In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa answer frequently asked questions about domain reputation, handling spam complaints, understanding the promotions tab, reasons for declining open rates, the implications of blocklists, the impact of unsubscribes, and much more. In this episode: [06:48] - What are the best ways to improve my domain reputation? [09:39] - How do I get out of the promotions tab? [16:09] - Why are my open rates dropping? [22:00] - What does it mean if my I...
May 28, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 15
While a lead magnet might seem insignificant, creating a high-quality and high-impact offer requires some strategic planning. An effective lead magnet provides a solution that's both valuable and efficient, which creates trust and lays the groundwork for a loyal subscriber base. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the power of lead magnets to grow your email list and engage subscribers. They share their experience working with top email marketers and highlight t...
May 21, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 14
The creator landscape thrives on connection, and newsletters have always been a powerful tool for nurturing these relationships. However, email marketing is changing. Just as domain reputation has become a crucial factor in email deliverability, the future of newsletters hinges on creators adapting their approach when needed, and practicing effective strategies and best practices. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the future of newsletters. They reflect on the...
May 14, 2024•32 min•Season 5Ep. 13
In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa talks with email marketing expert Tarzan Kay. They discuss the value of building an engaged email list and prioritizing real connections over high numbers. Tarzan shares her strategies to boost email engagement and deliverability while avoiding gimmicks. They also discuss the role of storytelling in emails, improving subscriber relationships, and the importance of self-editing for clarity. In this episode: [02:59] - Tarzan's background - from cop...
May 07, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Many creators understand the importance of email marketing but need help to transform it into a sustainable growth engine. An email course offers a solution that's both powerful and efficient. This strategic approach provides a structured learning experience, establishes credibility, and supercharges audience growth. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa are joined by Sean Stewart to discuss how to build an email course flywheel and the benefits of email courses for creat...
Apr 30, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Many people find their inboxes overflowing with generic emails and promotional content, all vying to grab their attention. But what separates an email that gets deleted from one that gets opened, sparks engagement, and drives results? Ultimately, effective emails prioritize value over promotion. It's finding and understanding your target subscribers and delivering value that addresses their needs. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa talk about the steps and strategies f...
Apr 23, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Domain reputation has been a theme this season. And for good reason. In the world of email, IP addresses and domains have reputations that can make or break an email’s journey. While it might seem a little technical, understanding these nuances can have a big impact on your email deliverability. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the differences between shared and dedicated reputation regarding IP addresses and domains. They talk about the importance of IP and ...
Apr 16, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 9
If you’ve ever found yourself in a tangle of numbers, wondering which email metrics actually matter, this episode is for you. This week, Alyssa and Melissa unravel the tangled web of open rates, bounce rates, click rates, and complaint rates, guiding email senders toward clarity. They discuss why maintaining low bounce and complaint rates is essential, and explore the impact of metrics on email deliverability. They also explore the value of subscriber engagement and the reality of cold subscribe...
Apr 09, 2024•27 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa explore some creative ways to boost email replies and enhance deliverability. From leveraging engagement signals and building community to using incentive-driven tactics, they share valuable strategies to amp up replies and strengthen relationships with subscribers. The discussion also touches on the impact of replies on domain reputation and suggests practical methods for handling and organizing replies. As email deliverability conti...
Apr 02, 2024•22 min•Season 5Ep. 7
In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa dive into the topic of using recommendation tools to grow your email list while maintaining healthy deliverability. They explore the potential impact of using ConvertKit’s Creator Network recommendation tool, and provide insights on how to effectively manage new subscribers. Balancing list growth with subscriber engagement is critical for email senders. Making a strong first impression with new subscribers through a clear and compelli...
Mar 26, 2024•25 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Ever feel like you're decoding an ancient script when trying to comprehend email authentication? DMARC may seem like just another complex acronym in the world of email, but it's a guardian against the spoofers and spammers. Setting up DMARC is like locking your digital doors—it's not just necessary; it's your first line of defense. And since missed emails mean missed opportunities, understanding DMARC is a critical piece of the email deliverability puzzle. In this episode of Deliverability Defin...
