Module 1: Laying the foundation
NAILING DELIVERABILITY
Top deliverablity tips.
Improving deliverability is one of the easiest ways to get more out of every email you send. Here’s how to give your campaigns the best chance of landing in the inbox — not spam.
1. Prioritise engaged subscribers
For regular campaigns, send only to people who have opened or clicked in the last 60 days. This protects your sender reputation and helps inbox providers recognise you as a high-quality sender.
When you have a big launch or irresistible offer, you can temporarily expand your audience to include 90 or even 120 days — just not every time.
Subscribers outside your 60-day engagement window should be targeted via a winback flow instead, where messaging is designed specifically to re-engage cold leads.
2. Encourage replies (especially in your welcome series)
Ask a simple question in your welcome email (e.g. “What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing right now?” or “Which product are you most excited to try?”).
Every reply signals to inbox providers (like Gmail) that people want your emails which helps boost deliverability.
Before implementing this, make sure your "from" address accepts replies and isn’t a no-reply inbox.
3. Ask customers to mark you as a safe sender
Let customers know your emails might land in promotions or spam, especially in the welcome or post-purchase flow.
Encourage them to move your email to their primary inbox or mark you as safe. For example:
“Found us in spam? Move us to your inbox so you never miss an update.”
4. Test using send time optimisation (STO)
Most email platforms (like Klaviyo) offer Send Time Optimization, which uses past behaviour to send emails when a subscriber is most likely to engage.
Try sending your next few campaigns with and without STO and compare open and click rates.
STO works best once you have enough send history. For new lists, stick to standard best-performing send times (typically mid-morning Tuesday to Thursday).
5. Write natural-looking subject lines
Avoid spammy language like “100% FREE” or “BUY NOW!!!” — it’s a huge red flag to inbox filters.
Keep subject lines clear, curiosity-driven, and relevant to your audience.
Don’t over do it on the emojis, it can cheapen your brand image when used excessively. Instead use them purposefully and to enhance the message in your subject line or preview text.
Example:
✅ “Your refill is almost ready”
🚫 “ACT NOW – Limited Time ONLY!!!”
6. Set up and verify your sending domain
When you’re sending from a custom domain (e.g. hello@yourstore.com), it’s essential to make sure it’s properly authenticated. This means setting up your DNS records — including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — to verify your domain and signal trust to inbox providers.
This is one of the biggest factors impacting deliverability but don’t worry this is something I always check during your Klaviyo audit and flag if it’s missing or not set up correctly.
