You can improve your email deliverability by thinking about how your recipients are reacting to your messages. The more people who open, read your emails, mark them as important, and reply to your messages, the more likely your emails will pass the algorithms email providers use to determine spam. Your goal as an email sender should be to drive positive engagement while minimizing negative engagement. The most tried and true methods of improving email deliverability is to ensure your content is clear, readable, and engaging.
Formatting your email
Make sure that your message is not getting lost with a poorly formatted email that is difficult for your recipients to read.
Use clean HTML
Send emails with HTML that is optimized for as many browsers or email clients as possible. Usually, this means avoiding complex formatting or browser-specific designs. HTML that is incompatible with someone's email program or that renders with mistakes can cost you in deliverability. If you suspect you have an issue, test your emails with a program such as Email on Acid or Litmus to see if you have errors in your HTML.
We also recommend a few additional tools that give you some basic templates and that help you with email coding:
- Beefree.io: This is a free email template service (with a premium option) that should be able to help you design an email that you feel comfortable with. Their email templates are optimized for use with Outlook, Gmail, and mobile devices and they are constantly updating the templates as needed to make sure they match the newest version of those platforms.
- Can I Email?: This is an open-source toolset that flags particular devices or email platforms as problematic and shows you which HTML/CSS elements will or won't work.
- Frontend Masters, Codecademy, and/or PluralSight: All three of these links are for learning the core coding languages HTML/CSS. Both Frontend Masters and PluralSight are paid courses but specifically focus on email coding. Codecademy has free resources, but is less focused on email design and is a more generic HTML/CSS coding resource. Any of the three would help point you in the right direction.
Create a plain text version of your message
You can't be sure what browser or email program your recipient will be using so you need to make sure you provide a plain text version that can be read by even the simplest email program. The last thing you want your recipient to see is a bunch of HTML code instead of your carefully crafted message.
In Targeted Email, you can use Generate Plain Text Message to make sure you've got a plain text version that will be sent as an option for lower level email readers to display.
Add alternative text for images
Many email programs now load messages with images turned off by default as a protection against phishing or other email viruses. When you add an image in Targeted Email, there's an Alternative Text area where you can add a description of your image. You can use this text to encourage the recipient to open your image by describing what the image contains. For example, if you have a full-page image of a flyer for an event, you could add alternative text saying "Announcement flyer for our gala fundraiser. Join us on May 8th!"
Create engaging content
We know you know how to craft engaging content for your supporters. But there are a few things you might want to be sure to include in your messages that will specifically help you improve your sending reputation.
Use pre-header text to encourage readers to open your message
Pre-header text is what your recipient sees when they are previewing your message in their email program. Craft a short, compelling pre-header to encourage recipients to open your message. Try to make it urgent enough to encourage them to want to read more. The more opens you have on your messages, the better your reputation with SPAM filters.
Ask recipients to take an action
Use your message to ask supporters to take an action directly from your email, like signing up to volunteer, donating, or contacting their representative. Focusing on action gives your recipients a reason to open your email - and the more people interact with the email, the better you’ll do in delivery.
Avoid repeating broadcast content from your blogs or social networks. Recipients may have already seen that content and will be less likely to open your email. Instead, focus on using your emails to get supporters to take direct action.
Add a welcome series
Use Automation to create messages that welcome new individuals to your organization. A good welcome series should remind individuals how they got on your list, communicate what they can expect to receive from your program, and ask them a few questions to find out more about what made that individual support your organization. This should typically happen over the course of three emails.
Since new subscribers are very likely to open these emails, you can quickly see who engages with your emails and who does not. These responses can help you optimize your email list for better deliverability to your most engaged supporters. Learn more about Best Practices for email deliverability: Optimizing your list
Provide an unsubscribe link
You are required to add an Unsubscribe link to all messages sent using Targeted Email. While this requirement usually satisfies the requirements for most Internet Service Providers, it can also help you keep a cleaner list. Continually sending email to recipients who never open your messages can hurt your sender reputation over time. You can learn more about Best Practices for email deliverability: Optimizing your list