Email Service Compliance

Deliverability rules changed 🚨 Most GTM teams didn’t. That’s the problem, that's killing your Outbound.   Here’s a step by step guide to play by the new rules as discussed in last Monday’s webinar with ZeroBounce (recap below, plus slides 👇):   1. Deliverability has gotten brutal - ESPs now enforce SPF/DKIM/DMARC - Sending limits: as low as 30/day (!) - Open-tracking pixels + links = red flags - Treat deliverability like infra.   2. KPIs to live by - Bounce rate < 5% - Spam-complaint rate < 0.1% - Positive reply rate > 25% - Forget opens, replies are your real signal.   3. Stack smart, and send smarter ✅ Warm up inboxes 2–3 weeks (ZeroBounce helps) ✅ Mix inbox providers (Google + Microsoft) ✅ Match sender ↔ recipient (Google → Gmail) ✅ Pause weak performers weekly   4. Data hygiene = deliverability - Always validate emails with tools like ZeroBounce - Drop catch-alls & risky emails - Analyze why emails are invalid → fix source   5. Personalize or perish ✍️ - AI can segment, enrich, write, but the offer must land - ~60% variation per send to beat filters - Clay + Twain = to scale with relevance   6. Multichannel for resilience - If email bounces, use LinkedIn. - Use buyer signals (site visits, job changes) to stay warm.   Huge thanks to everyone who joined us on Monday's webinar 🙏 Special shoutout to ZeroBounce for hosting and powering the deliverability infra.   Want the slides? 1. Make sure we are connected 2. Drop a “SLIDES” in the comments and I’ll send them over. 3. Repost for early access 😉   #deliverability #coldemail #outbound #salesops #gtm #salesstrategy #emailmarketing #b2bsales

Most marketers know the big rules in email & SMS: CAN-SPAM. GDPR. TCPA. But great strategists? They know the nuances—the legal blind spots that open brands up to risk. ✨ Name, Image, Likeness (NIL): Dropping a celeb name in your subject line like you’re besties? Without a deal in place, that’s a fast track to a lawsuit. Publicity rights don’t care how good your open rates are. ✨ Copyright & IP: That cool logo or meme you "borrowed" for your email? Still counts as infringement—even if it’s just going to your list. If it’s not licensed, don’t touch it. ✨ Illegal Lottery: If your giveaway has chance, a prize, and a required purchase? Congrats—you’ve accidentally built a felony. Promotions aren’t plug-and-play. ✨ Deceptive Tactics: “RE: your account,” fake countdowns, or shady opt-ins—this isn’t 2009. The FTC reads marketing emails too, and they’re not amused. ✨ Regional Privacy Laws: Think one global opt-in covers you everywhere? Tell that to California. Or Quebec. Or Connecticut. Privacy law is a moving target, and ignorance isn’t a defense. The strategy isn’t just in the creative—it’s in knowing where the legal boundaries are, and how to scale without crossing them. This is why “just anyone” can’t build a winning email and SMS program. And, respectfully, your cousin who’s “sent some emails before” isn’t going to figure this out on day one. If you think they can, I hope you’ve saved your qualified email marketer budget for legal counsel instead.

Email Marketing in 2025: Navigating the New Spam Filter Paradigm The email marketing landscape has undergone significant transformations in 2025, with advanced AI-driven spam filters and evolving regulations redefining deliverability standards. Here's what marketers need to know: 🔍 Key Developments: 1. Over 51% of spam emails are now AI-generated, enhancing their sophistication and making detection more challenging 2. Providers like Microsoft have integrated advanced AI models into their spam filters, utilizing real-time subscriber feedback to improve accuracy. 3. Email Service Providers (ESPs) such as Gmail and Yahoo mandate strict adherence to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols. Non-compliance can result in emails being flagged as spam. 4. Gmail has reduced the acceptable spam complaint rate to 0.10%, meaning that exceeding this rate can lead to email blocks. 5. The rise of voice-activated inboxes necessitates emails to be optimized for audio rendering, emphasizing the importance of clear and concise content Strategic Recommendations: Focus on sending relevant content to engaged subscribers to maintain low spam complaint. Ensure all emails are authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to enhance deliverability. Craft emails with natural language and avoid spam-triggering keywords to navigate advanced AI spam filters. Design emails with clear structure and concise messaging to cater to voice-activated email. Staying abreast of these changes is crucial for effective email marketing in 2025. Let's connect and discuss how to adapt strategies to this evolving landscape. #email #emailmarketing

