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Improving Email Deliverability

Keep your emails landing and read by combining technical setup with engagement.

By James Schramko · Updated November 2025

Email Deliverability and Engagement Playbook (2025 Edition)

This playbook shows how to keep your emails landing, read, and acted on by combining technical setup with behavioral strategy.

1. Authenticate Your Domain (Technical Trust)

Set up all three records on your domain:

SPF lists authorized senders.

DKIM signs each message.

DMARC tells servers what to do with impostors.

Ask your hosting or email provider to confirm these are active.

Review them quarterly, especially after platform changes.

2. Maintain a Strong Sender Reputation

• Send from one consistent address and name.

• Avoid long gaps between campaigns.

• Keep complaint and bounce rates low.

• Warm new domains gradually before large sends.

3. Keep Your List Clean and Intent Driven

• Remove unengaged contacts every 90 days.

• Focus on high intent subscribers such as buyers, repeat clients, and people who reply.

• Segment by behavior:

• Buyers (already converted)
• Active Prospects (opening, clicking, replying)
• Dormant Leads (no activity for 60 days or more)

• Stop mailing Dormant Leads until they re opt in.

Fewer but higher value subscribers outperform large cold lists.

4. Earn Inbox Placement with Human Signals

• Ask new subscribers to reply to your first email, even a short “Got it.”

A reply moves you from Promotions to Primary in most inboxes.

• Encourage engagement regularly with prompts like “Hit reply and tell me.”

• Personal replies boost both trust and deliverability.

5. Match Your Lead Magnet to Your Offer

• Attract subscribers who actually want what you sell.

• If you offer something free, make sure it qualifies interest, not just curiosity.

• Example:

• Weak: “Free eBook on productivity.”
• Strong: “Free workshop on building systems for agency owners.”

• Paid lead magnets, even $10, filter for intent.

Better intent creates better list quality and stronger inbox placement.

6. Write for Value, Not Volume

• Keep subject lines personal and relevant.

• Lead with a benefit or curiosity, not hype.

• Make the first line conversational since it appears in the preview pane.

• One clear call to action per message.

• Use a PS for soft selling or additional curiosity.

• Always include contact information and an unsubscribe option.

7. Optimize Message Structure

• Balance text and images with roughly 80 percent text and 20 percent visuals.

• Use clean HTML templates with plain backgrounds.

• Font size 16 to 18px for easy reading on mobile.

• Limit to five links maximum, each with a unique destination.

• Keep link URLs under 120 characters.

8. Reinforce Relationship Over Time

• Maintain a steady rhythm, weekly is ideal.

• Rotate message types such as story, lesson, offer, testimonial, or check in.

• Segment and reward loyalty with early access or special updates.

• Remove friction with simple links and clear actions.

9. Troubleshooting Deliverability

If open or click rates drop sharply:

1. Pause sending for 48 hours.
2. Clean your list and remove inactive addresses.
3. Re engage your most active 25 percent first.
4. Test new content and subject lines.
5. Resume regular cadence only after engagement recovers.

10. Maintenance Routine

Monthly review list and engagement metrics.

Quarterly verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.

Annually update templates, footer information, and brand tone.

Summary

Deliverability is half technology and half human psychology.

Authenticate your domain, protect your reputation, and write to real people.

Focus on subscribers who read, reply, and buy because they pull you into the inbox every time.