These benchmarks are general guidelines. Optimal rates will vary based on industry, audience, and campaign type.
Segment Your Audience and Personalize Emails
Sending generic emails to your entire audience is less effective than sending targeted emails to specific segments. Segment your audience based on demographics, interests, purchase history, or engagement level. Personalize your emails with merge tags to include the recipient’s name, location, or other relevant information.
Example: Creating a Segment Based on Purchase History
In Mailchimp, navigate to your audience.
Click “Manage Contacts” -> “Segments”.
Click “Create Segment”.
Set the segment conditions: “E-commerce” | “Purchased” | “Any” | “[Specific Product]” | “In the last [number] days” (e.g., 30 days).
Name your segment (e.g., “Customers Who Purchased [Product] in Last 30 Days”).
Send targeted emails to this segment promoting related products or offering exclusive discounts.
Run A/B Tests to Optimize Your Campaigns
A/B testing allows you to experiment with different elements of your email campaigns to see what resonates best with your audience. Test different subject lines, content, calls to action, and send times.
Example: A/B Testing Subject Lines in Mailchimp
In Mailchimp, when creating your campaign, choose the “A/B Test Campaign” option.
Select the “Subject Line” test variable.
Create two different subject lines for your email.
Specify the percentage of your audience to include in the test (e.g., 20%).
Mailchimp will send each subject line to a portion of your audience and track the open rates.
After a определено period, Mailchimp will automatically send the winning subject line (the one with the higher open rate) to the remaining audience.
Continuously analyze the results of your A/B tests and use the insights to improve your future campaigns.
By actively monitoring and improving your email engagement, you can signal to email providers that your emails are valuable and relevant, which will improve your deliverability over time. Remember to segment your audience, personalize your emails, and continuously test different elements to optimize your campaigns.
How to Maximize Email Deliverability in Mailchimp
Email deliverability is crucial for successful hubspot-email-marketing-tactics-to-boost-roi/" class="internal-link" title="3 Hubspot Email Marketing Tactics to Boost ROI">email marketing. Sending emails that end up in the spam folder is a waste of time and resources. This article provides actionable steps to improve your Mailchimp email deliverability, ensuring your messages reach the intended recipients’ inboxes. We’ll explore authentication, list hygiene, content optimization, and engagement strategies to boost your sending reputation and overall campaign performance.
Setting Up Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Email authentication is the foundation of good deliverability. It verifies that you are who you say you are, preventing spammers from spoofing your domain. Mailchimp supports three key authentication protocols: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. This prevents spammers from using your domain to send unauthorized emails. Setting up SPF involves adding a TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings.
Example: Adding an SPF record
Let’s say your domain is `example.com`, and you’re using Mailchimp’s servers to send emails. You also use Google Workspace for email.
`include:servers.mcsv.net`: Authorizes Mailchimp’s servers to send emails.
`include:_spf.google.com`: Authorizes Google Workspace’s servers to send emails.
`~all`: Specifies how receiving servers should handle emails that fail the SPF check. `~all` (softfail) means the email might still be accepted but marked as suspicious. `-all` (hardfail) would tell receiving servers to reject the email. Generally, a softfail is a safer starting point.
You need to add this TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings through your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare). The exact steps vary depending on your registrar, but typically involve logging into your account, finding the DNS management section, and adding a new TXT record. The “Name” or “Host” field is often left blank or set to `@` to indicate the main domain. The “Value” field contains the SPF record itself.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, which receiving servers can use to verify that the email hasn’t been tampered with during transit. In Mailchimp, DKIM setup involves generating a DKIM record and adding it to your domain’s DNS settings.
Example: Setting up DKIM in Mailchimp
Log in to your Mailchimp account.
Navigate to “Settings” -> “Domains”.
Find the domain you want to authenticate and click “Authenticate”.
Mailchimp will provide you with a CNAME record (Host and Value).
Let’s assume Mailchimp gives you the following CNAME record:
Name (Host)
Value (Points To)
k1._domainkey.example.com
dkim.mcsv.net
You need to add this CNAME record to your domain’s DNS settings. The “Name” field is `k1._domainkey.example.com`, and the “Value” field is `dkim.mcsv.net`. Again, this is done through your domain registrar’s DNS management interface.
After adding the CNAME record, return to Mailchimp and click “Verify Authentication.” Mailchimp will check if the record has been propagated correctly. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, so be patient if it doesn’t verify immediately.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM by defining what receiving servers should do with emails that fail authentication checks. It also provides reporting mechanisms to monitor email authentication results. Setting up DMARC involves adding a TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings.
Example: Adding a DMARC record
`p=none`: Specifies the policy for handling emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks. `none` means the receiving server should take no specific action (monitor mode). `quarantine` means the receiving server should move the email to the spam folder. `reject` means the receiving server should reject the email outright. Starting with `p=none` is highly recommended, as it allows you to monitor your DMARC results without impacting deliverability. You can later change it to `quarantine` or `reject` once you’re confident that your authentication is working correctly.
`rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@example.com`: Specifies an email address to receive aggregate DMARC reports (daily summaries of authentication results). You need to create this email address.
`ruf=mailto:dmarc-forensic@example.com`: Specifies an email address to receive forensic DMARC reports (detailed information about individual authentication failures). This is optional but helpful for troubleshooting. You need to create this email address.
`adkim=r`: Specifies DKIM alignment mode. `r` means relaxed alignment (the domain in the DKIM signature only needs to be a parent domain of the “From” address). `s` means strict alignment (the domains must match exactly).
`aspf=r`: Specifies SPF alignment mode. `r` means relaxed alignment (the domain in the “From” address only needs to match the domain used in the SPF check). `s` means strict alignment (the domains must match exactly).
Add this TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings. The “Name” field should be `_dmarc`. The “Value” field contains the DMARC record.
Expert Tip: Use a DMARC record analyzer tool (available online) to validate your DMARC record and ensure it’s correctly configured. These tools can also help you interpret the DMARC reports you receive.
Properly setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is critical for establishing trust with email providers and improving your deliverability. Remember to monitor your DMARC reports and adjust your configuration as needed.
Maintaining a Clean Email List
A clean email list is vital for maintaining a good sender reputation. Sending emails to inactive or invalid email addresses can harm your deliverability. Mailchimp provides tools to help you manage and clean your email list.
Regularly Remove Unengaged Subscribers
Identify and remove subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked your emails in a significant period (e.g., 6-12 months). Mailchimp’s segmentation feature makes this easy.
Example: Creating a segment of unengaged subscribers
In Mailchimp, navigate to your audience.
Click “Manage Contacts” -> “Segments”.
Click “Create Segment”.
Set the segment conditions: “Email Marketing Activity” | “Did not open” | “All” | “Last [number] campaigns” (e.g., 10 campaigns). Add another condition “Email Marketing Activity” | “Did not click” | “All” | “Last [number] campaigns” (e.g., 10 campaigns). Choose “Any” for the condition type (to include those who didn’t open OR didn’t click).
Name your segment (e.g., “Unengaged Subscribers – Last 10 Campaigns”).
Save the segment.
After creating the segment, you can bulk unsubscribe these contacts. Before unsubscribing, consider sending a re-engagement campaign to try and win them back.
Implement Double Opt-in
Double opt-in requires subscribers to confirm their email address before being added to your list. This ensures that the email address is valid and that the subscriber genuinely wants to receive your emails. Mailchimp strongly recommends using double opt-in.
Example: Enabling double opt-in in Mailchimp
In Mailchimp, navigate to your audience.
Click “Settings” -> “Audience name and defaults”.
Under “Opt-in settings”, check the “Enable double opt-in” box.
Customize the opt-in confirmation email and thank you page to match your brand.
Double opt-in significantly reduces the risk of adding invalid or spam trap email addresses to your list.
Regularly Clean Bounced Emails
Mailchimp automatically handles bounced emails, but it’s still essential to monitor your bounce rate. A high bounce rate indicates issues with your list quality. Hard bounces (permanent delivery failures) are automatically removed. Soft bounces (temporary delivery failures) are retried, but repeated soft bounces can also lead to removal.
Example: Reviewing bounce rates in Mailchimp
In Mailchimp, navigate to “Reports”.
Select a sent campaign.
Review the “Delivery” section, which shows the bounce rate (soft bounces and hard bounces).
Investigate campaigns with unusually high bounce rates. This may indicate issues with the list segment used for that campaign.
While Mailchimp automatically handles bounced emails, consider segmenting and further investigating subscribers who consistently soft bounce. They may have abandoned the email address or have a full mailbox.
Expert Tip: Use a third-party email verification service to clean your list before importing it into Mailchimp. These services can identify invalid, inactive, and spam trap email addresses. This is especially important if you’re importing a list from an external source.
Maintaining a clean email list is an ongoing process. Regularly review your list data, remove unengaged subscribers, and use double opt-in to ensure high-quality subscribers.
Optimizing Email Content for Deliverability
The content of your emails plays a significant role in deliverability. Spam filters analyze email content for certain characteristics that are often associated with spam. Optimizing your content can help you avoid triggering these filters.
Craft Engaging and Relevant Subject Lines
Subject lines are the first impression of your email. Avoid using overly promotional language, excessive punctuation, or misleading claims. Keep them concise and relevant to the email’s content.
Example: Good vs. Bad Subject Lines
Good Subject Lines
Bad Subject Lines
“Exclusive Discount: 20% Off Your Next Purchase”
“!!!URGENT!!! Get Rich Quick $$$”
“New Product Announcement: Introducing the [Product Name]”
“FREE FREE FREE! Click Here Now!”
“Limited-Time Offer: Save on [Product Category]”
“You’ve Won a Prize!”