Did you feel that? That shift? It's not an earthquake. And it’s not an April Fool’s Joke. Only a major shift in the email marketing landscape. Google and Yahoo have announced new email requirements that go into effect on April 1st. These aim to crack down on spam, improve email authentication, and give subscribers more control. Here are the 3 key requirements you need to know about: ➡️ Stricter Email Authentication Protocols Google and Yahoo are tightening up on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols to reduce spam, spoofing, and phishing attempts. ➡️ Stricter Spam Threshold The acceptable spam complaint rate is being drastically lowered. The new threshold will now be 0.3% Exceeding the new, lower threshold will result in email deliverability issues. ➡️ No More Free Email Domains Using a free email domain like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com in your email's "From" address will no longer be allowed for bulk emails. ➡️ Bonus Change - starting June 1, 2024 Easy Unsubscribe A prominent one-click unsubscribe link at the top of every email will be mandatory. And the unsubscribe must be processed within two days. No more burying that link in tiny font way at the bottom. What This Means for You As A Business Owner If you're not fully compliant, you can expect declining open rates, more emails going to spam, and potential blocks from Gmail and Yahoo inboxes altogether. Plus you will ruin your domain and sender reputation. Google and Yahoo are doing this for a good reason. The new policies aim to clean up the email ecosystem from spammers and bad actors. To maintain email deliverability, you must audit your authentication protocols, spam rates, unsubscribe processes, and sending domains. This change is a wake-up call for email marketers. No longer can we ignore the technical aspects of sending emails. We must proactively manage and clean our email list. The email landscape is shifting in a big way on April 1st. Are you ready? Not sure? Avoid the Email Abyss. Feel free to DM me. I will check if you’re ready. P.S. But Karen it’s only for senders over 5000 emails! Check the comments for a screenshot of Google’s requirement for ALL senders. —---- 🔔 I post at 8am ET ♻️ Repost if you found it useful 📄 Ensure that your emails reach the Inbox Grab my Email Authentication Prep Checklist in the Featured Section

I helped a SaaS company 5x sales meetings. (Without changing their messaging) Last month, I gave an audit to a SaaS company. They were getting no results from their cold emails. I quickly found that it was all because of deliverability. I fixed it all with these 8 tactics: 1. Disabled open tracking pixels. ↳ Google and Outlook flag these as spam in 2025. ↳ Prevents emails from being marked as spam. 2. Implemented Spintax variations. ↳ Each prospect receives a truly unique email. ↳ Spam filters can’t detect mass sending patterns. 3. Sent plain text emails only. ↳ HTML, images, and links trigger spam filters. ↳ Text-only feels more personal and authentic. 4. Set up proper mail infrastructure with Maildoso. ↳ 98%+ inbox placement. ↳ Their IP rotation lands you in primary inbox. ↳ Their new AI Warmup feature increases deliverability. 5. Balanced sending with strategic warm-up. ↳ Each account maintains consistent activity. ↳ Protects domain reputation long-term. 6. Randomized daily sending times. ↳ Fixed schedules look automated to AI filters. ↳ Natural patterns mimic human behavior. ↳ Avoids the “marketing automation” flag. 7. Varied time gaps between emails. ↳ Eliminated the perfect 5-minute intervals. ↳ Created natural, human-like sending patterns. 8. Used a spam checker before campaigns. ↳ Caught deliverability issues before sending. ↳ Identified spam trigger words and fixed them. 9. Limited to 15 targeted emails per account daily. ↳ Quality over quantity approach. ↳ Maintained pristine sender reputation. ↳ Each prospect received truly personalized outreach. The results? Reply rates jumped from 0.5% to 2.4%. That’s nearly 5X more meetings from the same list. Without changing a single word in their pitch. Cold email is still the highest ROI channel in B2B. But only for those who master deliverability first. If your emails land in spam, it won't work. P.S. How are you currently handling deliverability?

