How to improve email deliverability

Image from Icebergs Dining Room & Bar via Flaunter.

Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to engage with your audience, and is one of the true marketing channels that you really own. We’ve all heard the disaster stories of brands losing their social accounts and algorithms causing havoc, making email a more reliable and trusted source of customer data. But email also comes with its challenges, and if your emails aren't reaching their inboxes, your efforts are wasted. Poor email deliverability can result in emails landing in spam folders or being blocked altogether.

Here’s how to improve your email deliverability and maximise your reach.

Set Up Email Authentication (Or Risk Getting Blocked)

Email providers are ruthless when it comes to filtering out spam. If you’re not using SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication, your emails could be flagged before they even get a chance. These settings prove you’re a legitimate sender and help you dodge the dreaded spam folder. If this sounds technical, get your IT team (or email provider) on it ASAP.

Keep Your Email List Clean

An outdated, bloated email list is bad news. High bounce rates and disengaged subscribers hurt your sender reputation, making it more likely that your future emails will be blocked. Regularly remove invalid addresses, inactive subscribers and spam traps. And forget dodgy purchased lists—they went out years ago. Quality beats quantity every time, you are far better off with a smaller, higher quality and engaged email list.

Watch Your Sender Reputation (Because It Matters)

Every email you send contributes to your sender score, a ranking that determines whether email providers trust you. A poor reputation = emails getting blocked. Use Google Postmaster Tools or SenderScore to track how you're doing. If your score is low, it's time to rethink your strategy.

Stop Using Spammy Language

Certain words and phrases scream "spam." If you’re overloading your subject lines with “FREE,” “BUY NOW,” or “LIMITED TIME,” you’re waving a red flag to email filters. Excessive punctuation (!!!) and all caps won’t do you any favours either. Not only that, but readers are over receiving emails that are purely sales or promotions related. Keep it natural and brand-aligned.

Make Your Emails Worth Opening

If people ignore your emails, email providers assume they’re irrelevant. Low open rates signal that your content isn’t engaging and that can hurt your deliverability. Segment your audience, personalise your subject lines and deliver value. Give people a reason to engage. Remember that we are in an era where AI is being used extensively, people are being mass-served content from every imaginable channel. What they actually want is something real - be authentic, be useful.

Use a Recognisable Sender Name

Would you open an email from "noreply@brand.com"? Probably not. Use a sender name that people recognise and trust—ideally, your brand or a real person from your team. Familiarity builds credibility. Here at Flaunter we send our member EDMs from Jeni, out Partnerships Manager. Jeni writes and curates the content of these each week, and our clients know they can always reach out to her with any questions they may have or help they need.

Don’t Bombard People with Emails

If you’re sending emails too frequently, people will start ignoring—or worse, unsubscribing. On the flip side, if you disappear for months, inbox providers might flag your emails as suspicious. Find a consistent rhythm that keeps you top-of-mind without being annoying.

Make Unsubscribing Easy (Yes, Really)

A clear, one-click unsubscribe option is essential. If people can’t find it, they’ll mark your email as spam instead—which damages your sender reputation. Let people opt out easily, and you'll maintain a healthier, more engaged audience. And remember, quality over quantity. If someone unsubscribes it’s likely they weren’t the right customer for you, so you’re better off not having them on your list.

Test Before You Send

Send test emails to different inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) and use tools like Litmus or MailTester to check for formatting issues, spam triggers, and broken links. A quick test run can save you from an email disaster.

Track Your Email Performance (And Adjust as Needed)

If your open rates are tanking, your emails might not be hitting inboxes at all. Keep an eye on bounce rates, spam complaints and click-through rates. If something’s off, tweak your strategy—better subject lines, refreshed content, or a cleaner list might be the fix. Call in the professionals if you need to - it’s better to get advice and help rather than wasting time and effort sending emails that aren’t being read.

Final Thought? Do Email Right.

Email marketing isn’t just about pressing send—it’s about making sure your message actually gets seen. Clean lists, smart content and a solid sender reputation will get you there. Do it right, and your emails will land exactly where they belong—in front of the people who matter.