The Email Marketer's Guide to Gmail

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Tonya MitchellSr. Deliverability ConsultantReturn [email protected]

Melinda PlemelEmail Intelligence GroupReturn [email protected]

A Brief History of Gmail

April 1, 20041000 Users

June 2005 Gmail buysgmail.com from Garfield

2006 Gmail has7.1 million users

February 14, 2007 Gmail opens signups

worldwide

2008 Gmail has 29.6 million users

2009 Gmail isOut of Beta

2010 Priority Inbox is introduced

2012 Gmail has 425 million users

April 1, 2014Gmail Turns 10!

New in Gmail

The Tabbed Inbox

Images on by default

In App Actions

Easy Unsubscribe

What does Gmail say?

Delivery Guidelines

Delivery Guidelines

• Authentication & Identification

Delivery Guidelines


• Subscribe & Unsubscribe

Delivery Guidelines



• Content

Delivery Guidelines



• Content

• Delivery

Delivery Guidelines



• Content

• Delivery

• Third-Party Senders &Affiliate Marketing Programs

SPF• Authenticates the IP

DKIM• Authenticates the Domain• Gmail requires 1024-bit key

DMARC• Technical specification to email authentication protocols

Authentication

http://blog.returnpath.com/blog/ken-takahashi/google-is-failing-your-perfectly-good-dkim-key-and-why-thats-a-good-thing

Subscribe Unsubscribe


• Opt-In• Confirmed

Opt-In• NO 3rd Party• NO Pre-

Checked Box


• Opt-In• Confirmed

Opt-In• NO 3rd Party• NO Pre-

Checked Box

• Easy• Prominent Link• Functional reply-

to method• List Unsubscribe• Global

Unsubscribe

and Formatting

and Formatting

RFC 2822

and Formatting

RFC 2822 Correctly Identify yourself – Maintain

Consistent From and Sending Domain

and Formatting


Consistent From and Sending Domain Relevant Subject – Not Pushy

and Formatting


Consistent From and Sending Domain Relevant Subject – Not Pushy Avoid URL Shorteners

and Formatting


Consistent From and Sending Domain Relevant Subject – Not Pushy Avoid URL Shorteners Don’t Hide

Delivery

Delivery

• Inspire Subscribers to Personally Whitelist You

Delivery


• Occasionally Send Re-Confirmation Emails

Delivery



• Not Spam Votes Matter

Delivery




• Segment Mail Streams

Delivery




• Segment Mail Streams

• Warm-Up New IPs

Third Party Senders & Affiliates


• Watch Affiliate Traffic


• Watch Affiliate Traffic• Monitor Every Campaign for Spam


• Watch Affiliate Traffic• Monitor Every Campaign for Spam• Ensure Affiliates Follow Best Practices


• Watch Affiliate Traffic• Monitor Every Campaign for Spam• Ensure Affiliates Follow Best Practices• Ensure Whois and Abuse information is up to date


• Watch Affiliate Traffic• Monitor Every Campaign for Spam• Ensure Affiliates Follow Best Practices• Ensure Whois and Abuse information is up to date• Assess User Interaction


• Watch Affiliate Traffic• Monitor Every Campaign for Spam• Ensure Affiliates Follow Best Practices• Ensure Whois and Abuse information is up to date• Assess User Interaction • Monitor your program to take down spammers

So What Now?

AVOID THE SPAM FOLDER…It’s all about Engagement!

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5 SECONDS TO SPAM!

Spam vs. Not SpamHow Do Your Subscribers Vote?

INBOX: SPAM FOLDER:


INBOX: SPAM FOLDER:


INBOX: SPAM FOLDER:


INBOX: SPAM FOLDER:


INBOX: SPAM FOLDER:


INBOX: SPAM FOLDER:

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Source: 2013 Return Path TINS Report

TINS and Spam Filtering

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TINS and Spam Filtering

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TINS and Engagement


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TINS and Engagement


WHY is Your Message Considered Spam?

Why is Your Message Considered Spam?



