit mailbox usage, Smartlead provides unlimited mailboxes. This means you can expand your outreach without any arbitrary constraints.

2. Unique IP Servers: Smartlead offers unique IP servers for every campaign it sends out. 

3. Sender Reputation Protection: Smartlead protects your sender reputation by auto-moving emails from spam folders to the primary inbox. This tool uses unique identifiers to cloak all warmup emails from being recognized by automation parsers. 

4. Automated Warmup: Smartlead’s warmup functionality enhances your sender reputation and improves email deliverability by maintaining humanised email sending patterns and ramping up the sending volume. 

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

How secure is my data with Smartlead?

Ensuring the security of your data is Smartlead's utmost priority. We implement robust encryption methods and stringent security measures to guarantee the continuous protection of your information. Your data's safety is paramount to us, and we are always dedicated to upholding the highest standards of security.

How can I get started with Smartlead?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

Getting started with Smartlead is straightforward! Just head over to our sign-up page and follow our easy step-by-step guide. If you ever have any questions or need assistance, our round-the-clock support team is ready to help, standing by to provide you with any assistance you may require. Sign Up Now!

How can I reach the Smartlead team?

Email automation FAQs- Smartlead

We're here to assist you! You can easily get in touch with our dedicated support team on chat. We strive to provide a response within 24 hours to address any inquiries or concerns you may have. You can also reach out to us at support@smartlead.ai

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