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1. Stay on Top of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Strong email deliverability often starts with constant attention to authentication. You need to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC correctly, then monitor them to block spoofing and misuse. Whenever you add a new vendor or change your infrastructure, remember to audit the settings right away. To push trust even further, add BIMI so your logo shows in the inbox and makes your emails stand out instantly.

2. Protect Deliverability with List Hygiene

We all know that a healthy list is the backbone of strong deliverability. But when was the last time you properly cleaned it?

It always pays back in deliverability scores to remove anyone who’s inactive or unengaged. You can suppress hard bounces, spam complaints, and invalid addresses right away so your sender reputation stays strong. And when possible, use double opt-in to confirm new sign-ups. This keeps your list full of real, engaged subscribers.

3. Stick to a Steady Sending Rhythm

Consistency keeps your emails out of trouble and in the inbox. Sticking to a steady sending schedule will steer clear of creating sudden spikes that hurt engagement. It’s also a good practice to run a deep clean of your lists and cut out disengaged subscribers once a year. Also keep an eye on opt-in sources to block low-quality contacts from sneaking in. And before you import any contacts manually, always validate and clean the list so you don’t add dead addresses and can later turn into spam traps.

4. Always Get Clear Opt-Ins

In a world that is screaming for attention, asking for permission is the foundation of good email marketing (and any sort of good marketing by extension). It’s always good to focus on quality by ensuring every subscriber has clearly opted in. Set expectations right at sign-up so people know what they’ll receive. This is easy to keep engagement high and unsubscribes low. And don’t forget to audit your subscription sources often. It will help block fake or unengaged addresses from slipping onto your list.

5. Send Value-Driven, Relevant Content

It’s no secret that engagement drives deliverability, so make every email worth opening. Optimize your content to boost clicks and opens since low interaction can push messages out of the inbox. You need to personalize subject lines, preview text, and messaging around each subscriber’s behavior and preferences. And then test different elements like subject lines, CTAs, or email length to see what works best. And most importantly, skip the generic promos and focus on content that feels valuable and relevant to your audience.

6. Protect Your Domain from Blacklist Damage

Blacklists can sink deliverability fast. So it’s crucial to stay ahead of them. You need to regularly check your IPs and domains against major lists like Spamhaus, Barracuda, or SURBL on a regular basis. And if you ever get flagged, dig into the root cause. Is it spam complaints, weak engagement, or authentication gaps? You would need to fix everything quickly before asking for delisting. But you can also avoid surprises. Simply set up monitoring tools that send real-time alerts the moment your domain or IP lands on a blacklist.

7. Let Data and Feedback Drive Your Strategy

Data never lies. Strong deliverability comes from listening to the data and acting on the feedback. If your subject lines are spiking open rates but CTR remains low, it means that the hook is working but the content is not. This is your signal to make the content more relevant and engaging. But that’s not all. Watch your sending frequency, too. A spike in unsubscribes or spam complaints is a clear sign you’re sending too often. Scaling back will help keep your audience happy. This is also where you can pivot to experiment mode and test the design, CTAs, wordings, placement, and styles until you figure out what performs best. All this effort will eventually protect your sender reputation and keep landing your emails in the inbox.

8. Ditch Free Addresses for Business Emails

It pays to always use a custom domain for business emails. Free addresses like Gmail or Outlook can look unprofessional and even trigger spam filters, leaving a big dent in your marketing. The issue is that free platforms are not designed for bulk sending, making deliverability risks even higher. Instead, choose a reputable ESP like Flodesk or MailerLite that can handle spam filtering, bounce management, and list hygiene for you. And don’t forget about your domain reputation. A domain with a poor history will make it harder for your emails to land.

9. Boost Deliverability with Warm-Up Tools

Warming up your email is key to better deliverability. The right tools can make the process smooth and effective. Platforms like lemlist help you build personalized, multichannel campaigns that boost engagement from the start. Its Smart Enrichment feature pulls valid email and LinkedIn details, saving you time and effort. More importantly, its Warm-up & Deliverability Booster steadily builds your sender reputation so your emails land in the inbox instead of the spam folder. Getting this step right sets the tone for the entire campaign.

10. Protect Reputation by Growing Organically

Never buy or rent email lists if you care about deliverability. These lists are often scraped through shady methods and can include spam traps set up to catch bad senders. Hitting those traps can tank your IP and domain reputation, and fixing the damage takes time and effort. Even worse, most purchased lists are full of unresponsive or unqualified contacts, so they won’t help your marketing anyway. Instead, focus on building your own engaged list. If you want to scale smarter, use tools like lemlist for multichannel outreach and CRM integrations that keep your campaigns effective and reputation safe.