Email Marketing 201€¦ · Page 7 Aggregated reputation information Reputation of sending email...

Email Marketing 201Tips to Increase Email Delivery (aka “Why Good Email Goes Bad”)

March, 2009

Gary Halliwell

CEO, NetProspex

[email protected]

(888) 826-4877

Craig Stouffer,

Pinpointe Email Marketing

[email protected]

(408) 834-7577 x125

www.twitter.com/pinpointe

www.pinpointe.com/blog

Agenda

� CAN-SPAM: Myths and Truths

� Overview: Email Delivery Architecture

� What Affects Email Delivery?

◦ Reputation

◦ Authentication / Authorization

◦ Content

◦ Sending Technology

� Pinpointe / NetProspex Solution

1. Bans false / misleading header information

2. Prohibits deceptive subject lines

3. Requires opt-out method for recipients(*)

4. Identify unsolicited commercial email as advertisement

5. Must include sender's postal address (P.O. box OK)

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm

Or call toll-free,

1-877-FTC-HELP

1-877-382-4357

CANCAN--SPAM SPAM -- ProvisionsProvisions

Email Delivery Architecture

Sender

DNS

SPAM Databases

Other Email

Recipients

(feedback)

ESP Servers Email

Firewall

Email

Server

feedback

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Bet you thought is was simple!

Create / Send Email (Using an ESP)

� Create email w/ external HTML editor or online editor

� Best results: create “multi-part version” (Text + HTML)

� Run spam checker (Pinpointe feature)

� Use Pinpointe previewer to preview in various email clients (Outlook ’03, Outlook ’07, Yahoo, etc)

� Schedule / send away!

� Email merge occurs – emails sent from ESP mail servers

Sender

ESP Servers

� Tip: “MTA” means ‘Mail Transfer Agent – a fancy name for an email server (typically outbound)

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Email Received by Email Firewall

� Email received by recipient’s corporate spam filter

� Spam filter (email firewall) checks:

◦ Reputation of sending email server(s)

◦ Sending mail server settings

◦ Authenticates (Are you who you say you are?)

◦ Content filter / spam score (Spamassassin)

� If all tests pass –> next step (YEAH!)

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� Aggregated reputation information

� Reputation of sending email server IPs

� Blacklisted URLs? Domain?

� Any ‘SPAM honeypot hits? (Gary)

� Historic bounce rates against domain?

� Complaint rates against sender? (<.1%)

� Is domain legit?

� How long has domain been registered?

� When does domain expire?

� Do reverse DNS entries match?

� Is sender on global white-list?

� If PASS -> Forward to local inbox (YEAH!)

Check with SPAM Repositories1 2

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Local SPAM Filter / Inbox (Finally!)

Local Inbox Filter

� Applies local / personal settings

� Is sender locally white-listed?

� … In address book?

� Is sender /sending domain locally blacklisted?

� Have I marked previous emails from sender as SPAM?

� Often runs a local content filter with local settings

If you pass all this… You’ve made it to the in inbox!

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� ReturnPath claims >70% of decision to forward is based on reputation

� What factors into “reputation”?

� User complaints (‘this is SPAM’ button)

� Length of time domain has been operating

� When domain expires (length)

� Volume, size of messages over time

� Number of bounces, spam honeypot hits

� Third party reputation lists (black/white lists)

� Known bad URLs/links, and domains

Email Delivery: ReputationEmail Delivery: Reputation

� Are the sending email servers authorized to send on behalf of your domain?

� Protects against email servers being ‘hijacked’or “spoofed” for phishing attacks, scams etc

� Two standards:

� Sender ID (Microsoft) and

� ‘Sender Policy Framework’ (“SPF”)

� Different standards but use compatible format

What is Email Authorization?What is Email Authorization?

� SPF is an open standard

� SenderID is ‘championed’ by Microsoft (msn, hotmail)

� Verifies servers sending email are authorized to send on behalf of the domain

� How?

� Domain admin publishes SPF record in top-level-domain DNS record

� A ‘TXT’ entry in the DNS record

� The TXT Entry lists servers authorized to send

� For more information:

� www.openspf.org

� old.openspf.org

� www.microsoft.com/senderid/wizard

Authorization Authorization –– What SPF DoesWhat SPF Does

� Sender transmits email

� Receiver's mail server receives email.

� Server checks which domain claims to have sent the message

� Server checks DNS record; verifies SPF record of sending domain

� Does sending server's IP address match IP addresses in published SPF record?

