Now that your new sending domain is set up on Maybe*, it is critical to set yourself up for successful delivery into inboxes, avoiding the dreaded spam folder. Ensure you follow these best practices before you start sending emails.
1. Set Up a Dedicated Email Sending Domain
What is it?
Your sending domain is how the internet routes your emails. Rather than sharing a domain provided for all Maybe* users, a dedicated email domain is a private domain you use exclusively to send and receive emails.
Why it matters?
Not using a dedicated email-sending domain often results in your emails going into spam folders even if you follow good emailing practices. With a dedicated email-sending domain, you gain full control of your reputation and email deliverability, increasing the chances of your emails landing in inboxes.
How to set it up?
If you haven't already, we highly recommend setting up your dedicated email-sending domain.
2. Enable Email Validation
What is it?
Email validation checks if the email addresses you are sending to are valid. Sending emails to invalid addresses can harm your deliverability.
Why it matters?
Sending emails to non-existent or invalid addresses damages your domain reputation, leading to poor deliverability and placement in spam folders or rejections.
How to enable it?
We’ve made it easy to validate your emails within Maybe*. Enable this setting in your Account Settings:
Account View: Go to Business Profile > Scroll to "Verify Email Address when the first email is sent to a new contact" > Check the box.
3. Enable “Mark Email Invalid from Hard Bounce”
What is it?
An email bounce occurs when an email is not delivered or is rejected by the recipient’s email provider. There are two types of bounces:
Hard Bounce: An email address does not exist.
Soft Bounce: A temporary failure due to reasons like recipient servers being down or full mailboxes.
Why it matters?
Too many bounced emails harm your domain reputation. Marking hard-bounced emails as invalid is essential to protecting your deliverability.
How to enable it?
You can mark emails as invalid if they bounce within the Account Settings:
Account View: Go to Business Profile > Scroll to “Mark Emails as invalid due to Hard Bounce” > Check the box.
4. Add Your DMARC Record
What is it?
A DMARC record provides instructions to receiving servers on how to handle incoming mail. Messages need to pass DKIM and SPF alignment checks to meet DMARC policy requirements.
Why it matters?
Without a DMARC record, your domain reputation and email deliverability can suffer. Properly setting up DMARC avoids mailbox providers marking your emails as spam.
How to add it?
Log into your DNS provider to add a DMARC record following their guidelines.
5. Use the Proper “From Email”
What is it?
The “From Email” is the email address recipients see when they receive your email. For instance, if your sending domain is “mail.maybetech.com”, your From Email could be “[email protected]” or “[email protected]”.
Why it matters?
Using a “from email” that matches your primary domain enhances your email deliverability.
How to set it up?
Ensure your “From Email” matches your primary domain within Maybe*. For example, if your sending domain is “mail.maybetech.com”, your From Email should contain “maybetech.com”, such as “[email protected]”.
6. Add Unsubscribe Links
What is it?
An unsubscribe link allows recipients to opt out of future emails.
Why it matters?
Not having an unsubscribe link significantly harms your deliverability rates.
How to set it up?
In Maybe*, adding an unsubscribe link to your emails is straightforward. Use the “Footer” element in the email builder to include the default or a custom unsubscribe link.
7. Stop Sending to Unengaged Emails
What is it?
Do not send emails to recipients who are not engaging (e.g., opening or clicking links).
Why it matters?
Sending to engaged recipients improves inbox placement, while low engagement rates can lead to spam folder placement.
How to do this?
Trim your email list by sending less frequently or not at all to unengaged recipients. Focus on those who interact with your emails to maintain high deliverability.
8. Send regularly… Just not too regularly
What is it?
Your sending domain’s reputation is influenced by how frequently you send emails. Too infrequent or too frequent sending can negatively impact your reputation.
Why it matters?
Consistent, appropriate sending frequency enhances engagement and inbox placement.
How to do this?
Send emails regularly but avoid extremes. Engage recipients more initially (daily for the first 5 days), then reduce frequency if there is no action, but do continue regular communication with engaged recipients.
By adhering to these email best practices, you can optimise your email deliverability and ensure your messages reach the intended recipients through Maybe*.