New Strategies For Keeping Your Emails Out of Spam 👇 You might be making amazing emails. But if no one sees them, they won’t drive revenue. Step 1: Your Domain Has a Credit Score (And You Probably Don’t Know What It Is) Inbox providers like Google and Yahoo assign a kind of “credit score” to your domain based on how people interact with your emails. Open rates, clicks, replies = build a good credit score → inbox. No engagement, high bounce/spam complaints = bad credit score → spam folder. Use GlockApps to check yours (not a sponsor I just like them). They’ll give you test email addresses, you send a campaign, and they’ll show you exactly where you’re landing (Inbox vs Promotions vs Spam). Goal: You want 75%+ inbox placement. Step 2: Set Up Your Technicals (Takes 5 Minutes) This is non-negotiable. Missing this = guaranteed spam. Make sure the following records are correctly set up: SPF DKIM DMARC If you're using Klaviyo, this is pretty painless and most of it is automated. You just need to manually add a DMARC record (Klaviyo has an article in this if you look it up). Once it's done, it's done forever. Step 3: Warm Up Your Domain (Even If You’ve Been Sending for Years) Think of warming up your domain like building trust with inbox providers. You wouldn’t apply for a $100k loan with zero credit history. Same thing here. If you’re switching domains or have low open rates, treat your list like it’s fresh: Example Warm-Up Cadence: Start with 250 contacts. Then 250 → 500 → 1000 → 2000 Send unique campaigns every other day. Monitor open rates and only scale when engagement stays strong. Even with a massive list, you can get to full sends within 1 month. Step 4: Send Consistently! In 2025, going silent for weeks and blasting your full list out of nowhere is a huge red flag. Set a minimum cadence of 2 emails per week, even if it’s just a simple text-based update. This keeps your domain “active” and builds positive sending history over time. Step 5: Engagement Is Necessary Open rates, clicks, and replies tell inbox providers, “Hey, people actually want this.” Shoot for: 50%+ open rates 0.5%+ click rates <0.1% spam complaint rate Pro tip: If you’re not hitting those numbers, STOP sending to everyone. Instead, build a 30-day engaged segment (people who opened/clicked in the last 30 days) and only send to them. Once you’re consistently hitting 50%+ open rates, expand to 60, 90, 120-day segments. Bonus: Simple Emails = Higher Engagement Fancy designs are cool. But inbox providers love engagement, not aesthetics. Mix in text-based founder emails. Keep buttons clear. Add PS sections. Make it feel personal. It’s not just better for engagement, it builds trust and makes people want to open the next one.

Is your mail sliding into the spam folder? Has your reputation slipped to "low" in Google Postmaster Tools? Does Microsoft SNDS think you stink like a kid who just came in from recess? Well, I have good news and bad news. 🟢 Good first: Most major mailbox providers (MBPs) provide methods of contacting them! Gmail, Microsoft, Yahoo, Comcast, Apple (and more!) all offer sender support forms or publish postmaster email addresses so that you can reach out directly when you're encountering an issue delivering mail to their users. 🔴 Now for the bad: These MBPs receive a ton of submissions, most of them from spammers. They already have information on your traffic, which is why you're blocked or bulked in the first place. They're not going to just fix whatever problem you're having because you asked nicely. They're definitely not going to fix it if you're being rude. They don't care about your business model, or your bottom line, or your legal requirements. What they care most about is their own customers. And if you're sending to the right people, then those people are also *your* customers, and you should care about them, too! So, even though it's an option to ask the MBP for help, it's probably not the first (or best) one, because all the evidence they have available so far indicates that your mail is potentially dangerous, and maybe you are too. Your job now is to demonstrate that they got it wrong, ideally using your actions and not just words. Before submitting that sender contact form, review the MBP's guidelines and your own practices. After all, their playground, their rules! Each MBP has its own quirks, but the basics tend to be the same. If you're not sure where to start, it's here! 🛝 Rule 1: Keep spam complaints as low as possible. The best way to do that? Get permission, always. Maintain a healthy list by removing bounces and sending to your most-engaged subscribers. Make it easy to unsubscribe, and honor unsubscribe requests when you get them. 🛝 Rule 2: Authenticate your mail. Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC so you earn the deliverability you deserve (and don't forget to actually review your DMARC reports!). Authentication doesn't guarantee inbox placement, but you'll be left in the dust without it. 🛝 Rule 3: Be predictably yourself. MBPs and subscribers both reward consistency, and results tend to be stronger when everyone knows what to expect, when. Send similar volumes at similar times on similar days, ensuring increases are gradual to give the filters (and the audience) time to adjust. If you're ramping up and see increased delays, blocks, or complaints, or lower opens than expected, slow down and reassess. It's possible that the segment is no longer viable, or requires a different approach. If these bases are covered, THEN you can reach out. Include your name, your company, your domain & IP, the specific outcome you're having (including the bounce reason, if applicable), and what you've done to improve. And be nice!

