How to manage high email volumes during the holiday season and maintain strong deliverability
As you plan for the upcoming holiday season, consider the impact that increased email send volumes could have on your email deliverability. With critical messaging and revenue at stake, the peak holiday period is not the time to face deliverability challenges. Understanding how higher send volumes may affect your email deliverability is crucial.
Sudden spikes or drops in email sending volume over a short timeframe can harm email deliverability, causing messages to be flagged as spam or fail to reach recipients altogether.
What’s the cause of this? Internet Service Providers (ISPs) closely monitor email volume patterns for each domain and IP address as a precaution against phishing and malicious emails. They prefer predictable, consistent email volume, as sudden spikes can mimic the behavior of spammers. When ISPs detect large increases in email deployment, they may mistakenly interpret this as a sign of a compromised account, leading them to block the emails to protect their users, even if the increased volume is legitimate.
Sending high number of campaigns can overwhelm recipients, leading to email fatigue. This may result in them ignoring messages, deleting them unopened, or marking them as spam. This, in turn, can result in declining engagement rates and a deterioration of your sending reputation over time.
To establish a baseline, determine your current email deliverability metrics. What percentage of your emails are reaching recipients’ inboxes for your sending domains? Check your sender reputation with major email providers like Microsoft and Gmail. Are you experiencing any blocks or restrictions on your email campaigns? Are you in compliance with the new requirements for bulk senders?
Ensure your deliverability is robust as you enter the fourth quarter, and resolve any problems before the busiest season arrives.
Analyse your subscriber list to pinpoint any high-risk audiences. Then, carefully consider whether to send emails to those who haven’t engaged recently. If you do proceed, be sure to first run those lists through a data hygiene process to weed out any high-risk subscribers.
With email volume surging in Q4, many internet service providers (ISPs) tighten their spam filter settings to protect customers’ inboxes from unwanted or malicious messages. This is not an attempt to penalize senders, but rather a prioritization of safeguarding the email users on their platforms. As a result, these heightened spam controls can negatively impact inboxing rates. So how can you maintain a high inboxing rate despite these seasonal challenges?
Gmail and Yahoo have specific requirements for “bulk senders” – which Google defines as those who send more than 5,000 messages per day. These requirements are as follows:
To maintain subscriber satisfaction, consider sending an advance email that notifies them of upcoming holiday marketing campaigns. You could also direct them to a preference center where they can adjust their desired communication frequency.
To optimize your email campaigns, segment your mailing list rather than blasting every message to your entire audience, especially during high-volume periods like Q4. Use engagement data to thoughtfully target your content – for example, send the first campaign only to those who have opened or clicked an email in the past 6 months, the second to your full list with personalized “opt-out” CTAs, and the third to just those who recently engaged with a previous campaign. This strategic approach will help ensure your messages are relevant and impactful.
Personalization goes beyond simply including a {first name} dynamic field. You can also tailor content based on subscriber behaviors, purchase history, and their current position in the buyer’s journey. By understanding your audience segments – whether they are browsing, ready to buy, or recent customers – you can format your messaging accordingly. Even something as simple as using a “friendly from” address can help your emails stand out in a crowded inbox, making them feel more personal and engaging compared to the faceless corporate communications subscribers typically receive.
To ensure important messages like abandoned cart, birthdays, order confirmations etc. always reach your subscribers’ inboxes, set a maximum number of messages each subscriber can receive from your brand, whether it’s daily or weekly. This will help you prioritize your most critical communications.
In the weeks leading up to your large holiday mailings, gradually ramp up your email sending volume to avoid triggering penalties from internet service providers (ISPs) due to sudden changes in volume. Closely monitor your hourly sending levels, as this is the most critical factor. Additionally, track key deliverability metrics such as complaint rates, unsubscribe rates, and your domain and IP reputation for 24-48 hours after increasing your sending. Be prepared to make adjustments based on these performance indicators.
The holiday season can be a challenging time for email deliverability. Spam traps may cause disruptions, and fluctuations in email volume can result in high bounce rates and issues with internet service providers (ISPs). Bounce rates could exceed 25%, with 100% of emails ending up in the spam folder at one or major ISPs.
To mitigate these risks, ensure your bounce rules are configured to suppress inactive addresses, and maintain good data hygiene practices. Review your deliverability metrics regularly and consult your Inboxable deliverability expert about optimal mailing strategies for the peak season. Additionally, we maintain strong relationships with ISPs and, where possible, will proactively communicate changes in your mailing volume to request accommodations.
Effective communication is crucial. Be sure to share your messaging plans, including details like mailing frequency, scheduled sends, and key mailing dates when you may need additional support, with your email service provider’s (ESP) account and deliverability teams.
Christina Fernandez is a Deliverability Analyst at Data Axle. Deliverability and continuing to provide client-facing support for Inboxable technology and services are two things she is very passionate about. With over 12 years of industry experience, her meticulous attention to detail and proactive approach have resulted in significant improvements in email deliverability rates and overall campaign effectiveness for her clients. In her free time, she relishes quality time with loved ones and indulges in binge-watching her favorite tv shows.