Email marketing is one of the most effective tools in a B2B marketer’s arsenal, with an ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. However, this power diminishes when emails fail to reach their intended recipients. A key culprit? A poor sender reputation.

Sender reputation is like your credit score for email marketing—it’s a score that internet service providers (ISPs) assign to your domain or IP address based on several factors, including bounce rates, spam complaints, and engagement. If your score is low, your emails are more likely to land in spam folders—or not be delivered at all.

For marketers using platforms like Marketo, a low sender reputation can be especially frustrating because the platform’s powerful tools go to waste if your audience never sees your emails. Fortunately, there are actionable steps you can take to improve your sender reputation in just 30 days.

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B2B marketers often struggle with:

1. High Bounce Rates: Sending to invalid or outdated email addresses damages your sender reputation.
2. Low Engagement: ISPs use engagement metrics like opens, clicks, and replies to determine email quality. Low engagement signals spammy or irrelevant content.
3. Spam Complaints: Even a few complaints can tank your sender reputation.
4. Authentication Issues: Misconfigured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings make your emails appear untrustworthy.

Let’s explore how to address these pain points and improve your sender reputation step by step.

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The first step to improving your sender reputation is ensuring you’re sending to a valid, engaged audience.

• Remove Invalid Addresses: Use Marketo’s built-in tools or third-party verification tools to identify and remove invalid email addresses.
• Suppress Unengaged Contacts: If someone hasn’t opened your emails in 6-12 months, move them to a re-engagement campaign or suppress them entirely. Sending to unengaged contacts hurts your engagement metrics.
• Implement a Sunset Policy: Define a timeframe after which inactive contacts are removed from your list. For example, if a contact hasn’t engaged in 12 months, they’re removed to maintain list hygiene.

Did You Know? Regular list cleaning can reduce bounce rates by up to 30%, significantly improving sender reputation.

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ISPs love engagement—it’s a key indicator that your emails are valuable to recipients.

• Segment Your Audience: Use Marketo’s segmentation tools to group your audience based on behavior, industry, or role. Send tailored content that resonates with each segment.
• Focus on Relevance: Use personalization tokens in Marketo to address recipients by name or reference their industry pain points.
• Test Subject Lines: A/B test subject lines to find what drives the most opens. Avoid spammy language like “Free” or “Act Now!” which can trigger filters.
• Time Your Sends: Analyze your audience’s activity to determine the best times to send emails. Marketo’s Smart Campaigns can help automate this process.

Did You Know? Personalized subject lines can increase open rates by 26%, boosting your engagement and sender reputation.

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Email authentication is non-negotiable for maintaining trust with ISPs.

• Set Up SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This protocol ensures only authorized servers can send emails on behalf of your domain.
• Enable DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM provides a digital signature to verify that your emails haven’t been tampered with.
• Implement DMARC (Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): DMARC combines SPF and DKIM to add an extra layer of protection, reducing the risk of phishing and spoofing.
• Monitor DMARC Reports: Regularly review DMARC reports to identify any unauthorized use of your domain and resolve issues.

Did You Know? Email authentication protocols can improve deliverability rates by up to 15%.

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Consistency is key when it comes to sender reputation. ISPs trust domains with regular sending patterns over those with sporadic or erratic activity.

• Warm Up Your IP: If you’re sending emails from a new IP or domain, start with a smaller batch of emails and gradually increase your volume over time.
• Maintain a Consistent Schedule: Use Marketo to schedule regular campaigns. Consistent activity builds trust with ISPs.
• Avoid Sudden Spikes in Volume: Large, unexpected email blasts can trigger ISP red flags. Plan campaigns in advance to maintain steady volume.

Did You Know? Gradually increasing your email volume can improve sender reputation by up to 20%.

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Marketo provides tools to track key metrics like bounce rates, spam complaints, and open rates. Use these insights to measure your progress and make adjustments as needed.

• Bounce Rates: Aim for a bounce rate below 2%.
• Spam Complaints: Keep complaints below 0.1%.
• Open Rates: A healthy open rate for B2B emails is 15-25%.

Did You Know? Companies that monitor and adjust their email strategies based on performance data see a 37% improvement in email deliverability.

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Improving your sender reputation is a team effort. At Leadous, we specialize in helping marketers navigate the complexities of email deliverability using Marketo. From list hygiene to domain authentication, our experts provide the guidance and tools you need to achieve inbox success.

Ready to boost your sender reputation? Contact us for a Deliverability Audit and take the first step toward better email performance.