[Limited Series]🥫SPAMAGEDDON🥫 11 Email Deliverability Hacks You Need Now 📬 | Ep. 360

Summary

Podcast Summary: [Limited Series] 🥫SPAMAGEDDON🥫 11 Email Deliverability Hacks You Need Now 📬 | Ep. 360

Title: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson | Presented By Marigold
Host/Author: GURU Media Hub
Release Date: June 19, 2025

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In this exhilarating episode of "Do This, NOT That!" titled "SPAMAGEDDON: 11 Email Deliverability Hacks You Need Now," host Jay Schwedelson collaborates with industry experts Danielle Gallant and Guy Hanson from Validity. This limited five-part crossover series between the Email After Hours podcast and the Do This, Not That podcast delves deep into the critical aspects of email deliverability, providing marketers with actionable strategies to combat spam filters and enhance engagement.

Introduction and Setting the Stage [00:00 - 04:30]

The episode kicks off with a lively interaction among the hosts, setting a fun and engaging tone. Jay introduces the concept of "Spamageddon," emphasizing the battle marketers face against spam filters, block lists, and declining engagement rates. The hosts play a quick "10-second game," where they answer quirky, unrelated questions, showcasing their camaraderie and setting the stage for the insightful content to follow.

1. Strengthening DMARC Policies [04:37 - 05:43]

Guy Hanson opens the discussion with a crucial tip on DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) policies:

"It's only a matter of time before Gmail and Yahoo particularly make it a mandatory requirement to beef up DMARC using a policy of quarantine or reject. Don't wait." ([04:37])

Guy explains that while many senders currently use a "p=none" policy, which doesn't enforce any action on non-compliant emails, this is a vulnerability that fraudsters exploit. He advises marketers to proactively adopt stricter DMARC policies to safeguard their domains and improve email deliverability.

2. Minimizing Spam Complaints [05:43 - 06:21]

Danielle Gallant underscores the importance of maintaining low spam complaint rates:

"Even though Gmail and Yahoo have said 0.3% spam complaint is a maximum, that is really, really generous. What senders want to do is keep their spam complaint rates below 0.1%." ([05:43])

Danielle warns that exceeding this threshold can severely impact deliverability, urging marketers to implement strategies that minimize the chances of their emails being marked as spam.

3. Embracing Double Opt-In [06:21 - 07:11]

Guy Hanson highlights the significance of double opt-in:

"Today's best practices seem to have a regular habit of becoming tomorrow's mandates." ([06:21])

He explains that double opt-in—where subscribers confirm their subscription through a secondary action—enhances list quality and engagement. Guy anticipates that mailbox providers may soon make double opt-in a mandatory requirement, recommending marketers adopt it now to stay ahead.

4. Ensuring Data Hygiene [07:55 - 08:48]

Danielle Gallant emphasizes the necessity of data hygiene:

"Protecting your email list from bot attacks and bad addresses starts right at the point of acquisition." ([07:55])

She advises implementing multi-layered strategies, including address validation, CAPTCHA implementation, and securing signup forms to ensure that only legitimate subscribers are added to mailing lists, thereby enhancing deliverability and reducing spam risks.

5. Deleting Dormant Subscribers [08:48 - 09:11]

Guy Hanson advises on managing inactive subscribers:

"Make sure you're excluding all subscribers who have not engaged with their emails for 12 plus months." ([08:48])

He points out that providers like Gmail and Yahoo are actively deleting dormant accounts, which can negatively impact deliverability. Regularly cleaning inactive subscribers ensures a healthier email list and better sender reputation.

6. Removing Complainers [09:11 - 09:57]

Danielle Gallant discusses handling spam complaints:

"Subscribers who mark your message as spam should be removed from ever receiving any other mail from you." ([09:11])

She introduces the concept of Feedback Loops (FBLs), which help identify and remove complainers from mailing lists. Utilizing FBLs is crucial for maintaining low complaint rates and protecting sender reputation.

7. Implementing Gmail Annotations [09:57 - 10:39]

Guy Hanson sheds light on Gmail Annotations:

"Implement annotations and then you're going to have full control over what content is shown in the Gmail promotions tab." ([09:57])

He explains that annotations allow senders to dictate which snippets or images appear in Gmail's Promotions tab. Without proper annotations, Gmail's AI might display irrelevant content, potentially harming engagement. Proper implementation ensures that the most relevant and appealing content is showcased.

