The quickest and easiest way to get your emails delivered to the inbox is to ask your subscribers to whitelist your email
You can ask your subscribers to do this straight away or wait until you have provided 3-4 emails of useful, valuable content which is do how I prefer to do it
This is so simple yet massively effective. We have provided details below for all the major ISPs whitelist requirements and if you see a significant amount of your subscribers are using services other than Gmail it can be a great way to boost your open rates providing details of the service providers whitelist requirements
We've listed the services below in alphabetical order to make them easier to find but start with Gmail because they are the major player
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AOL WebMail
Open the email.
Click on the sender's name and email address.
Click "Add to Address Book" in the window that appears.
Enter any additional information.
Click Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
AOL (version 9.0 or higher)
Copy the "from" address from the latest email (or you can copy the addresses listed above).
In the pop-up box, select Add.
Paste the copied address/type the address required in the Other email field.
Make the newly added address the "Primary email address" by checking the checkbox.
Select Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
AOL 8.0
Select Mail in the Menu on the top of the screen.
Select Mail Controls.
The Mail Control Screen would be displayed. Select Next.
Select Customize Mail Controls for this Screen Name and click Next.
You can select "Allow email from all AOL members, email addresses and domains" (allows all emails).
Select Next until the Save button shows up at the bottom.
Select Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
AOL 7.0
Select Mail in the Menu on the top of the screen.
Select Mail Controls.
The Mail Control Screen would be displayed. Select Next.
Select Customize Mail Controls for this Screen Name and click Next.
In the exclusion and inclusion parameters, include the domain xxxxx.com (replace the xxxxx with the domain name).
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
AT&T Web Email
Open your mailbox.
Select Options on the top right hand side > Mail Options > Filters > Add Filter.
Select Filters.
Click "Add Filter".
In the top row, labeled From Header, select contains from the pull down menu. Enter the address in the text box next to the pull down menu.
Example: You can either give a specific email address or use @xxxxx.com or *xxxxx.com to whitelist the domain (replace the xxxxx with the domain name).
Move down to the bottom where there is the option Move the message to. Select Inbox from the drop-down menu.
Select the Add Filter button once again.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Comcast SmartZone
Click Address Book.
Click "New" and choose "New Contact".
Add the email address and any additional information.
Click Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Cox.net Email
Go to WebMail Inbox window.
Click "Preferences".
Under General Email Preferences, click Blocked Senders.
Type in the sender or domain you wish to allow in the Exceptions List.
Click Add.
Click Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
EarthLink
Open the Address Book.
Click Add.
Enter your contact's domain.
Click Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Entourage
Open the email.
Right-click the sender's email address.
Select "Add to Address Book" in the short-cut menu.
Verify the sender's contact details.
Click Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Hotmail
(See Outlook.com Below)
MacMail
Open the email.
Type the sender's email in the Add Entry field on the Allow List.
Verify the sender's contact details.
Click Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
McAfee
Click the Allow/Deny menu option in the Control Console
Enter the recipient's email address in the Add Entrys field in the Allow List.
You can also add a contact's domain (e.g. whatever comes after the @ symbol) to allow anyone from that company.
Click Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
MSN
Select Settings: Email | Junk e-mail (bottom left, just above Calendar).
From the E-mail settings screen, select Junk E-mail Guard.
Select Safe List.
Enter the email address. Example: You can either enter a specific email address or use *xxxxx.com or @xxxxx.com to whitelist the domain (replace the xxxxx with the domain name).
Select Add.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Mozilla Thunderbird
Check if your contact's email is in your Junk folder, right-click on the email and choose "Mark As Not Junk".
Click Address Book.
Make sure that the Personal Address Book is highlighted.
Click New Card, the New Card window will display.
Under the Contact tab, copy your contact's "From" address and paste it into the Email dialog box.
Click OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Norton AntiSpam
AntiSpam works along with Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape and Yahoo, MSN/Hotmail to block spam mails before it reaches your inbox. To make sure emails reach you, you can add us to your Personal Friends list or Global Friends list. Here is how you can do that:
Start Norton AntiSpam, select Status & Settings tab.
Select AntiSpam.
Select Configure button - right hand side bottom of the screen.
Select Allowed List tab - second tab on the list of tabs.
Select Add.
Enter email address in the Email address box.
Select OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Outlook
2003, 2007 and Express
Without an example email address in your inbox:
Select Actions from the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Select Junk E-mail.
Select Junk E-mail Options...
Click the Safe Sender tab.
Click Add.
Type in the email address you wish to add to your safe sender list.
Click OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
With an example email in your inbox:
Open the email.
In the Toolbar options at the top, click the Safe Lists drop-down. Note: This is located in the "Junk Email" section
Select "Add sender to Address book".
Click OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
To white list an entire domain:
Open the email.
In the Toolbar options at the top, click the Safe Lists drop-down. Note: This is located in the "Junk Email" section
Select "Add Sender's Domain (@example.com) to Safe Senders List.
Click OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
2010
In Outlook, go to the Home tab.
Click the Junk button.
Choose "Junk E-Mail Options" from the drop-down list.
Go to the Safe Senders tab.
Type in either the email address or the domain name you wish to add.
Click OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Express
In Outlook, go to the Tools menu.
Select "Address Book".
Click New and select New Contact from the drop-down menu.
Type in email address and include any details you want.
Click OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Outlook.com (Formerly Hotmail)
Open your Outlook mailbox.
Select Options from the top right (next to the question mark).
Select More options > Safe and blocked senders (under Preventing junk email) > Safe senders.
