Email Deliverability
Email deliverability refers to your ability to place marketing messages in subscribers’ primary inboxes, rather than in spam or junk folders. It determines whether the effort you put into a campaign actually reaches your audience.
For instance, a retail brand might invest weeks in preparing a seasonal campaign, but if the sender’s reputation is weak, most emails will likely end up in spam and never be seen.
Why use Email Deliverability?
- Maximize campaign ROI by monitoring open and click rates, addressing list hygiene issues, and ensuring emails reach and engage the right users. This improves conversions rather than just increasing message volume.
- Protect sender reputation by using double opt-in and removing unengaged contacts. These steps improve inbox placement and lower spam complaints, which is critical for long-term success.
- Facilitate testing and optimization by running A/B tests on subject lines, authentication methods, and other deliverability factors. Track delivery rate, bounce rate, and complaint rate to improve results over time.
Email Delivery vs. Email Deliverability
| Concept | Email Delivery | Email Deliverability |
| Inbox Placement | Any folder (spam, promotions) | Primary inbox specifically |
| Key Metrics | Delivery rate (sent vs. accepted) | Inbox placement, open/click/reply rate |
| Influencing Factors | Invalid address, server rejection | Sender/domain reputation, engagement |
| Test Approach | Bounce monitoring | Inbox monitoring, engagement metrics |
| Practical Example | Bulk email campaign bounces | Campaign hits spam but not inbox |
FAQs
Email delivery means that your email successfully reaches the recipient’s mail server. Email deliverability goes further, measuring whether the email actually lands in the inbox instead of the spam or promotions folder. For strategies that boost inbox placement, see Email Marketing Software.
Key email deliverability metrics include inbox placement rate, bounce rate, spam complaints, and engagement metrics like open and click-through rates. These indicators help marketers measure both technical success and subscriber engagement. Insider’s Email Marketing Benchmarks provide insights into these metrics to aid in optimization efforts.
Brands can improve email deliverability by cleaning lists regularly, using double opt-ins, and authenticating senders with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Testing campaigns for spam triggers before launch also helps ensure higher inbox placement. Advanced personalization tools, like those mentioned in Insider’s guide to AI email marketing, can further strengthen engagement.
Platforms that strengthen email deliverability often include automated IP warming, blacklist monitoring, built-in spam testing, and advanced segmentation for highly relevant targeting. Insider’s Cross-Channel Marketing Platform integrates these features, enhancing overall email deliverability.