8. Anticipating AI-Generated Summaries [10:53 - 11:44]

Danielle Gallant warns about emerging AI-generated summaries in email clients:

"AI generated summary is going to replace the pre-header, so senders need to start adopting SEO principles." ([10:53])

With AI taking over summary generation, marketers must optimize their email content and alt texts to ensure that the right information is presented to recipients. This shift necessitates a strategic approach to content creation and optimization.

9. Optimizing Bulk Send Timing [11:44 - 12:16]

Guy Hanson provides timing strategies for bulk emails:

"Don't schedule your bulk sends to start at the top of the hour because mailbox providers hate it." ([11:44])

He shares insights from Yahoo, revealing that a significant portion of inbound traffic peaks within the first ten minutes of each hour, leading to processing constraints. By staggering send times, marketers can avoid these bottlenecks, enhancing deliverability rates.

10. Enhancing Accessibility [12:16 - 12:35]

Danielle Gallant addresses the often-overlooked aspect of email accessibility:

"90% of marketing emails still contain critical issues that exclude customers with accessibility needs." ([12:16])

Ensuring emails are accessible not only broadens audience reach but also reduces spam complaints. Accessible emails foster better engagement and inclusivity, making it a non-negotiable element of effective email campaigns.

11. Preparing for AI Legislation [12:35 - 13:15]

Guy Hanson discusses the impending AI legislation:

"Revisit the legal basis that you're using to process personal data and update your privacy policies." ([12:35])

As AI regulations tighten, marketers must reassess their data processing practices, evaluate AI-related risks, and update privacy policies to comply with new laws. Proactive compliance ensures ethical practices and avoids legal pitfalls.

Bonus Tip: Leveraging Apple Business Connect VMCs [13:15 - 13:51]

Danielle Gallant introduces the concept of Apple Business Connect Verifiable Mark Certificates (VMCs):

"Associating your logo with your mail in the mailbox proves that you're a trusted sender." ([13:15])

By utilizing VMCs, marketers can display their logos alongside emails in Apple Mail, enhancing brand recognition and trustworthiness, which in turn boosts engagement and deliverability.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts [13:51 - 15:23]

Jay wraps up the episode by reinforcing the importance of partnering with knowledgeable email service providers (ESPs) like Validity, who excel in deliverability. He encourages listeners to engage with their providers, seek expert advice, and remain proactive in implementing best practices. The hosts express their enthusiasm for the "Spamageddon" series and invite feedback from listeners on future episodes.

Notable Quotes:

• Jay Schwedelson [04:37]: "Don't wait. And then it becomes a panic. You know, start putting some steps in place to make it happen."

• Danielle Gallant [05:43]: "Even though Gmail and Yahoo have said 0.3% spam complaint is a maximum, that is really, really generous."

• Guy Hanson [06:21]: "Today's best practices seem to have a regular habit of becoming tomorrow's mandates."

• Danielle Gallant [10:53]: "Senders really need to start adopting SEO principles to ensure that the right content is being summarized and presented."

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Key Takeaways:

1. Strengthen DMARC Policies: Transition from "p=none" to stricter policies to prevent domain abuse.
2. Minimize Spam Complaints: Aim for spam complaint rates below 0.1% to maintain high deliverability.
3. Adopt Double Opt-In: Enhance list quality and engagement by requiring subscribers to confirm their intent.
4. Maintain Data Hygiene: Implement robust data validation methods to protect your email list from malicious signups.
5. Remove Dormant Subscribers: Regularly clean inactive users to improve sender reputation.
6. Handle Complaints Effectively: Use feedback loops to promptly remove complainers and reduce future issues.
7. Use Gmail Annotations: Control the display of your email content in Gmail’s Promotions tab.
8. Optimize for AI Summaries: Ensure your email content is optimized for AI-generated previews.
9. Strategize Bulk Send Times: Avoid peak processing times to enhance deliverability.
10. Enhance Email Accessibility: Make your emails accessible to all users to increase engagement and reduce complaints.
11. Prepare for AI Legislation: Stay ahead of regulatory changes by updating data processing and privacy practices.
12. Leverage VMCs: Utilize Apple Business Connect VMCs to build trust and recognition with your audience.

This comprehensive guide equips marketers with the necessary tools and insights to navigate the complex landscape of email deliverability, ensuring their messages reach the intended audience effectively.

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Stay Connected:

• Listen to More: Subscribe to the Email After Hours and Do This, Not That podcasts for more expert marketing tips.
• Explore Marigold: Enhance your relationship marketing with Marigold’s loyalty solutions at meetmarigold.com.