• Previously Marked As Spam


• Previously Marked As Spam• Phishing Scams


• Previously Marked As Spam• Phishing Scams• Unconfirmed Sender


• Previously Marked As Spam• Phishing Scams• Unconfirmed Sender• Message Looks Suspicious


• Previously Marked As Spam• Phishing Scams• Unconfirmed Sender• Message Looks Suspicious• Administrator Policies


• Previously Marked As Spam• Phishing Scams• Unconfirmed Sender• Message Looks Suspicious• Administrator Policies• Message Content Empty


• Previously Marked As Spam• Phishing Scams• Unconfirmed Sender• Message Looks Suspicious• Administrator Policies• Message Content Empty• Unsubscribe Request Failed

Complaint Rate

= .01%

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How do You Reduce Spam Complaints?

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•Set Expectations

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•Set Expectations

•Email Recognition

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•Set Expectations


•Be Relevant

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•Set Expectations


•Be Relevant

•Respect Unsubscribe Requests

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•Set Expectations


•Be Relevant

•Respect Unsubscribe Requests

•Understand WHY people complain

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1. List-Unsubscribe HeaderFrom: [email protected]

Subject: Get 20% off – today only!

Date: February 26, 2014 3:13:02 PM EDT

To: [email protected]

List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]>, <http://www.senderdomain.com/email/unsubscribe/>

List-Unsubscribe

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2. Authenticate with DKIM and SPF

List-Unsubscribe

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2. Authenticate with DKIM and SPF

3. Have a Positive Gmail Reputation

List-Unsubscribe

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THEN…

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THEN…

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NOW…

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NOW…

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NOW…

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List-Unsubscribe Options

MAILTO ADDRESS:

UNSUBSCRIBE LINK:

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List-Unsubscribe Options – MAILTO ADDRESS

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List-Unsubscribe Options – UNSUBSCRIBE LINK

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Subscriber Actions

In Account

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Starred or Important

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Starred or Important

Actions Teach Filters

System Adjusts Quickly to

Spam Threats

A Retailer’s Case Study: Engagement Strategy

Only mailing to Gmail users 0-6 months old who put an item in their cart or clicked on an email

Mailing only to Gmail users who had put an item in the cart or clicked on an email in last 30 days

A Retailer’s Case Study: From 30 Days to 6 Months

Expanded Engagement filtering rules and only mailing active Gmail users of 0-6 months who put an item in their cart or clicked on an email

Reverted to only mailing Gmail users showing 30-days of activity

What Else We’ve Learned…


1. Gmail’s #1 priority is keeping their subscribers happy



2. Transactional mail is important



2. Transactional mail is important3. SURBL and URIBL blacklists



2. Transactional mail is important3. SURBL and URIBL blacklists 4. Overly generic subject lines =

high complaints (Great Deals Here!)





5. Gmail’s spam filtering is dynamic and can vary with each campaign





5. Gmail’s spam filtering is dynamic and can vary with each campaign

6. Stop mailing to people who complain or risk reputation

When All Else Fails…

Open a Ticket with Gmail:https://support.google.com/mail/troubleshooter/2696779

Gmail Public Forum:http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!categories/gmail

https://support.google.com/mail/troubleshooter/2696779

https://support.google.com/mail/troubleshooter/2696779

http://productforums.google.com/forum/

http://productforums.google.com/forum/

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Inbox OptimizerCorrective based on 50+ variables

Important to email filters

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Inbox Optimizer – Identify and Fix It!

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The Results…

The Tab Impact for YOU

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Jot This Down

• Find Out if Gmail Tabs is affecting you: http://gmailtabs.returnpath.com/

• The Email Marketer’s Guide to Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo!: http://landing.returnpath.com/marketer-field-guide

• Gmail Tabs Study: http://landing.returnpath.com/gmail-tabbed-inbox

http://gmailtabs.returnpath.com/

http://gmailtabs.returnpath.com/

http://landing.returnpath.com/marketer-field-guide



http://landing.returnpath.com/gmail-tabbed-inbox



Tonya MitchellSr. Deliverability ConsultantReturn [email protected]

Melinda PlemelEmail Intelligence GroupReturn [email protected]

Questions?