Six Ways to Maintain Sender Reputation as the Inbox Evolves
The changing metrics of sender reputation will have a profound impact on e-mail and social marketing. Here are some tips for maintaining it.
The changing metrics of sender reputation will have a profound impact on e-mail and social marketing. Here are some tips for maintaining it.
Three key trends that will have a profound impact on e-mail and social marketing in 2010 are closely linked. The first two I covered in my last column: the proliferation of devices and the fatigue of the “almost engaged” subscriber. These both highlight the urgent need for shifting from a broadcast e-mail attitude to an engagement approach. The third trend is how the changing metrics of sender reputation require this same shift in order to continue to reach the inbox and earn a response.
Reputation is the boss of you. You have a sender reputation — regardless if you are B2B (define), B2C (define), or if you actively know and monitor it. Your reputation determines if you reach the inbox and earn a response. While the factors that make up a sender reputation in 2010 are largely the same as last year, the data is being used in new ways in order to distinguish the best senders from the rest.
Most North American Internet service providers (ISPs) and corporate system administrators have shifted focus from “keep the bad stuff out” to “get the good stuff in.” That does make a difference. Postmasters are increasingly looking for clues that your messages are actually welcome, not just tolerated.
There have long been engagement metrics at play. Major ISPs like Yahoo, Gmail, and Microsoft use measures of subscriber satisfaction that are specific to inbox placement. These are primarily complaints and saves — either a click on the “Report Spam” button in the inbox or on the “This is Not Spam” button in the junk folder. Microsoft has been very open about using engagement data from its panel of subscribers (invitation only) who vote on whether messages belong in the inbox or junk folder.
Marketers must consider this data distinctly from response metrics. An e-mail campaign could be generating a lot of revenue, but will stop reaching the inbox if too many subscribers complain, take no action, or never actively seek out filtered messages in the junk folder.
Although inbox placement is dictated by measures at the beginning of the response funnel and not the open, click and conversion data used later in the funnel, inbox placement, and response will continue to be inextricably linked. Marketers must continue to think about “engagement” in context with subscriber satisfaction, and monitor and manage the factors that impact inbox placement and response.
What to do:
The rules for inbox placement continuously evolve because spammers just don’t quit. ISP postmasters and corporate system administrators fine tune their filtering rules in order to stay ahead of the bad guys. The good news is that the actions you take on all three of these key trends will improve subscriber experience and pay back in higher response rates.
Please add a comment with your thoughts on incorporating these trends into your strategy this year.