Transcript

[Danielle Gallant]

Foreign.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Welcome to Spamageddon. This is a special five part crossover series between the Email After Hours podcast and the do this, not that podcast. We're going to keep these short. They're going to be fun. They're going to be awesome.

[Guy Hanson]

We're teaming up to help marketers battle the ultimate inbox apocalypse. Is your email program doomed, or can you survive the invasion of spam filters, block lists, and dwindling engagement?

[Danielle Gallant]

In this special series, we're going to bust myths, drop truth bombs, and give you the tips you need to survive the deliverability doomsday.

[Jay Schwedelson]

All right, so your host. You got me, Jay Schwedelson from the Guru Media Hub and the do this, not that podcast.

[Guy Hanson]

And I'm Guy Hanson. I'm VP of customer engagement at Validity and co host of our Email After Hours podcast.

[Danielle Gallant]

And I'm Danielle Gallant, also of Validity and Guy's better half on the Email After Hours podcast.

[Jay Schwedelson]

We are back for Spamageddon, and this one is going to be awesome. This is the kitchen sink. We have Danielle, we have Guy, two of the greatest deliverability people on the planet, and they are going to rip through so fast. 10 tips about deliverability and stuff that everybody needs to know. But before we get into this, okay, we're going to play our 10 second game. So at the start of every Armageddon we play, you have 10 seconds where I asked Danielle and I asked Guy two completely ridiculous questions that have no meaning in life at all, and they each have to answer them and they're awesome. Are you both ready to do this?

[Danielle Gallant]

Yes.

[Guy Hanson]

Yes.

[Jay Schwedelson]

I love it. All right, Guy, you are first. Here we go. Here we go. This is very exciting. Guy, you have 10 seconds. Name three words that mean something totally different in the UK versus the US table.

[Guy Hanson]

As in let's table this motion. And then I guess there's the obvious ones just in terms of spelling. You know, our aluminum is your aluminum and. Oh, I'm blanking on this one. Bong.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Wait a minute. I want to know about, like, what. How do you say aluminum?

[Guy Hanson]

Aluminum. It has an extra I in it.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Wow, I love that.

[Danielle Gallant]

Can I please raise my hand and then use this as a credit toward my own horrible tense? What about pants, Guy? Pants?

[Guy Hanson]

Pants. Yeah.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Or french fries? Chips.

[Guy Hanson]

No, but they're. They're the same thing. I think what you are asking for is the same word, which means completely different things. And.

[Danielle Gallant]

But doesn't pants mean.

[Guy Hanson]

I know the clock's ticking, but I remember at a very early stage when I joined Return Path and We sat in a meeting where we violently disagreed with each other because, you know, the more somebody is saying, you know, let's table this discussion. And I'm understanding it's, let's put it on the table and talk about it. Now, of course, my u. S. Colleagues are going, let's save it for another day. And it took a while for us to realize that we were talking about different things. What's the old saying? Two countries divided by common language.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Oh, I like that. I'm. I like the aluminium or whatever the hell you said. I'm going to try to say that like vibranium in marvel. All right, let's get into Danielle. Are you ready for your question?

[Danielle Gallant]

Yes, I'm ready.

[Jay Schwedelson]

You got this. I feel like you got this. Here it is. Okay, Danielle, you have 10 seconds. Name three songs that Danielle would sing in a karaoke bar.

[Danielle Gallant]

Tequila. It's one word.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Lots of it.

[Danielle Gallant]

Anything by the backstreet boys. And the ghostbusters theme song, I think.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Who said ghostbusters? That's the most random karaoke song of all time. You were. If I was at a bar and they go, and now Danielle's gonna sing ghostbusters, I'd be like, what?

[Danielle Gallant]

You'd be thoroughly impressed. Don't lie. Come on.

[Jay Schwedelson]

It would be one and done. I've never heard that before. But this episode's also one and done. This is going to be amazing. We're about to get into the kitchen sink. 10 tips about deliverability that everybody will put this in the show notes because we're going to go through this so fast. There's going to be so much information. So I'm going to toss it over. Guy, you ready to start crushing these one after another?

[Guy Hanson]

Yeah. Who are you going to call?

[Jay Schwedelson]

Busters so bad.

[Danielle Gallant]

I see this. I can't play this game anymore.

[Jay Schwedelson]

All right, Ray Parker Jr. Are you ready? Okay, here we go, guy. Let's go.

