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The Deliverability Download
Edition #1: Post-peak pulse check
Welcome to the first edition of The Deliverability Download, where each month, our team of industry experts will share tips, tricks, best practices and actionable insights, to help you maximize email deliverability and ensure your messages reach their intended destination – your subscriber’s inbox. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or starting with email marketing, The Deliverability Download will keep you ahead of the curve.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) now behind us, we thought it was the perfect time to reflect on your email program performance after one of the busiest sending periods of the year. In this first edition, we’ll cover why a post-peak deliverability review is essential and the key metrics you should be analyzing. Plus, we’ll highlight the best way to assess your email program and, if needed, how to adjust your strategy to maintain a strong email performance as you head into the new year.
The importance of post-peak pulse check
With the gradual increase in email send volumes, the weeks leading up to BFCM and the December holidays act as a test for email programs. Mailbox Providers (MBPs) like Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail are especially vigilant throughout this time, closely monitoring for signs of poor sending practices or subscriber fatigue.
Small fluctuations in delivery metrics are expected during peak sending periods and aren’t necessarily a cause for concern. However, if your emails experienced significantly lower engagement, a spike in complaints, or a higher bounce rate during this period, your long-term sender reputation and ability to reach inboxes may be impacted.
A post-peak review provides a valuable opportunity to assess how well your email strategy held up under pressure. Key questions to ask include:
- Were your emails delivered as expected?
- Did your audience engage with your content?
- Are there any red flags that could compromise future campaigns?
Taking the time to evaluate now, will set you up for smoother sending in the months ahead.
Key metrics to review
To gain a clear understanding of your performance, let’s start by reviewing these critical metrics:
Open rate
A healthy open rate — typically above 18% — indicates that your emails are reaching inboxes and capturing attention. However, it’s important to be mindful of Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), which can inflate open rates, especially if a significant portion of your audience uses Apple devices. If you noticed a decline in email open rates throughout the holiday season, it could indicate inbox placement issues or subscriber fatigue.
Bounce rate
Aim to keep your bounce rate below 2%. Higher rates are often a result of outdated or invalid email addresses, due to inconsistent sending or poor list hygiene. Addressing this problem promptly is crucial to maintaining a good Sender Reputation.
Spam complaint rate
At Campaign Monitor by Marigold, we advise keeping your complaint rate below 0.02%. Higher rates suggest that your emails are not welcomed in your subscriber’s inbox. MBPs take spam complaints seriously and consistently high complaints can harm your Sender Reputation, limiting your ability to reach inboxes.
Unsubscribe rate
A spike in unsubscribes may indicate that your content missed the mark or that you were sending more frequently than your audience could handle, which can be a common issue during the peak send season.
Small volumes of unsubscribes are a natural part of maintaining a healthy list, but consistently high rates are a signal to adjust your email program. To reduce unsubscribes and keep your audience engaged, implement a preference center where subscribers can choose the type and frequency of emails they receive. Additionally, reassess your email cadence to find the right balance between staying top of mind and respecting your subscribers’ inbox.
Engagement by domain
It’s always good to analyze how your emails perform across different domains like Gmail and Yahoo. If you notice variations or patterns in engagement this can highlight domain-specific issues that may require targeted interventions. Campaign Monitor by Marigold users can leverage the Insights tab to track domain-specific performance over time.
Segment and re-engage
Once you’ve reviewed your post-peak metrics, now it’s time for the fun part – segmenting your audience and start planning your email and deliverability strategy for 2025. We recommend starting simple and follow the three ‘R’s:
Reward engaged subscribers
These are your most active subscribers— and can be categorized as those who opened or clicked within the last 30 to 90 days. Keep them engaged with personalized, relevant content, and consider rewarding their loyalty with exclusive offers or a simple “thank you” campaign.
Reactivate unengaged subscribers
This group engages less frequently but still may show interest in your content by interacting (clicking or opening) a campaign within the last 90-180 days. All is not lost with these subscribers – in fact, tapping into these subscribers can involve minimal effort but high returns as they’re already invested and understand your business or product. A good way to do this is by sending them a re-engagement campaign which can remind them why they subscribed to your emails and highlight the value of staying connected. Offering an “opt-down” option for fewer emails rather than a full unsubscribe can help retain this segment.
Remove inactive subscribers
Subscribers who haven’t engaged in over 12 months are more likely to harm your deliverability than help it. You can send a final re-engagement email to a small test group, but if they remain unresponsive, it’s best practice to remove them. A clean, engaged and healthy list is essential for maintaining a strong sender reputation and high deliverability rates.
Did you know Campaign Monitor by Marigold has an engagement segments feature that automatically categorizes your subscribers’ into six pre-built segments based on their level of interaction with your emails? This intuitive feature makes it easier to monitor engagement, and send timely, personalized content, and is included on the Premier plan, or available as a monthly add-on for the Essentials plan.
Looking ahead: January planning
With your post-peak review complete, it’s time to prepare for the new year. January is an excellent opportunity to put these strategies into practice and give your email program a refresh.
In next month’s edition of The Deliverability Download, we’ll explore best practices for list hygiene and management, and aligning your email program with emerging trends to optimize deliverability in 2025.
Set yourself up for success in 2025 (and beyond)
Deliverability isn’t set and forget — in fact, it requires attention and strategic adjustments to ensure your emails continue to land in the inbox. By regularly reviewing your key metrics, segmenting your audience, and staying up-to-date on important industry changes, you’ll be well-positioned for long-term success.
And, remember, deliverability is earned. Keep your list clean, prioritize engagement, and always look for opportunities to optimize.
