We've been delivering email blasts for clients for some time. They'll provide us with their lists and we use our service to develop & design the email, test it, deliver it and finally report on it. But too often the lists they provide have been used with 3rd party delivery systems, their own proprietary email blast engines or a combination of services. This can create a huge gap in their email reputation; decreasing the effectiveness of their email blast campaigns. Authentication can help.
Email authentication validates the identity of the email sender and improves the likelihood of your email campaign getting through to your intended targets. When your email is sent, the receiving server checks with DNS servers to see if there are authentication records for your email's domain name. There are three methods or technologies that serve as the gatekeepers for authentication. They are SPF, DKIM and Sender ID. Besides the email sender identity, these systems check complaints, unsubscribe practices and other variables to build an authentication database on your company or domain. This database determines whether your email is delivered or not.
No matter who you use for sending your email campaigns, make sure that they are using authentication to help ensure delivery. In most cases, your service provider will automatically identify and remove bounces, unsubscribes and complaints. However, we are seeing that once a company changes providers, they simply download the entire list, provide it to the new service provider and begin sending to everyone on the list. From what we have previously discussed, this can wreak havoc on your reputation and decrease your email campaign effectiveness.
If you are changing providers, make sure you provide them with only the vetted names from your database and not all of the names. it will help with authentication as well with your email reputation.