[Guy Hanson]

Okay, so my first deliverability tip for 2025. I think we've spoken a couple of times on these episodes about the new sender requirements Gmail yahoo introduced one of those was to publish a dmarc record to authenticate yourself as a valid sender. We won't go too deep into this, but dmarc comes with a policy. None, quarantine or reject. It's an instruction to the mailbox providers on what to do if they identify malicious email. Vast majority of senders went for the p equals none. It basically means, okay, we publish the record but do nothing. Even if we see non compliant emails. Fraudsters have already identified P equals none as a weakness and they are attacking domains where P equals none has been published. In my mind, it's only a matter of time before Gmail and Yahoo particularly make it a mandatory requirement to beef up DMARC using a policy of quarantine or reject don't wait. And then it becomes a panic. You know, start putting some steps in place to make it happen.

[Danielle Gallant]

Now I'm up next and I'm going with another another item related to those sender requirements from Gmail and Yahoo that's about spam complaints. So even though Gmail and yahoo have said 0.3% spam complaint is is a maximum, that is really, really generous. What senders want to do is keep their spam complaint rates below 0.1%. So if you're at that 0.3 odds are you are already going to be having deliverability issues. So the lower your spam rates can.

[Guy Hanson]

Go, the better 100%. My next one. Guess what? We spend a lot of time reading the mailbox provider email best practices documents because we're email nerds. And it's important because you know what? Today's best practices seem to have a regular habit of becoming tomorrow's mandates. And if you read the guidelines from Gmail, Yahoo, Apple, they all strongly recommend using double opt in. So your subscriber signs up, you send them an email, you go cool, that's me. And then you're live. They all strongly recommend that as the approved signup mechanism. And again, I can see a future state where that becomes one of their mandatory requirements too. Don't wait for it. Your program's going to perform better because of the title consent anyway.

[Danielle Gallant]

Jay, I feel like you had strong feelings or had a question about double opt in.

[Jay Schwedelson]

I'm not a fan of double opt in. I know that that sounds ridiculous because what Guy just said makes a lot of sen and it's 100% true. I think the problem is that so many people get left in, in limbo. They don't think to go and, and, and actually double opt in. And they want to be on that list. They just asked to be on that list. And then marketers don't know what to do with this portion of their database of people that opted in that said they want to do that thing. And then the people are left out because they just did opt in. So it's this awkward land of limbo. And so that, that bothers me a lot. But again, that might be an episode for another time because I'd Love to go back.

[Guy Hanson]

Yeah, I think we should table.

[Jay Schwedelson]

I love it. I love it. All right, Danielle, go for it.

[Danielle Gallant]

All right, we're going to go, we're going to go to the next one which is about data hygiene and making sure that your program is protected. So protecting your email list, your subscriber list from bot attacks and bad addresses, a good relationship and good deliverability starts right at the point of acquisition. How you're getting those subscribers who's allowed to come in. So implement a multi part strategy for your acquisition that includes sorry Jay, double opt in maybe address validation so you are ruling out typos or anything like you know, a role address if you don't want that. Captcha Captcha is cheap or free sometimes and it's an easy way to get rid of to get rid of bad addresses and there are lots of additional security requirements so definitely protect your signup form.

[Guy Hanson]

Tip number five Delete those dormants. I think Gmail and Yahoo particularly are actively deleting old dormant accounts. So you know that has an impact on your email programs. Make sure you're excluding all subscribers who have not engaged with their emails for 12 plus months and it's going to have a positive impact on your deliverability.

[Danielle Gallant]

My next one is it's going to feel like a retread but it's cut out the complaints. But I should say complainers. So we already know and we've talked about why it's important to keep complaint rates low. But those subscribers who mark your message as spam, you want to remove them from ever receiving any other mail from you because odds are if they think you're spam now, they're going to keep marking you as junk moving forward. So there is something called a feedback loop or an FBL that everybody should have should be enrolled in the mailbox. Providers do it themselves differently. Your ESP can help you with this and validity. Validity operates a universal feedback loop. So make sure you're taking advantage of feedback loops to get those, those complainers off your list.

[Guy Hanson]

Definitely. Now on a previous episode we talked about Gmail annotations. This is some functionality that Gmail offers in the Promotions tab to expose things like code snippets or your preferred image directly into the inbox and which is great. The only challenge is that they are now using AI to auto insert annotation schemas to emails that aren't already using it. And the problem is they might identify a code snippet or an image which you as the sender didn't really want them to use. So best way to overcome that is implement annotations and then you're going to have full control over what content is shown in the Gmail promotions tab when your emails are delivered.

