Unlike B2C email marketing, which often casts a wide net to capture consumer interest, B2B email campaigns are often more narrowly targeted at specific industries or roles. Each message is – ideally - tailored to the needs or pain points that resonate with the intended recipient.
Email marketing for B2B and B2C industries may differ, but one truth remains constant—your emails must reach the inbox.
Email Service Providers (ESPs) as well as marketing functions in some Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms typically employ features that help improve email deliverability to increase the chance of good inbox placement. As a marketer, understanding and using these features aids you in your efforts, but it does not mean that you should completely rely on them alone.
One of the worst things that can happen to your business is having your email messages automatically redirected to a recipient’s spam folder. Each ESP has a different spam criteria, some more stringent than others. Some may prioritize sender reputation, while others scrutinize content for spam-like attributes. Regardless of metrics, staying updated on email best practices can improve your email deliverability. Here are five common mistakes:
1. Neglecting sender authentication
SPF, DKIM, DMARC are essential authentication protocols that verify the legitimacy of your email sending domain. To understand this better:
A Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record is the server from which you authorize sending. By adding SPF records to your Domain Name System (DNS), you tell all other email servers what servers are permitted to deliver mail on behalf of your domain. It’s the gatekeeper that checks the ID before allowing your email messages in.
Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) is a unique digital signature added when an email is sent. The recipient’s email server verifies this signature to ensure that the email hasn’t been altered in transit and that it came from the domain it claims to be from. Think of it as a unique seal on your email envelope that shows it hasn’t been tampered with.
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) tells email servers what to do if an email fails SPF or DKIM checks. For example, it might instruct the server to quarantine suspicious emails or reject them altogether.
Sender authentication is mandatory for email marketers as it enhances the domain’s credibility in the eyes of email providers and improves email deliverability.
2. Skipping IP warming
Mailbox providers view emails from a new IP address as suspicious until a positive sending reputation is established. Internet Protocol (IP) warming is the process of incrementally increasing your email sending volume over time to allow ESPs to recognize your IP as trustworthy, reducing the likelihood of being marked as spam.
But this doesn’t mean you can send gibberish. How the recipients engage with your email is also integral in building a positive sender reputation. Sending relevant and valuable content is likely to be received positively compared to irrelevant content, which recipients may report as spam.
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3. Neglecting list hygiene
Over time, email lists can become cluttered with inactive or invalid email addresses. Regularly cleaning up and updating your list increases engagement and minimizes the chance of bounces. As a best practice, keep your email bounces to below 2%.
List hygiene also includes accepting that not everyone will engage with your email. Sometimes, it’s better to minimize or avoid sending emails to unengaged contacts. These contacts don’t unsubscribe but don’t open any of your marketing emails.
4. Ignoring compliance requirements
The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM Act) regulates commercial emails and text messages. Email providers comply with this rule, which means they will do what they can to stop it from happening within their platform and harm their reputation as well as their users’.
In general, here are the main requirements you need to comply with for every commercial email you send out:
The email’s header must contain the correct information for the intended recipient, including having accurate “To” and “From”
Identify the message as an advertisement
Include a Subject line that accurately represents the content of the email
Include your physical mailing address
Provide an accessible way for recipients to opt out. This includes having no more than a single page to unsubscribe. The opt-out mechanism in each email must also be able to process requests at least 30 days after the email has been sent.
Honor opt-out requests within ten days.
5. Non-compliance with privacy laws
Non-compliance with privacy laws such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe, CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) in the United States, or the DPA (Data Privacy Act) in the Philippines can lead to hefty fines and tarnish your reputation.
These laws dictate how personal data should be collected, stored, and used, emphasizing transparency and consent. Failure to adhere to these regulations puts you at legal risk and erodes trust with your audience.
Get help from the Bees
Email marketing lets you build long-lasting relationships with your contacts, giving you a direct channel to build credibility and acquire customers. When executed through a strong CRM platform that lets you gather and harness data across different touchpoints, you can unlock even more value with your marketing efforts.
With our team of experts, we can help you reach and connect with your target customers through email marketing and promote data-driven decision making through a centralized CRM platform tailored to your business. Book a free consultation with us now.
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