Why Email Deliverability is Like Catching the Cold

By James Skellington, Head of Strategic New Business at Force24

Just like staying healthy during flu season, keeping your emails out of spam folders requires ongoing care and awareness of risks. You might think that this isn’t the content you need to read, but if you send emails, it’s something you really need to hear.  Email deliverability has a lot in common with catching a cold. 

There are four types of senders when it comes to email deliverability. Each one mirrors a different approach to managing cold and flu risks. 

The Proactive Approach: Prevention is Key 

The first type is the proactive person who takes preventative measures to stay healthy. They get their flu jab, wash their hands frequently, and keep a stock of vitamins. When it comes to email, this person is cautious and well-prepared. They regularly clean their email lists, ensure people have given proper consent, and keep a close eye on metrics like open and bounce rates.  

They also follow best practices like setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to build trust with email service providers (ESPs). As a result, their deliverability rates remain strong, just like a person who’s less likely to get ill because they take good care of themselves. 

The Reactive Approach: Fixing Problems After They Appear 

Next, we have the reactive individual who doesn’t bother with preventative care but is quick to act when symptoms appear. They don’t think much about the risks of a cold until their throat starts to ache or they wake up with a headache. In email terms, these senders only pay attention to deliverability when something’s clearly wrong—perhaps when open rates drop or a campaign underperforms.  

At this point, they might take steps to recover, like pausing campaigns or asking their ESP for advice. It’s not the worst approach, but by the time they notice the problem, it’s already impacted their results. A similar scenario plays out with colds: the illness has already taken hold, and recovery will take time and effort. 

The Avoidance Tactic: Ignoring the Risks 

Then, there’s the person who knows they might be at risk but actively avoids addressing it. They’ve probably taken a few shortcuts—perhaps by using shady email lists or sending to contacts who haven’t given proper consent.  

Deep down, they know this isn’t sustainable, but they fear confronting the reality because it might force them to take drastic action. It’s like knowing you’ve been around someone with a nasty cold but refusing to check if you’re coming down with it. Avoidance never pays off. Ignoring low sender reputation or high bounce rates only makes things worse. Sooner or later, the damage becomes undeniable, and recovery becomes much more difficult. 

Finally, there are those who are blissfully unaware of any risks. They might not know how colds are transmitted and don’t think twice about sharing drinks or skipping handwashing. In the world of email, these are senders who have no idea what deliverability or sender reputation even means.  

They assume their emails are landing in inboxes just because they’ve hit ‘send.’ Everything seems fine—until suddenly their emails are flagged as spam, and they have no clue why. The lack of preventative care catches up with them, and fixing the problem is often a long, painful process. 

Stay Healthy: The Power of Prevention 

The key takeaway here is simple: preventative care matters. In email deliverability, just as in avoiding colds, it’s better to take small, consistent actions than to scramble for a solution when things go wrong.  

Regularly cleaning your email list, authenticating your domain, and monitoring your reputation can save you from major headaches down the line. So, think of your inbox health like your own immune system – nurture it, protect it, and you’ll be better prepared to handle whatever comes your way.