Digging Into Deliverability

Sending one-off emails is pretty easy - I mean, anyone with a Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail account can send a message.  However, making sure that your message gets to hundreds or even thousands of in boxes at a time, well, that can be a bit of a balancing act.

Did you know that VerticalResponse has a team dedicated exclusively to email delivery?  It's true!  They manage our relationships with the ISPs, and keep a constant watch on email delivery to ensure that even the smallest issue is dealt with immediately.  What's even more impressive is that they keep track of all of the latest regulations and trends relating to email; I don't know if any of your have tried to read through the CAN-SPAM act in its entirety, but I'm here to tell you that it's no page-turner like Harry Potter.

Everyone says that they're anti-spam, but VerticalResponse really means it.  Really, we do!  We respond to and investigate every complaint that comes into our abuse desk, and we quickly deal with accounts that receive complaints before there are deliverability issues.

Most emails sent via VerticalResponse gets a once-over by us, as well.  Why?  We're checking to make sure that it doesn't contain anything suspicious or fraudulent.  This helps us maintain our stellar reputation with the ISPs (and you thought we were just because we're nosey!)

In the same spirit of keeping our reputation clean with the ISPs, we have a feedback loop with every internet and email service provider known to offer one.  That may not seem that impressive, but I assure you, we're not dishing with them about the latest episode of Gossip Girl.  It means that if someone with, let's say, a Hotmail account,clicks on their "Report Spam" button in an email that is sent using VerticalResponse, that provider trusts us to take action on the complaint if needed.  After all, each provider sets their own standards for the number and type of complaints that are allowed.  This way, we can make sure that all of our customers meet their standards.  Pretty cool, right?

We also process all bounces and unsubscribes, which means that no one can abuse our IP addresses by mailing to people who have opted out of their emails.  This all happens automatically, but the lists are available to download in case you are curious (or even better - perhaps you'd like to woo your unsubscribes back into the fold with a direct mail campaign?)

Now, I realize that, depending on your job function, email deliverability may not be your highest priority.  The good news is that VerticalResponse takes the steps outlined above to provide you with great deliverability, which means your email messages have the best chance of getting into the inbox.  That frees you up to figure out new ways to build your list and increase opens.

Has all this talk of deliverability got your interest piqued?  We recommend Deliverability.com for the latest on, well, deliverability!

Jess Greene-Pierson, Marketing Programs Manager

Comments

[Richard Huffaker]

Hi Stuart,

VerticalResponse is managing the relationships with all the ISPs, including those in the UK and anywhere else in the world. We have a delivery team that constantly monitors our mail to keep us from seeing delivery issues and proactively reaches out to service providers to ensure we don't run into problems.

I used to manage this team, and I wrote a white paper on this particular topic some time back. It gives a general overview of how delivery works, and what VerticalResponse does (and what you can do) to ensure strong response and delivery. You can find that white paper here:

http://www.verticalresponse.com/education-support/articles-reports/email-delivery-and-you-a-handy-guide/

[Stuart Isbister]

Is VR managing relationship with all ISP's? Including those in the UK? There needs to be more on this topic as the expensive providers claim it to be their big USP.

[Jess at VerticalResponse]

Hi Heather,

Unfortunately, it is hard to know exactly what percentage of your emails are actually delivered to the recipients’ inboxes vs. the junk folder. Any statistical estimate that we give you would be based on your email getting through the initial gates of the ISP, as is with most email service providers.

[Jess at VerticalResponse]

Hi Steve,

I hear you loud and clear – there definitely doesn’t seem to be the same legislation around direct mail as there is around email. While ESPs (email service providers) will stop you from sending emails to folks who have unsusbscirbed from your electronic mailings, the US Postal Service won’t stop delivering your mail. As a marketer, I wouldn’t generally suggest a direct mail campaign as your sole method of marketing to your database, simply because the ROI is not nearly as great as you see with a list of people who have opted into receive messaging from you (and think of all that waste!). But direct mail postcards work well in tandem with another vehicle (like email) and are a legally sound option if you are trying to message your unsubscribes (and I guess you have to decide for yourself if it’s an environmentally sound option for you).

Just for the record, we LOVE trees! Trees are great. And in our book, so is the environment. Check out our CEO’s blog post for more details about ways that we are greening our office:

http://blog.verticalresponse.com/verticalresponse_blog/2008/08/is-your-company.html

Also, the VerticalResponse postcards are printed on recycled materials, so if you do feel the need to send a postcard, at least this way you can do it with a somewhat clean conscious.

[John Ragsdale]

Hi Jess;
I'm enjoying your blog. I'm curious about something. Since VerticalResponse scans the emails you send, and you have such great tracking on delivery/open stats, are you able to compile 'best practices' based on email content, style, length, format, text vs. graphics, etc., to help your customers create more successful campaigns? I'd sure love to see some of your learnings if you publish them.
Thanks!
--John

PS--Having read most of the Can-SPAM act, it would take more than starring naked in Equus to make it bedside reading for the masses. ;)

[Heather Hughes]

Q: How do I know what % of my email was actually delivered to recipients' inboxes rather than Junk Folder on desktop or stopped by other enabled SPAM filter? If there is no available reporting on this, is there a "standard" percentage one might apply for B2B email campaigns?

[steve schadt]

Quote:

(or even better - perhaps you'd like to woo your unsubscribes back into the fold with a direct mail campaign?)

Why is it ok to send a direct mail campaign to someone who has opted out of your email list? seems like a total double standard or you just hate trees. I think its lame that email is so carefully regulated but direct mail is a total free for all. From an environmental standpoint it should be the other way around, really.