What Is Deliverability Rate?

Definition

Deliverability rate refers to the percentage of emails that reach the inbox of a recipient successfully compared to the total number of sent emails. In email marketing, it’s a key metric because it shows how well your message can bypass the built-in spam filters of email providers. It also tells you if you have an active, valid, or correct email database. Otherwise, the emails will bounce back, affecting this rate.

Example

Pretend that you’re running an email campaign with a contact list of 1,000. Reaching the inbox of 950 contacts puts your deliverability rate at 95%. But if only 600 emails reach their intended destination, the number drops to 60%. The rate decreases with each email that misses the recipient’s inbox.

Factors Affecting Deliverability Rate

Several factors influence your deliverability rate, either improving or hurting it. Here are the main ones.

• Email List Quality: Your list’s cleanliness is crucial. A tidy, updated list means fewer bounces. And fewer bounces mean better deliverability. On the other hand, a messy list filled with invalid addresses is a quick ticket to poor results. So always keep your list neat. Regular clean-ups can do wonders here.
• Sender Reputation: Think of your sender reputation as your email’s credit score. A bad reputation, like sending emails that trigger spam filters, will lead to all your future emails being automatically blocked. Internet service providers pay close attention to this. To prevent problems down the road, make sure you guard your domain and IP reputation like gold.
• Email Content: What you say matters as much as how you say it. Spammy words, overly promotional phrases, or misleading subject lines are major red flags. These get caught by spam filters, meaning your email never even reaches your audience. Stay clear of them for smoother sailing into your recipients’ inbox.

Why Deliverability Rate Matters for Email Campaigns

A high deliverability rate is key to making sure your emails reach the right people. If your emails get blocked or bounce back, your message misses your audience, reducing the overall impact of your campaign.

In other words, a low rate means missed opportunities. After all, fewer emails reaching inboxes means less engagement. On the other hand, a higher rate leads to better open rates, click-throughs, and conversions. Keeping a strong focus on improving and maintaining deliverability maximizes the success of your campaigns and also helps boost your overall email marketing results.

Related terms

• DKIM
• List Hygiene

Related articles

• Email Deliverability: 101 Guide
• How To Improve Email Deliverability