Mar 19, 2024•33 min•Season 5Ep. 5
If managing your domain reputation sounds complicated, you’re not alone. Recent changes to Yahoo’s and Google’s authentication rules have forced all email senders to take a more active role in the path to the inbox. In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa and Melissa untangle some of the mysteries around domain reputation and why it’s so important. They highlight how trends in open rates, complaint rates, and bounce rates are not just metrics but invaluable insights that contribute to ...
Mar 12, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 4
If you’ve ever wondered how to improve your domain reputation, Google Postmaster Tools is here to help. In the wake of Google’s and Yahoo’s changes and authentication requirements, Google Postmaster Tools has become a crucial resource for email senders. In this episode of Deliverability Definied, Alyssa and Melissa take a deep dive into Google Postmaster Tools—what it is, how to get the most out of it, and why it’s so important for monitoring domain reputation and ensuring optimal email delivera...
Mar 05, 2024•27 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Welcome back to Season Five of Deliverability Defined! Do you ever feel like you're navigating the Bermuda Triangle when it comes to understanding the latest email marketing requirements? You're not alone. Staying ahead of these changes and requirements is crucial in maintaining email deliverability. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the recent changes from Yahoo and Google and how they impact email senders. They dive into the new authentication requirements, the one-click unsubscribe ...
Feb 27, 2024•23 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Gmail and Yahoo have announced new sender requirements taking affect in February of 2024. You can read more here: https://help.convertkit.com/en/articles/8538056-gmail-and-yahoo-s-new-requirements-for-2024-and-what-to-expect The 3 main steps to take: - Set up a verified sending domain in your email provider - Set up a DMARC record if you haven't already - Start monitoring your spam complaint rates within Google Postmaster Tools
Nov 06, 2023•26 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Email remains one of the oldest and most popular digital communication channels, yet content creators struggle to stand out in their audience’s email inboxes. The explosion of ChatGPT has prompted questions about AI’s role in the deliverability space. Should AI be integrated into email marketing strategies, and if so, in what capacity? In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa talk with email marketing expert Naomi West about her relationship with AI. Naomi is a seasoned SaaS Lifecycle Marketer and cr...
Jun 27, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 14
As a creator, you are never going to feel “ready” to build something. The hardest part is getting started and accepting that creation is an iterative process, and the mistakes you make along the way will lead to stronger content over time. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa talk with Dylan Redekop, Growth Currency Newsletter Strategist and Product Marketer at SparkLoop, about his journey building his newsletter from scratch. What started as a multitopic newsletter niched down into a newsletter ...
Jun 20, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Many people strive to become creators but often forget the discipline, hard work, and consistency required to build an audience. But while the task can seem daunting, it’s not impossible. The best way to learn how to grow a subscriber base is by learning from creators who have successfully done so. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa talk with Charli Prangley, Creative Director at ConvertKit, about her experience as a YouTuber with more than 220K subscribers, and the author of the Marketing Desi...
May 23, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Email is a universal method of communication that brings together people of all different ages and backgrounds. While some people may check their emails more than others, it remains true that everyone needs an email address to survive in the digital world. Whether you use your email to stay up-to-date on current events, manage your reservations, or collect discount codes, email is a versatile tool to stay informed and connected. Email is a more reliable form of communicating with your audience b...
May 16, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 11
The way our email inboxes operate has changed dramatically with the evolution of the internet and increased awareness and caution around email scams. Email security and privacy have become a top priority for users, resulting in enhanced protection measures and more stringent regulations. With so many changes happening in the email deliverability world, several factors could be affecting your success metrics as an email marketer or a content creator. Email strategies need to be adapted according ...