The “Good Subject Lines” are clear, concise, and provide value to the recipient. The “Bad Subject Lines” use spammy language, excessive punctuation, and misleading claims.
Also, personalize your subject lines using merge tags to increase engagement. For example, “Hi [First Name], check out these deals!”.
Use a Balanced Text-to-Image Ratio
Avoid sending emails that are primarily images with little or no text. Spam filters often flag image-heavy emails as suspicious. Aim for a balanced text-to-image ratio.
Example: Best Practices for Images
Use alt text for all images. This provides context for the image if it doesn’t load and helps screen readers.
Optimize images for web use to reduce file size and improve loading speed. Large images can slow down email loading and frustrate recipients.
Avoid using background images extensively, as they may not render correctly in all email clients.
Keep the total email size under 100KB.
Avoid Spam Trigger Words
Certain words and phrases are commonly associated with spam and can trigger spam filters. Avoid using these words in your subject lines and body of your emails.
Example: Common Spam Trigger Words
Free
Guarantee
Offer
Discount
Act Now
Limited Time
Urgent
Cash
Prize
Winner
Instead of using these words, find alternative ways to convey your message. For example, instead of “Free,” use “Complimentary.” Instead of “Act Now,” use “Available for a Limited Time.”
Example: Using Mailchimp’s Content Optimizer
In Mailchimp, while creating your campaign, use the “Content Optimizer” feature.
The Content Optimizer analyzes your email content and provides suggestions for improving deliverability and engagement.
It checks for common spam trigger words, broken links, and other potential issues.
External Link: Check out Mailchimp’s official documentation on spam filters for a more comprehensive list of spam trigger words and best practices.
Optimizing your email content is an essential step in improving your deliverability. By crafting engaging subject lines, using a balanced text-to-image ratio, and avoiding spam trigger words, you can increase the chances of your emails reaching the inbox.
Monitoring and Improving Email Engagement
Email engagement is a critical factor in determining your sender reputation. Email providers like Gmail and Yahoo! track how recipients interact with your emails. High engagement (opens, clicks, replies) indicates that your emails are valuable and relevant, while low engagement (deletions, spam complaints) signals the opposite.
Track Key Email Marketing Metrics
Monitor your open rates, click-through rates (CTR), bounce rates, and unsubscribe rates. These metrics provide valuable insights into the performance of your email campaigns and the health of your email list.
Example: Analyzing Campaign Reports in Mailchimp
In Mailchimp, navigate to “Reports”.
Select a sent campaign.
Review the following metrics:
Open Rate: The percentage of recipients who opened your email. A good open rate is typically above 20%.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of recipients who clicked on a link in your email. A good CTR is typically above 2%.
Bounce Rate: The percentage of emails that bounced. Aim for a bounce rate below 2%.
Unsubscribe Rate: The percentage of recipients who unsubscribed from your list. A low unsubscribe rate is desirable.
Compare these metrics to your previous campaigns and industry benchmarks.
Metric
Good
Average
Poor
Open Rate
> 20%
15-20%
< 15%
CTR
> 2%
1-2%
< 1%
Bounce Rate
< 2%
2-5%
> 5%
Unsubscribe Rate
< 0.5%
0.5-1%
> 1%
These benchmarks are general guidelines. Optimal rates will vary based on industry, audience, and campaign type.
Segment Your Audience and Personalize Emails
Sending generic emails to your entire audience is less effective than sending targeted emails to specific segments. Segment your audience based on demographics, interests, purchase history, or engagement level. Personalize your emails with merge tags to include the recipient’s name, location, or other relevant information.
Example: Creating a Segment Based on Purchase History
In Mailchimp, navigate to your audience.
Click “Manage Contacts” -> “Segments”.
Click “Create Segment”.
Set the segment conditions: “E-commerce” | “Purchased” | “Any” | “[Specific Product]” | “In the last [number] days” (e.g., 30 days).
Name your segment (e.g., “Customers Who Purchased [Product] in Last 30 Days”).
Send targeted emails to this segment promoting related products or offering exclusive discounts.
Run A/B Tests to Optimize Your Campaigns
A/B testing allows you to experiment with different elements of your email campaigns to see what resonates best with your audience. Test different subject lines, content, calls to action, and send times.
Example: A/B Testing Subject Lines in Mailchimp
In Mailchimp, when creating your campaign, choose the “A/B Test Campaign” option.
Select the “Subject Line” test variable.
Create two different subject lines for your email.
Specify the percentage of your audience to include in the test (e.g., 20%).
Mailchimp will send each subject line to a portion of your audience and track the open rates.
After a определено period, Mailchimp will automatically send the winning subject line (the one with the higher open rate) to the remaining audience.
Continuously analyze the results of your A/B tests and use the insights to improve your future campaigns.
By actively monitoring and improving your email engagement, you can signal to email providers that your emails are valuable and relevant, which will improve your deliverability over time. Remember to segment your audience, personalize your emails, and continuously test different elements to optimize your campaigns.
