Why Email Deliverability Matters for Every Business

Topics:   Explainers Email – 13 Jan, 2025

Whether you're a retailer sending marketing campaigns or a business distributing critical transactional emails, one thing is clear — getting your message to the right inbox matters. The concept seems straightforward — compile a list of valid emails and hit "send." But the reality of delivering bulk emails, reliably and consistently, is far more complex.

What Is Email Deliverability?

Email deliverability refers to the ability of your emails to successfully land in your recipient's inbox. This doesn't just mean that your email leaves your outbox — it means it actually reaches your audience and avoids the common traps that can prevent it from being seen, such as landing in the spam folder, bouncing back, or being blocked by the recipient's server altogether.

So why is it such a challenge to ensure every email hits the inbox? The truth is, delivering emails en masse comes with technical challenges. No matter what business type your business relies on those communications to drive engagement, maintain relationships, and complete transactions.

The Hidden Complexities of Bulk Emailing

When you send a personal email, it typically sails through the system without issue. But when you start sending emails in bulk — whether that's 1000, 10000, or 100000 emails at a time — the rules change. Bulk email sending triggers different filters, systems, and rules set by email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and others. These providers are looking out for spammers, and bulk sending that isn't set up correctly can make your legitimate email look suspicious.

Here's where the common issues arise:

• Bouncing: If a large percentage of your emails bounce back due to invalid addresses, your sender reputation takes a hit.
• Spam: Even legitimate emails can get marked as spam if your domain isn't set up correctly or if email providers flag your sending patterns.
• Throttling: Sending too many emails too quickly may trigger rate limits, slowing your sending process and leading to delivery delays.
• Blacklisting: If your email practices are flagged, your IP address can be blacklisted, effectively shutting down your ability to send emails entirely.
• Debranding: If you use a cheap email service, emails often use an unattractive design and send from a bounces_ABC123@emailcompany.com email address, affecting the recipient's trust in opening the email and filters landing the email in the inbox (it'll go to the promotions tab).

Why Email Setup Is Crucial for Deliverability

You may think that once you hit "send," your job is done. But behind the scenes, there's a whole infrastructure that needs to be in place to ensure your email makes it to the recipient.

Here are the core technical elements that need to be right:

• Authentication:
  This includes technologies like SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance). These are essentially checks that prove your email is legitimate and coming from a trusted source, helping your emails pass through filters and into inboxes.
• Reputation Management:
  Email providers assess your sender reputation over time. If your emails are frequently marked as spam or bounced, your reputation can take a hit, resulting in your emails being blocked or sent straight to the spam folder.
• Domain Setup:
  Your domain's setup needs to meet certain standards to be recognised as a reliable sender. For instance, your domain should not have a high bounce rate, as this indicates poor data hygiene, leading to a perception that you might be sending spam.
• Reliable Network:
  Your emails should ideally send from an IP Address with a matching PTR record and located in geographical region that's acceptable to the receiving email system's anti-spam and anti-abuse systems.
• Provider Choice:
  Your high-volume emails need to process through a platform designed for email volume. Using your normal email account may hit rate limits, such as Outlook's “maximum external 2000 recipients per day” block.

Your Email List: Why Accuracy Is Essential

It's not just about sending emails — it's about who you're sending them to. Even with the perfect technical setup, if your email list is full of invalid addresses or people who didn't opt in, you'll struggle to reach inboxes.

Here's why your email list plays a key role in deliverability:

• High Bounce Rates Are a Red Flag: When too many emails bounce back, it signals that your list isn't clean, which harms your reputation with email providers. An email list should be up-to-date, accurate, and validated to ensure maximum deliverability.
• Unengaged Recipients Can Hurt You: If recipients consistently ignore your emails or mark them as spam, it damages your sending reputation. It's crucial to send emails to those who expect to hear from you or have engaged with your business recently.

Validating your email list — ensuring that the addresses on it are correct and up-to-date protects your reputation and boosts deliverability.

Why TNZ Is the Solution for Your Business Communication

At this point, it's clear that delivering bulk email at scale, whether for marketing or transactional purposes, requires more than just hitting the send button. For businesses that depend on email to reach customers and clients, this complexity can feel overwhelming. That's where TNZ comes in.

We handle all the technical aspects of bulk email deliverability, ensuring your domain, IP address, and reputation are properly managed. Whether your goal is marketing outreach, transactional updates, or a combination of both, we provide a fit-for-purpose solution that makes email communication effortless and effective.

TNZ ensures your emails:

• Are delivered to the inbox, not the spam folder
• Avoid bouncing by maintaining up-to-date email lists
• Comply with all technical standards for high deliverability rates

Let TNZ Help You Communicate With Confidence

Sending emails en masse doesn't have to be a technical headache. With TNZ, you can focus on what matters — your message — while we take care of the rest. From optimising your email setup to maximising deliverability, we help businesses of all sizes achieve email success with an intuitive Email Dashboard and Email API.

Stay tuned for the next post where we dive into more specific strategies and tools you can use to improve your email deliverability, ensuring that every email you send reaches its target.