In the space provided, enter the address. Example: You can either enter a specific email address or use *xxxxx.com or @xxxxx.com to whitelist the domain (replace the xxxxx with the domain name).
Select Add to list.
Ensure the safe mailing lists box has the address you entered, and select OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Road Runner
Open your Road Runner mailbox.
Open your Junk Mail folder.
Select the email that includes the e-mail address you would like to add as a safe sender.
Click "Mark as Not Spam".
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Spam Assassin
Follow the instructions to manually white list here.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Verizon
Open your Inbox.
Click Options.
Click Block Senders.
Locate the “Safe List”.
Enter your contact's domain.
Click OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Windstream
Click the Settings tab.
Click Messages.
Click Allow and Block Messages.
Select "Advanced Block Senders".
In the Allowed Senders and Domains area type the senders and domains you want to allow.
Click OK.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Yahoo
In Yahoo Mail, your contacts list is your whitelist. To add the From Address to your Yahoo Contacts:
Open your Yahoo mailbox.
Click the address book icon under the Yahoo! Mail logo. When you roll your mouse over it, it will say Contacts.
Click "New Contact".
Fill in the fields of your Contact.
Click Save.
Thanks for completing the steps.
Remember to reply to this email confirming that you've done so.
Email deliverability has never been more challenging. Email service providers (ESPs) and Internet service providers (ISPs) are closely monitoring signs of spam mailings and potentially malicious activities. In 2014, 60% of emails were reported as spam, according to Symantec.1
Reputable senders might think they have nothing to fear, but if they don't follow proper email etiquette, their messages may never reach their intended target. Senders can fall victim to blacklists and poor sender scores if they're not careful.
So how do senders ensure their emails reach inboxes? This checklist provides five key steps senders can take to improve their email performance.
1. FOCUS ON LIST HYGIENE
Monitor bounce notifications.
Email bounces and spam complaints are major red flags for ISPs. Senders can improve their mailing reputation by monitoring bounce notifications. For example, many email services provide feedback loops that tell the sender when a recipient classifies the message as spam. Senders who continually send emails to bad addresses or don't heed their email service provider's feedback will have their emails filtered or dropped.
Remove inactive email addresses. Senders should remove other addresses from recipients who aren't responding to or interacting with their emails after 90 days. ISPs take interaction, such as opens or clicks, as a positive sign, which improves the sender's reputation.
Have an "unsubscribe" feature. Senders must have an unsubscribe function. They should include a link or form on their website where recipients can "unsubscribe" from their list and an opt-out link in every email they deliver. While an unsubscribe, option is a requirement under the CAN-SPAM Act, it also discourages recipients from filing spam complaints, which can damage a sender's reputation.
Offer a double opt-in subscription. This means the sender is validating the email entered on its website twice – first by having the user enter the address on the site and then asking recipients to confirm their subscription through a confirmation email.
2. USE PROPER AUTHENTICATION PRACTICES
Adhere to authentication protocols. ESPs will assume a sender is spamming and will filter or drop the sender's email if the emails are not properly authenticated. The common types of authentication are SPF, DKIM and DMARC. These authentication protocols work for both one-to-one email or bulk emails.
3. TRACK REPUTATION STATUS
Monitor email scores. Email reputation is similar to personal credit scores. A poor email track record or no track record at all may prompt an ESP to filter a sender's message. It also may result in a poor sender score. Sender scores range from 0 to 100. Sender scores under 70 typically end up in spam folders. Senders can monitor their reputation scores by using monitoring tools, such MX Toolbox or Senderscore.org.
Use a private IP address. One of the culprits of a poor email score or possible "blacklisting" by an ISP is the use of an IP address for malicious activities. Some ESPs require senders to share an IP address with other users. This can have a negative impact on a sender's score if the other user is sending spam.
ESPs that require shared IP addresses should have strong spam monitoring features. Otherwise, senders should opt for a private IP address.
4. OPTIMIZE EMAIL CONTENT FOR DELIVERABILITY
Keep images to a minimum. Too many images and text links trigger spam flags at ESPs.
Send multipart emails using both text and HTML or text only. Sending HTML-only email is not well received by ESPs.
Also, ESPs generally block images by default, so HTML only will not look very good unless users are proactive about enabling images.
Avoid promotional text. Gimmicky, promotional text, such as "Buy Now!" or "Free!" are major spam flags. Also avoid using all caps in text and exclamation marks.
Personalize emails. The content should reflect the recipient's specific interests or usage patterns. Also address the recipient by name.
Always identify who is sending the email. Make sure each email has a valid reply-to address and an unsubscribe link in the body.
5. BE MINDFUL OF SENDING VOLUME
Consider a pool of IPs. ESPs have send limits for each IP address. High-volume senders (over 50,000 emails per week) should consider using a pool of IPs.
Consider a shared IP for lower-volume emails. Organizations that send less than 5,000 emails per week should consider a shared IP. Many ESPs won't acknowledge a sender's reputation if their volume is too low. A shared IP can help boost perceived sending volume.
Use separate IPs for bulk and transactional emails. Time-sensitive transactional emails may get queued behind a large batch of bulk marketing emails. In addition, the reputation of transactional emails can be negatively impacted by bulk marketing emails.
CONCLUSION
Senders who keep a close eye on their email performance can take corrective actions before they waste valuable time and resources on unsuccessful email deliveries.
By taking a more active role in their delivery efforts, senders can boost their reputation scores and avoid email death traps, such as spam filters or blacklists.
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