May 09, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Email service providers are committed to providing their users with the best possible experience, increased security and safety measures may come at the expense of content creators’ success. A content creator’s biggest fear may be their emails landing in the spam folder, but emails landing in the promotions tab is also a major worry. The promotions tab is determined by Gmail’s ever-changing and unpredictable algorithm. While these messages are not technically labeled as spam, they imply to your ...
May 02, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Whether you’re a consumer, business owner, or content creator, Instagram's potential to expand your reach is undeniable. With more than one billion active users, Instagram can help you connect with new audiences and engage existing ones. Although growing your Instagram following is important, it's only half of the battle. While Instagram remains a popular social media platform, its future is unpredictable. Algorithms can change and platforms can go out of business or be replaced by competitors. ...
Apr 25, 2023•30 min•Season 4Ep. 8
While creators hope their audience will open and read their emails, the first step is to ensure emails actually make it into the intended audience’s inbox. The goals of B2C audiences (business to consumer) are not the same as B2B audiences (business to business). By understanding the unique challenges of B2B and B2C subscribers and tailoring the message accordingly, creators can achieve better results in their deliverability strategy. While we have control over our personal email inboxes, B2B au...
Apr 18, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Creators hope to grow a following, but communicating with an audience at scale is challenging. Technology can help facilitate communication with your subscribers, especially if you’re seeking analytics on email performance and engagement. Email service providers, or ESPs, are services that allow you to send campaigns to subscriber lists. Different ESPs have different features, such as automation, audience segmentation, template builders, A/B testing, and customer support. Not all ESPs are create...
Apr 11, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 6
When emails don’t perform well, creators will do whatever it takes to uncover the root cause of the issue and win back their subscribers. Senders can learn whether their messages could get lost in the spam folder by running an inbox placement test that predicts deliverability issues. This type of test gives creators more insight into their emails, especially if open rates have been lower than usual. Perhaps there’s a single word in the copy that’s causing the entire email to default to the “prom...
Apr 04, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Word-of-mouth has proven to be one of the most consistent business tactics of all time. If someone we admire and trust recommends something to us, we are much more likely to take their recommendation seriously and take action. The same holds true for creators. Successful creators who have already built their audiences know which newsletters are worth subscribing to and which creators are worth following, and they only recommend the content they believe in to maintain their audience’s trust. Conv...
Mar 28, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 4
We’ve all been there: you press “send” on an email and immediately recognize there’s a mistake. Recalling an email requires quick reflexes, and unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that your request will be successful. The good news is that we are all human, and email mistakes such as typos, inaccessible links, and failed deliverability are much more common than you’d expect. When sending emails, you may occasionally have more control over a situation than others and can take preventative measure...
Mar 21, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Creators are always looking for a way to earn income through their efforts, which traditionally evolves into sponsorship or brand deals. Of course, creators want to earn this extra income, but they struggle to keep their audiences happy; no one likes to feel like they’re being sold to when reading their favorite newsletter. Is there an option that balances the needs of creators, audiences, and sponsors alike? One solution is newsletter sponsorship. Creators spend a long time crafting relationshi...
Mar 14, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 2
You may be familiar with traditional newsletters, but an evergreen newsletter is a smart and automated approach to standard email newsletters. It allows established creators to step off the content hamster wheel, build a personalized journey for new subscribers, and make better versions of future email sequences based on audience feedback. Nathan Barry, CEO of ConvertKit, has made $50K from “a secret newsletter about money.” He noticed that a lot of content existed for new creators, but not for ...
Mar 07, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 1
According to Finances Online , as of January 2020, Gmail had over 1.8 billion active users. When you’ve got a mailbox provider so prevalent on your email list, keeping yourself on good terms with that provider is essential for the survival of your subscriber count. But how do you know if your reputation with Gmail has tanked? And what’s the best way to respond? While every mailbox provider cares about customers first, Gmail has its advantages for senders too. For example, Gmail allows you to tra...
Mar 08, 2022•22 min•Season 3Ep. 15
