A while back, I launched what I thought was my best email campaign yet.
Clean design, sharp copy, a killer offer — I was hyped. Hit send. Waited. And… silence. Barely any opens. Hardly any clicks. I checked everything three times. The campaign didn’t flop because it was bad — it flopped because it never landed in anyone’s inbox.
That’s when I learned the hard truth: if your emails aren’t getting delivered, nothing else matters.
So I rolled up my sleeves and got serious about email deliverability. I’m talking about actually making sure your messages land in the inbox — not spam, not promotions, but inbox. Let me walk you through what I’ve learned (some of it the hard way) and how you can use your email software to master deliverability.
Deliverability Isn’t Just About Sending Emails, It’s About Getting Seen
First, let’s clear something up. Email deliverability isn’t the same as delivery rate.
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Delivery means your email didn’t bounce.
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Deliverability means your email actually reached the inbox (and not the spam folder or promotions tab).
I didn’t even know this distinction existed until I looked at my stats and saw a 99% delivery rate — but only a 10% open rate. That’s when I realized deliverability was the real metric to watch.
Why Inbox Placement Is So Darn Tricky?
Modern inboxes are picky. Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail — they’ve got fancy algorithms that look at way more than just the subject line. They check:
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Your sender reputation
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How often people open and click your emails
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Whether people delete your emails without reading
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How many people mark your emails as spam
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Whether your emails are technically “authenticated”
And if your emails fail those invisible tests? Off to spam you go.
How I Use Email Software to Master Deliverability?
The good news? You don’t need to be a developer or email engineer to improve deliverability. Your email software (if it’s any good) already has the tools you need. Here’s what I do:
1. Authenticate Your Domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
When I first started, I had no idea what these acronyms meant. But your email software should walk you through it — most good platforms like ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite, or Klaviyo have easy setup guides.
Once I authenticated my domain, my emails stopped being flagged as “suspicious sender” and started actually reaching inboxes.
2. Warm Up New Domains Slowly
Another mistake I made? I launched a huge campaign from a brand-new domain. Gmail said, “Nice try,” and tossed me in spam. Now, when I set up a new sender address, I start slow:
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Week 1: 10–20 emails to friends or engaged subscribers
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Week 2: 50–100 emails, light promotional content
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Week 3+: Full campaigns
Tools like MailWarm or Lemwarm can even automate this warming process for you.
3. Monitor Engagement Metrics Regularly
My email platform lets me see open rates, click rates, and even reply rates. But what I really care about is: who’s engaging, and who’s not?
Every 60 days, I remove cold subscribers from my list. I’d rather email 2,000 engaged people than 10,000 ghosts. Your sender reputation improves when your emails are opened, clicked, and saved.
Send Smart, Not Just Often
Once, I thought more emails meant more chances to convert. So I blasted my list every two days for a week.
Yeah… don’t do that.
Frequency matters. If you overdo it, people will hit unsubscribe — or worse, report you. Here’s what I do now:
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2–3 emails/week max, unless it’s a time-sensitive promo
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Segmented sends — different messages for buyers, browsers, or cold leads
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A/B testing on subject lines to see what triggers engagement
Your email software should help with all of this. If it doesn’t, switch platforms.
Tools That Help (and Ones I Trust)
I’ve tested more platforms than I care to admit. These are the ones I actually stick with:
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ConvertKit: Best for creators and newsletters. Solid deliverability tools, great support, and easy automation.
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ActiveCampaign: My go-to for detailed engagement tracking and automations. Plus, it integrates with pretty much everything.
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Klaviyo: Perfect for eCommerce. Strong deliverability, built-in segments, and revenue-based tracking.
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MailerLite: Great for beginners. Clean interface, reliable delivery, and affordable.
Each of these gives you tools like:
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Pre-send spam checks
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List cleaning tools
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Deliverability reports
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Engagement-based segmentation
Use them. Don’t just hit “Send” and hope.
The One Change That Moved the Needle Most
Want to know the biggest deliverability boost I ever got?
I stopped using Gmail and Yahoo sender addresses. You know, those “yourname@gmail.com” deals. I switched to sending from a custom domain — like “hello@mybrand.com” — and my open rates went up by nearly 20%.
Email providers take branded domains more seriously. It signals that you’re legit — not a random spammer.
Final Thought: Respect the Inbox, and It’ll Respect You Back
Mastering deliverability isn’t rocket science. But it does take consistency. Clean your list. Watch your stats. Send helpful, engaging content. And use your email software’s features to your advantage.
Because no matter how good your offer, how beautiful your email, or how clever your subject line. If it doesn’t land in the inbox, it never had a chance.
Do the work up front, treat your subscribers like real people, and your emails won’t just get delivered. They’ll get opened, read, and acted on.
And that’s where the magic happens.