� If the IP addresses match, email is delivered

� If addresses do not match, � email fails

SPF Authorization: SPF Authorization:

� Domain = mycompany.com, registered w/GoDaddy.com

� Your ESP is Pinpointe (pinpointe.com)

� Go to old.openspf.org/wizard – SPF tool

Authorization Authorization ––SPF ExampleSPF Example

� Now… Go to GoDaddy.com

� Modify DNS entry for mycompany.com

� Select ‘Add a TXT Entry / SPF Record’

� Add entry from old.openspf.org/wizard:

"v=spf1 a mx include:pinpointe.com ~all"

� You’re done!

� For specific details check our blog – search for SPF:

� www.pinpointe.com/blog

Authorization Authorization ––SPF Example SPF Example (cont)(cont)

� Authentication: Are you who you say you are?

� Also protects against server hijacking/spoofing for phishing attacks, scams etc

� Crypto solutions:

� Domain Keys (DK)

� DKIM (www.dkim.org)

� Requires storage of public/private “keys”

� Public key -> DNS record (like SPF)

� Private key -> sending email servers

� Process operates similar to SPF

� Required by some consumer domains today

Email Authentication: Email Authentication:

� What is the impact of not doing these today?

� No absolute answer – many variables

� Imperially – 3% ~ 5% of emails ‘lost’ to enterprise domains today (source: Pinpointe)

� Higher drop-off for consumer domains now

� Will be broadly implemented by enterprise spam filters in the next ~12 months

� Non-compliant systems will see dramatic fall-off in delivery

� Best to be prepared with an ESP that can help

Authentication/Authorization: Impact Authentication/Authorization: Impact

� Covered in Email Marketing 101 Webinar:http://www.pinpointe.com/resources/webinar-email-marketing-101-01-

21-09

� Analyzes email content for “spammy” phrases

� Often based on spamassassin engine

� Examples and tips covered in previous webinar

� Link to spamassassin tests:http://spamassassin.apache.org/tests_3_2_x.html

� Tip: Always use your ESP’s online SPAM checker – worth the extra 3 minutes!

Email Delivery: ContentEmail Delivery: Content

What is required by ESP servers?

� Proper IP address configuration

� DNS / Reverse DNS settings are correct

� Properly formed “envelope header”From/Reply-to

� Ability to moderate sending rates to match receiving domain’s limits (e.g. – many receiving domains set receiving domain rate limits)

� Dedicated IPs and/or IP classes of service

� Why? Errors can cause emails to be filtered

� Spammers don’t do these right!

Email Delivery: InfrastructureEmail Delivery: Infrastructure

� Email delivery is more than just content filtering

� Our Philosophy:

“Catch a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish – feed him for a lifetime”

� If you understand email delivery, you will:

� Design better / more efficient emails

� Select vendors more intelligently

� Improve delivery / response rates / ROI

� Resources-Real-time twits – Q&A

www.twitter.com/pinpointeReal-time posts – top Q&A

www.pinpointe.com/blog

SummarySummary

� List industry◦ Offline, no transparency, rental

� Traditional online◦ C-level focus, often lack email

� Networking tools - for relationship sales◦ Limited by user membership or web coverage

� User generated - great for transactional sales◦ Most in-depth. Look for ensured data quality

List Sourcing ChoicesList Sourcing Choices

� 3.2MM+ decision makers

� User-generated

� 250,000 new per month

� 100% Validated

� All job titles & industries

� Title, email & phone

� Buy or recycle

What Sets NetProspex Apart?What Sets NetProspex Apart?

Recycling: Fast, Easy, Free!Recycling: Fast, Easy, Free!

What Sets Pinpointe Apart?What Sets Pinpointe Apart?

• On-Demand Hosted Email Service Provider

• Service B2B companies:• Sophisticated email marketing needs

• Not ready to use / fund complex marketing automation

• Feature Rich: Easy-to-use, WYSIWYG Editor, reporting, service

• Permit non-opt-in B2B lists from qualified vendors

• Provide strategic advice, guidance to improve results

• More than 5,000 companies using Pinpointe platform

Delivery & TrackingDelivery & Tracking(Pinpointe Dashboard)(Pinpointe Dashboard)

Delivery & TrackingDelivery & Tracking

(Pinpointe Dashboard)(Pinpointe Dashboard)

NetProspex / Pinpointe SolutionNetProspex / Pinpointe Solution

� Set up Trial Account with Pinpointe / NetProspex

� Get up to 100 NetProspex records

� Use trade-in credits to get more contacts

� Pinpointe will create trial account and:

◦ Upload records

◦ Send up to 2,000 emails

Contact InformationContact Information

NetProspexGary Halliwell, CEO

[email protected]

(888) 826-4877

www.netprospex.com

PinpointeCraig Stouffer

[email protected]

408-834-7577 x125

www.pinpointe.comwww.twitter.com/pinpointewww.pinpointe.com/blog

For questions, or to request a trial account, please contact:

Email Marketing 201€¦ · Page 7 Aggregated reputation information Reputation of sending email...

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