SMTP Analysis: Which Account is Better

SMTP Analysis: Which Account is Better

In Postigo, SMTP account analytics help identify the most effective channels for sending your email campaigns. Comparing the performance of different accounts is a key factor in maintaining high deliverability and optimizing costs. This article will help you understand how to analyze statistics and make informed decisions about account rotation and exclusion.

How to Analyze Campaign Statistics by SMTP

The main goal of the analysis is to identify accounts with the best reputation and, accordingly, with the highest deliverability. Key metrics to pay attention to:

• Open Rate (OR): Percentage of opened emails out of the total number of sent emails. A significant difference in Open Rate between accounts indicates a difference in reputation. For example, if a Gmail account has an Open Rate of 25%, and a SendGrid account has 15%, this suggests that emails sent through Gmail are more likely to land in the inbox rather than spam.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of clicks on links in the email out of the total number of sent emails. CTR, like OR, reflects audience engagement and indirectly indicates the quality of traffic sent through a specific SMTP account.
• Bounce Rate (BR): Percentage of emails that were not delivered. A high Bounce Rate may indicate problems with the contact database (outdated addresses, typos) or account blocking by email providers. Soft Bounce (temporary problem, such as a full mailbox) and Hard Bounce (permanent problem, such as a non-existent address) are distinguished. Exclude Hard Bounce addresses from the database.
• Spam Rate: Percentage of emails marked as spam by recipients. Even a small number of spam complaints (above 0.1%) can negatively affect account reputation and deliverability. In Postigo, you can use AI reply classification to automatically identify negative reactions and exclude problematic contacts from the mailing list.

For a correct assessment, it is necessary to compare statistics for accounts that send emails to a similar audience and using similar templates. Use AI content rotation to avoid over-spamming and increase the uniqueness of each email.

The Difference in Open Rate Between Accounts Indicates Reputation

Open Rate is one of the most important indicators for assessing the reputation of an SMTP account. If one account consistently shows a higher Open Rate compared to others, this means that emails sent through this account are more likely to land in the inbox rather than spam.

Reasons for differences in Open Rate may include:

• IP Address Reputation: Email providers such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook track the reputation of IP addresses from which emails are sent. If spam or unwanted mail has been sent from an IP address before, its reputation will be reduced, which will lead to a deterioration in deliverability. Using dedicated IP addresses (for example, through SendGrid, Mailgun, or Amazon SES) allows you to control reputation and avoid the influence of other senders.
• Account Age and Activity: New accounts, especially free ones (for example, Gmail), are often subject to stricter verification by email providers. It is recommended to "warm up" new accounts by gradually increasing the volume of emails sent and maintaining positive engagement (replies, clicks). You can learn more about warming up accounts in the article SMTP Warmup.
• Authentication Setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC): Correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings confirm that the sender has the right to send emails on behalf of the domain, which increases trust from email providers. Incorrect authentication settings can cause emails to end up in spam. Detailed information on setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can be found in the article SPF, DKIM, DMARC.
• Content Quality: Emails with suspicious content (for example, using spam words, a large number of links, images without text) are more likely to be filtered as spam. Use spintax and AI content rotation to make each email unique.

Example: You have three Gmail accounts connected to Postigo. Account #1 has an Open Rate of 28%, account #2 – 18%, account #3 – 12%. This means that account #1 has the best reputation and should be used to send the most important emails. Account #3 probably needs additional warm-up or verification of authentication settings.

When to Exclude an Account from Rotation: Signs of Reputation Degradation

Even an account with a good reputation can lose it over time. It is important to regularly monitor statistics and take action when signs of degradation are detected.

Main signs of reputation degradation:

• Sharp Drop in Open Rate: If the account's Open Rate has fallen by 30% or more in a week, this is a serious signal of reputation problems. Example: Open Rate was 25%, and became 17.5% or lower.
• Increase in Bounce Rate: If the Bounce Rate has increased significantly (for example, from 2% to 5% or higher), this may indicate problems with the contact database or account blocking.
• Increase in Spam Rate: Any increase in Spam Rate requires immediate attention. Even 0.1% of spam complaints is a cause for concern.
• Spam Complaints: If you receive spam complaints directly from recipients, this indicates serious problems with content or targeting.
• Account Blocking: If the account is blocked by the email provider, this is a clear sign that its reputation has been severely damaged.

What to do if you find signs of reputation degradation:

1. Immediately suspend sending emails from this account.
2. Check authentication settings (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Make sure all records are configured correctly.
3. Check the content of emails. Avoid using spam words, a large number of links and images. Use spintax and AI content rotation.
4. Check the contact database. Remove inactive and non-existent addresses. Use email address validation services.
5. Contact the email provider's support service. Try to find out the reason for the blocking or deterioration of reputation.
6. Consider "warming up" the account. If the account is not blocked, try gradually increasing the volume of emails sent and maintaining positive engagement.

In some cases, it is impossible to restore the reputation of an account. In this case, it is better to exclude it from rotation and use other, more reliable accounts. In Postigo, you can easily add and remove SMTP accounts, as well as configure rotation between them. You can learn more about setting up SMTP in the article Why You Need Your Own SMTP.

Regular analysis of SMTP account statistics is an important part of email marketing. It allows you to identify the most effective channels, maintain high deliverability, and optimize costs. Use Postigo to track statistics and make informed decisions about account rotation and exclusion.