Disclaimer: We encourage “rolling” in the case of fire… Just not emails

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

Similar to the response time one may have to being engulfed in flames, I will make this insightful tidbit brief and to the point.

When it comes to block mitigation and server communication, we cannot control how the server responds… or even IF they respond. What we CAN control is how WE respond to the block.

To help make this as simple as possible, our email team has developed a memory tool from the simple and commonly-known (well, I hope it’s commonly known…) phrase “Stop, Drop and Roll.”

STOP

Stop sending completely

Pros – The issue will not progress/worsen; may help to refresh or recover IP/domain reputation

Cons – Domain/IP warming progress may be reversed (in some cases to the point of restarting)

DROP

Drop sending volume

Pros – Can halt a block or prevent further damage; may help to defend our sending practices in server communications

Cons – Can just prologue the inevitable (block) or prevent throttling limits from ever increasing

ROLL

Roll with it (proceed as you would if no issue occurred)

Pros – In rare cases, this issue resolves itself with no loss of volume or engagement for future sends

Cons – In many cases, this worsens the block, making it harder to resolve in this case and future cases for an indefinite amount of time

In contrast to one who may be caught on fire, our team actually discourages “rolling” in response to emailblocks and deliverability errors in most cases. As in the game of poker or the investment of stock, your risks should always be calculated.

Having reviewed that information, keep in mind that every case is different, and nothing is ever definite in the world of email marketing.

If you think you may have encountered a deliverability issue to any capacity and are considering how your team should respond, do not hesitate to reach out to your point of contact for further assistance.

For more information, contact our team for training or insight and visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

Building up your Email Subscribers Without Breaking Down your Domain

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

When it comes to expanding your email subscriber list for marketing content, remember that QUALITY OVER QUANTITY is not just a saying but a strategy that can empower your marketing efforts. By focusing on quality, you ensure that your messages reach the right audience, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.

I understand the temptation to construct a list of millions of people to ensure your marketing success, BUT without the correct methods of email collection, you can actually hurt your success rather than help.

Let’s talk about why…

Recipients who do not wish to be emailed often respond negatively to emails, even when you are careful to avoid common spam triggers within your content. This can mean that they report you as spam or notify the server that they do not wish to receive your email; this can cause blocks & lower our domain/IP reputation. If they choose to delete without opening or refuse to engage (opening, clicking, saving in folders, etc.) with the email, it can also have poor consequences. That tells the server that they are not interested in your content, and it can hurt your inbox placement, even with previously engaging emails.

DO… subscribe users who have signed onto your email list on their own will

**feel free to even offer them the opportunity to confirm their subscription

​DON’T… offer incentives, such as prizes, for people to sign up

​​**Subscribers rarely engage long-term with this route of email collection

DO… regularly sort through and unsubscribe unengaged recipients 

**If they aren’t helping your cause, they are hurting it

​DON’T… purchase email lists

**These lists often include duplicate, invalid, expired, or foreign emails that likely have no interest in supporting your cause

If you’re ever wondering if someone would be a “good” subscriber or a “bad” subscriber, ask yourself this: Would this person bring valuable interactions to my email campaigns?

You can review the differences between positive and negative engagement below:

Email marketing can be really hard, we know! Sometimes, what we think is a carefully curated email with stunning visuals just isn't performing as well as we hoped, and you don't know why. That is where A/B email testing comes in to highlight aspects of emails, whether they be copy or subject lines, that your subscribers like to interact with more. So what is A/B testing, and how does it work? A/B testing, also referred to as split testing, is a method used to compare the performance of two different versions of something in order to determine which one is more effective. A/B testing can be used in marketing in many different ways, not just in emails but in web designs, print marketing, and more! So, we have incorporated this tool into Nucleus to take your email marketing to the next level!

Why use A/B testing: 

When using testing for an email, the purpose to to find the most successful email combination for a specific message or campaign. For example, if you are trying to test an email with the goal of getting subscribers to click a link to get an ice cream coupon. Our platform, allows you to then create 2 different variations of the email and then see what email gets more traffic.

Here are some tips & tricks:

- Test on emails that are not urgent or need to be delivered in a tight time frame (testing takes a little while to gather the performance of the test and pick the winning one to send out the rest of)

- Keep notes of what you are trying to test so you can track performance with the stats you receive back

- Try to test the campaign frequently to get the most accurate 

- Intentionally target out elements to test, such as subject line, sender, CTA, etc.

- Think of even testing different variations against different audiences.

Benefits of using:

• Open and Response Rates: Identify factors that contribute to higher open rates by testing different subject lines, preheader text, and send times.
• Content Engagement: Test various versions of your email content to determine which version receives more clicks and prompts readers to take action.
• Cost-Effective: Utilize A/B testing as an affordable method to make data-driven decisions and gain insights from your campaigns.
• Ease of Analysis: Analyze test results using straightforward metrics to easily identify the better option.
• Increased Sales: Implement optimized changes to boost sales, enhance user experiences, build brand trust, and foster customer loyalty.
• Enhance Deliverability: Ensure your emails are sent correctly from your application and are received by users.
• Spam Testing: Identify characteristics that might make an email appear untrustworthy.

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

Life: through the perspective of an email.

If you have sent a mass email through a marketing platform, you’ve probably wondered why the standards for “good” recipient engagement are so low.

That’s because there is a lot more involved in the life cycle of an email than just receiving and opening emails.

To get a better idea of the entire journey of an email, let’s review the phases of life your email goes through after you hit send…

First, we have the matter of deliverability. Domains and IPs that are blocked by a server will not deliver to that server, no matter the circumstances (referred to as hard blocks). It’s important to note that there can also be many temporary issues with deliverability (known as soft fails), that can randomly affect any email.

From there, we will encounter difficulties with inbox placement. Not every email will land in a recipient’s inbox; some will find their way into spam & promotional mailboxes, which are rarely checked by recipients.

Lastly, & seemingly most important, is the overall recipient engagement. This is, by far, the most broad phase of life as it is affected by so many factors. Should your email make it to the recipient’s inbox, there are countless elements that will determine whether or not & how the user engages with your email. For instance, your user may love your subject line & hate your content; they may hate your subject line so they never open to see your content, they may never check their inbox & didn’t even see your email, & numerous other scenarios that lead to more or less engagement in an email.

The majority of emails sent will actually never be seen by anyone & that’s just how the game of email marketing goes. BUT, for this reason, you should be proud to see a 15% open rate with a 2.5% click rate – those numbers are actually a lot better than you think!

For more resources, Nucleus users can visit the resource library! 

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