After reviewing data from 1,000s of inboxes at RevGrowth, these 8 practices have made the biggest impact for consistent 99% email deliverability:   Most teams skip at least one of these, then wonder why their cold emails land in spam.   Here's what we do:   1. Use Secondary Domains - Never send from your main domain > We buy secondary domains through Porkbun for cheap, easy management   2. Track Replies Only - Open and click tracking hurt deliverability > I keep reply tracking on and turn everything else off. Clean signal, less risk   3. Send Fewer Emails Per Mailbox - I stick to 30 emails/day per mailbox, max > Spread your volume across several domains. Fewer red flags, more consistency   4. Warm Up Slowly - Ramp up sending volume over time. > Start low, increase gradually. This builds trust with inbox providers.   5. Double-Verify Your Lists - Bad data kills sender reputation > We use LeadMagic, Icypeas, and Prospeo.io for email search, then verify with LeadMagic. Clean lists = low bounce rates   6. Use Modern Sending Platforms - Old-school SEPs drag down deliverability > I recommend EmailBison or Smartlead   7. Automate CRM Syncing - Manual updates cause errors and missed follow-ups. > OutboundSync handles real-time syncing with HubSpot or Salesforce. Less manual work, more accuracy.   8. Stick to Plain Text - Links and images lower inbox rates. > I write text-only emails. They look more human and get better placement.   Our team applies these 8 steps in every workflow ourselves & all client accounts.   What’s been your biggest deliverability challenge lately?

I've sent 10 million cold emails with near-perfect deliverability. The secret is to never send more than 20 emails per day per inbox. This is the biggest fumble of all time when scaling cold email campaigns. People want to scale quickly, so they crank up the volume to 100 emails per day per inbox. That's the fastest way to go to spam, ruin your deliverability, and basically have to start your whole campaign over. Instead, keep the sending constant per inbox: 20 per day maximum. If you want to scale, think horizontally, not vertically: 1) Purchase more domains 2) Set up new inboxes on those domains 3) Keep each inbox at that 20/day sweet spot Think of it like pawns on a chessboard. If you want to scale your outreach, just purchase more pawns and put them on the board. Don't concentrate all your risk and volume on a single domain because Google or Outlook will pick up on that pattern immediately. I've personally scaled three separate businesses to seven figures using cold email as our main acquisition channel, and this rule has been non-negotiable across all campaigns. And while you're at it, always warm up your new cold email domains for at least 14 days before you start sending actual outreach messages. Let Google or Outlook know you're a human being by mimicking human behavior first. People get impatient, fumble the bag, and go straight to spam because they don't want to wait 14 days for the warm-up process. But guess what? You're just going to go to spam anyway if you rush it. Follow these two rules religiously, and your deliverability will thank you.

Your email deliverability didn’t drop… it flatlined. And most founders are still sending emails like it’s 2019. Last quarter I watched a $42M brand lose 38% of their Black Friday revenue overnight. Not because ads got expensive. Not because Shopify broke. Because Google + Microsoft quietly changed their filters. 61% of their emails went to Updates or straight to Spam. They had “perfect” setup: ✓ Great reputation ✓ Perfect DKIM ✓ 6-year warm IP Didn’t matter. The new AI filters crushed them anyway. When they called me freaking out, I asked one question: “When’s the last time you checked your email intelligence?” Blank stares. They’d never heard of it. The simple truth (screenshot this): Email in 2025 isn’t “send a blast and pray.” It’s AI-managed reputation. Google, Microsoft, and Apple judge every sender in real time. The winners = brands that send smart signals The losers = brands that keep sending like nothing changed. Old rules (RIP): • Keep complaints low • Warm up your IP • Use a big ESP and you’re fine These don’t work anymore. New rules (2026+): • Every subscriber acts like a “reputation sensor” • One bad segment can poison your whole domain • AI predicts spam complaints before a user opens • Inconsistent sending kills reputation fast • List hygiene must be daily, not quarterly Real examples happening right now: • Brand with 1.4M list: Inbox rate dropped 94% → 41% after adding one bad list • Fintech: Lost Apple Mail deliverability because 0.7% of their list was role accounts • DTC brand: Gmail inbox fell 98% → 27% overnight after sending old data The 2025 Email Intelligence Checklist (Do these or expect pain) 1) Remove traps/roles within hours 2) Check reputation every day 3) Segment by engagement + risk 4) Use separate domains for transactional/marketing 5) Avoid random “bursts” — plan volume 6) Create positive signals (polls, clicks, replies) 7) Lock down your infrastructure (BIMI, MTA-STS, etc.) Do all 7 = 99% inbox. Miss even one = random spam placement forever. This is the biggest gap since 2003. Most founders think deliverability is “set it and forget it.” They won’t realize the game changed until revenue drops. If you want my 47-point audit that fixes this in under 30 days, comment “INTEL.” Most won’t. The ones who do will own the inbox while everyone else screams into spam. The new email game already started. You’re either building intelligence… or you’re the signal someone else exploits.