- Set Up Email Authentication: Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your domain.
- Monitor Key Metrics: Track spam complaint rates, bounce rates, and blacklist status.
- Clean Your Email List: Remove invalid addresses and inactive contacts regularly.
- Use Monitoring Tools: Try tools like Google Postmaster Tools (free) or SendForensics ($39/month).
- Send Smartly: Limit email frequency, personalize content, and avoid spam trigger words.
Quick Tip: Start small with new domains. Gradually increase email volume over 4–8 weeks to build trust with email providers.
Quick Comparison of Monitoring Tools:
Tool | Features | Ideal For | Starting Price |
Google Postmaster | Spam rates, reputation, delivery errors | General monitoring | Free |
SendForensics | DMARC reports, multi-domain tracking | Enterprise B2B | $39/month |
MailMonitor | Real-time monitoring, bounce tracking | Small businesses | $49/month |
Validity Everest | Deliverability insights, inbox tracking | Professional teams | $20/month |
MailerCheck | Email verification, spam testing | Mid-size companies | $125/month |
Take control of your domain reputation today and ensure your emails reach the right audience.
Understanding Email Deliverability for B2B Organizations
Tools and Metrics for Domain Monitoring
Keeping an eye on tools and metrics is crucial for maintaining the email success we’ve discussed.
Domain Monitoring Tools
To track email performance effectively, you’ll need reliable tools. Google Postmaster Tools is a go-to option for B2B companies. It offers insights into spam rates, domain reputation, and delivery errors. To generate meaningful data, aim to send at least 100 emails daily to unique Gmail users.
Here’s a comparison of some popular domain monitoring tools:
Tool | Features | Ideal For | Starting Price |
Google Postmaster Tools | Tracks domain reputation, spam rates, and authentication | General monitoring | Free |
SendForensics | Provides DMARC reports and multi-domain tracking | Enterprise B2B | $39/month |
MailMonitor | Offers real-time monitoring and bounce tracking | Small businesses | $49/month |
Validity Everest | Delivers deliverability insights and inbox placement tracking | Professional teams | $20/month |
MailerCheck | Focuses on email verification and spam testing | Mid-size companies | $125/month |
Aquibur Rahman, CEO of Mailmodo, emphasizes:
"Learning about recipients' likes can also help in hyper-personalization and segmentation, which are essential for inbox placement. However, you must also make unsubscribing easier. That way, you'll only send emails to active users and improve your domain reputation".
Once you’ve chosen the right tools, it’s time to focus on the key metrics that protect your domain reputation.
Key Performance Metrics
Here are the metrics you should keep an eye on:
- Spam Complaint RateTrack the percentage of recipients marking your emails as spam. Studies show that 14.3% of B2B emails either go missing or land in spam folders.
- Bounce RatesKeep tabs on hard bounces (invalid addresses) and soft bounces (temporary issues). Regularly clean your email list to avoid sending to invalid addresses.
- Authentication StatusEnsure your email authentication protocols - SPF, DKIM, and DMARC - are in place. Tools like MXToolbox can help verify your domain’s authentication status.
- Blacklist StatusCheck if your domain or IP is blacklisted. If it is, reach out to Real-time Blackhole Lists (RBLs) to resolve the issue.
Daily monitoring of these metrics is essential. Tools like Google Postmaster Tools refresh their reports every 24 hours, making it easier to spot and address issues quickly. For B2B senders, who generally have lower email volumes than B2C, every metric counts in maintaining strong deliverability.
Domain Reputation Management Steps
Managing your domain's reputation involves proper email authentication, keeping your email lists clean, and following smart sending practices. Here's a closer look at each step.
Email Authentication Setup
Email authentication is key to ensuring your messages reach their destination.
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Add to your DNS settings. This allows Google to send emails on your domain's behalf. Stick to a single SPF record to avoid errors.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Use the Google Admin Console to generate a DKIM record. Add it as a TXT record (e.g., ) to your DNS and enable authentication.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication): DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM by verifying domain alignment. Publish a DMARC record as a TXT entry in your DNS.
Email List Maintenance
Keep your email list up-to-date to avoid deliverability issues. Here's how:
- Remove invalid addresses and bounced emails.
- Reconnect with inactive contacts through re-engagement campaigns.
- Update contact details, especially for job changes.
- Monitor and manage bounce responses.
Did you know? 38.7% of senders rarely or never clean their email lists. This is especially problematic for B2B companies, as the tech industry alone saw over 240,000 job changes in 2023.
"Failing to regularly conduct B2B email list hygiene will eventually decrease your chances of reaching the inbox and increase the likelihood you land in spam." - Email on Acid
Email Sending Guidelines
How often and how much you send emails can make or break your reputation. Here's what to keep in mind:
- Sending Frequency: Limit emails to 2 per month. Stick to a consistent schedule and let subscribers choose their preferred frequency.
- Volume Control: Start with small batches and gradually increase based on engagement. Over 69% of people unsubscribe due to excessive emails.