[Danielle Gallant]

And I have some really bad examples like horror stories where senders didn't define annotations and now Gmail is pulling up just like the completely, completely irrelevant stuff or images from that email. So totally.

[Guy Hanson]

Yeah, yeah, hey, you know, go and go and have a look at this expired offer.

[Danielle Gallant]

Yeah, so charming. Next one Anticipate AI generated summaries. So in Apple, even if it's not completely rolled out yet, if you're using the native mail app, and even if you're not, it's going to be more widespread than that preview text. So that pre header that takes up a nice piece of real estate in the mailbox, it's going to be replaced by AI generated summary. So senders really need to start adopting SEO principles to ensure that the right content is being summarized and presented. And be aware of your alt text for the images in your emails, because if you're using recycled or old images that have completely random names, even that text can be pulled into your summary.

[Guy Hanson]

For your bulk sends, don't schedule them to start at the top of the hour because everybody does it and the mailbox providers hate it. Marcel at Yahoo told us that 70% of all the inbound traffic that Yahoo processes arrives in the first 10 minutes of every hour. So it creates constraints for processing capacity and bandwidth and that has an impact on your deliverability. So offset the start time of your broadcast, you're going to face less competition and you are far more likely to reach your customers inboxes.

[Danielle Gallant]

Accessibility. I can't believe we're still talking about this. And yet 90% of marketing emails still contain critical or serious issues that exclude customers that have an accessibility need. So it means reduced engagement and more spam complaints. Get on that.

[Guy Hanson]

Everybody definitely feels like we've spent the last three years talking about artificial intelligence, but not a huge amount of conversation about new AI legislation. But it's coming. In some cases it's already here. And I think now is a great time for senders to be doing things like revisiting the legal basis that you're using to process personal data, evaluate the risk levels that your AI use creates, and make sure you're updating your privacy policies and your user preferences so that you know you've got all of your ducks in a row and your boxes are ticked as that legislation starts to become effective wherever you are.

[Danielle Gallant]

And the last one, the last one in this kitchen sink get recognized. Like, imagine you're on LinkedIn. You're one of those people on LinkedIn. You don't have a picture. That's kind of what it's like if you're not taking advantage of Bimmy. Apple Business Connect VMCs, you want to associate your logo with your mail in the mailbox. So making sure that your logo is trusted, available, you've got that blue check mark that everybody recognizes as a sign of legitimacy, just proves that you're a trusted sender and your subscribers are going to be happy about it.

[Jay Schwedelson]

This was an awesome list. I just was taking notes. I just learned so much. And for all the listeners out there, you may be like, oh, my God, I'm doing everything wrong. This is overwhelming. It could feel like a lot. Here's what I don't think a lot of people realize. Your sending platform that you're on, doesn't matter which one you're on. They're on your team. They want you to have good engagement. You're on their pipes, you're on their IPs, you're on their infrastructure. They want you to be a client and they want your money, but they also need you to do a good job because the reputation of what you're doing impacts the entire ecosystem for their entire platform. And you need to push your provider. You need to reach out to them, set up calls with them, say, I don't understand all this stuff. What does it all mean if you don't get the right answer? Go further, ask them for an internal consultant. And if they won't do that, they won't help you. That is a telltale sign you're on the wrong platform because they are on your team. And also, of course, check out Validity, because validity are the pros in terms of deliverability. So if your platform doesn't know it, no joke. And Guy and Danielle did not ask me to do this, but Validity are the leaders in the space. And also listen to email after hours. It's an incredible podcast and you could check out do this, not that. And let us know if you like this series. Spamageddon. Should we keep it going? Should we do more Spamageddon? Who knows? Drop us dms, leave us messages, leave us comments. Danielle, Guy, this has been a blast. What do you want to say?

[Guy Hanson]

Keep those complaints right style.

[Jay Schwedelson]

There it is.

[Danielle Gallant]

Come listen to email after hours.

[Guy Hanson]

Let's do it. All right, we'll see you.

[Jay Schwedelson]

All right, later. That's a wrap on this episode. Of Spamageddon, but the battle for the inbox never ends. If you love this crossover chaos, you got to in tune in the next time. And make sure to subscribe to Email After Hours podcast. It is one of my favorites. And also check out do this, not that Podcast for Marketers. It is a blast. We'll see you at the next episode.