Email reputation is a crucial factor in email deliverability. If you use email integration, here are a few steps you and your clients can take to improve your sender reputation and increase the likelihood that your messages end up where they should–in your clients’ inboxes.
Keep your engagement rate in mind
A higher engagement rate–measured by recipients opening messages, sending responses, and adding you to their contact list–decreases the likelihood of messages being flagged as spam.
Have your clients add you to their contacts
Not only does this boost your engagement rate, it greatly improves the chances of your emails being delivered right to your clients’ primary inboxes.
If you have a go-to welcome email, consider adding a quick note requesting clients to add you to their contact list. That way, communication should be a breeze from the get-go.
Make sure your clients check their email settings
If a client isn’t getting your messages, they can check if your email has ended up on their blacklist. If it has, make sure they add you to their whitelist to ensure none of your future emails go to their spam folder.
If you need to resend a message, change the subject line
Resending an email to the same audience can raise alarm bells for spam software. If you need to send the same message again, make sure to change the subject line before hitting send.
If an email does end up in a spam folder, have your client mark it as not spam
The exact process varies by email provider, but here’s how to report a message as not spam in Gmail. Doing so will move the message to the primary inbox and make sure all future emails from the sender will be directed there, too.
Define DKIM, SPF, and DMARC
Effective February 2024, Google and Yahoo will be implementing stricter requirements for any businesses or entities that send commercial emails, in an effort to reduce email spam. Both platforms have already been blocking senders who have high spam complaints or missing domain records.
If you integrate an email with a custom domain, you can learn how to define these records here.
Check your DKIM and SPF records using HoneyBook's domain tester
If you integrate an email with a custom domain, start by verifying your email authentication through HoneyBook's DKIM and SPF domain tester. If the authentication fails, it’s crucial to follow the steps in the domain tester to update these records, as your emails are likely to go to spam otherwise. After verifying your DKIM and SPF, you can also check your DMARC settings to make sure it’s set properly as well.
Implement email content best practices
To learn more about how to write and format strong emails that don't trigger spam software, check out this article.
Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!