- Content Personalization: Use audience segmentation to tailor content based on engagement levels and industry needs. This reduces spam complaints and keeps recipients interested.
Domain Reputation Improvement Methods
Boost your domain reputation with these practical, step-by-step strategies.
New Domain Setup Process
Once you've established baseline monitoring, follow these steps to properly set up a new domain:
- Register your domain early in the planning phase.
- Create a website that includes clear contact information.
- Complete email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Register with tools like Microsoft SNDS and Google Postmaster Tools.
Start warming up your domain by sending small email batches to your most engaged contacts. Gradually increase the volume over 4–8 weeks to build trust with email providers.
"Building your email reputation is just as important as building your brand reputation. We spend a lot of money on our brand reputation", and she questioned, "Why would we not take that same amount of care with our domains and our IPs?"
Reducing Spam Reports
Keeping your spam complaint rate below 0.1% is critical for maintaining good standing with major email providers. In B2B contexts, where complaint rates can sometimes exceed 2%, staying proactive is key.
Here are some effective ways to reduce spam reports:
- Use a double opt-in process for new subscribers.
- Segment your audience based on their engagement levels.
- Personalize your email content to make it relevant.
- Regularly monitor engagement metrics like open and click rates.
- Remove inactive subscribers from your list.
When designing your emails, prioritize the following:
- Subject lines that clearly communicate value.
- Avoiding words that trigger spam filters.
- Maintaining a balanced ratio of images to text.
- Including clear branding elements.
- Providing an easy-to-find unsubscribe option.
"Spam remains a significant concern. Even if you have a great list and take really good care of your list, there's still a high likelihood that people will think it's spam. You have to make sure it's not spammy."
"The first emails you'll send from your new space should be messages with the highest open rates and click-to-open rate (CTOR). Pick message types from the last 6-9 months that perform best, whether they're one-off marketing sends or triggered emails."
Artemis Leads Domain Services
Email and LinkedIn Outreach
Artemis Leads uses a multi-channel strategy to manage domain reputation for B2B businesses. By combining email and LinkedIn outreach, they ensure a strong sender reputation while effectively reaching decision-makers.
Their approach focuses on three main areas:
- Multi-channel IntegrationBy blending email and LinkedIn efforts, companies can:
- Diversify communication methods to strengthen credibility
- Optimize sending volume for better engagement
- Prospect QualificationBefore starting outreach, Artemis Leads conducts a detailed qualification process to safeguard domain reputation:
- Verifies email addresses to reduce bounce rates
- Confirms decision-maker roles for precise targeting
- Minimizes spam complaints through accurate segmentation
- Personalization at ScaleThey craft tailored messages at scale while adhering to email provider guidelines. This method can boost open rates by up to 28% compared to generic campaigns.
Artemis Leads also fine-tunes the technical setup to further reinforce sender credibility.
Email System Setup
A strong email system is essential for maintaining domain reputation. Artemis Leads offers a fully developed system that includes:
Component | Details | Impact on Reputation |
Authentication Protocols | Configures SPF, DKIM, and DMARC | Confirms sender authenticity |
Warm-up Sequence | Gradual warm-up with real-time adjustments | Builds trust with email providers |
Infrastructure | Uses dedicated IPs and custom domains | Ensures a separate sending profile |
Monitoring Tools | Integrates postmaster tools and analytics | Allows proactive issue management |
To maintain performance, dedicated account managers provide bi-weekly reviews, monitoring key metrics and making real-time updates to keep domain reputation intact across all outreach channels.
Summary: Domain Reputation for B2B
Building and maintaining a strong domain reputation is crucial for successful B2B email campaigns. Here are some key practices to follow:
Component | Best Practice | Impact |
Authentication | Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC | Confirms sender authenticity |
List Quality | Regular cleaning, double opt-in | Lowers bounce rates |
Spam Prevention | Keep spam rates under 0.1% | Meets Google and Yahoo standards |
Monitoring | Leverage reputation tools | Supports proactive issue detection |
These steps are essential for improving email deliverability and engagement. Data shows that 25% of emails fail to reach major inboxes, with Gmail alone rejecting 10% of messages. This highlights the importance of a proactive approach to email management.
Experts emphasize the importance of these strategies:
"Learning about recipients' likes can also help in hyper-personalization and segmentation, which are essential for inbox placement. However, you must also make unsubscribing easier. That way, you'll only send emails to active users and improve your domain reputation."
- Aquibur Rahman, CEO, Mailmodo
B2B companies must also stay vigilant about engagement rates, as 14.3% of emails never make it to the inbox.
"The top email servers (Gmail, Outlook, Zoho) use spam detectors to keep senders and recipients safe from phishing and malicious behaviour."
- Marianne Dupuy, Implementation Manager, HiBob
A poor domain reputation is responsible for 77% of deliverability problems, putting email campaigns at risk. By consistently applying these practices, businesses can safeguard their sender reputation and boost the impact of their email marketing efforts.