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What is most important for reaching the inbox?

What is most important for reaching the inbox?

TLDR: Consent!

Richelo Killian
February 28, 2025

Consent: The Cornerstone of Email Deliverability

In the world of email marketing, achieving a high inbox rate is a constant challenge. Even if you meticulously set up all the technical aspects—such as proper authentication, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—there is no such thing as a 100% inbox rate. This is because technical perfection alone can only do so much without the foundational element of consent.

When recipients willingly subscribe to receive your emails, they are essentially giving you the green light. This explicit permission is crucial because it signals to both ISPs and email service providers that your messages are expected, wanted, and relevant. Without consent, even the most technically sound campaigns can end up marked as spam or simply ignored. Over time, if recipients don’t recognize or care about your emails, your sender reputation will suffer, leading to a decline in inbox placement.

Consent not only builds trust with your audience but also helps maintain a healthy sender reputation. When subscribers opt-in, they’re more likely to engage with your content, reducing bounce rates and spam complaints. This engagement is what email providers rely on to gauge the quality and legitimacy of your campaigns. Without that engagement—without that consent—the long-term inbox rate is bound to drop, regardless of how well you configure your technical settings.

In summary, while technical expertise is essential in email deliverability, obtaining and maintaining consent is the true secret sauce. Without it, even the best authentication protocols and infrastructure will ultimately fall short of delivering your emails to the inbox consistently.

Till next week!

Richelo “Rich” Killian

Together with:

HygieneEngine is today's most advanced email threat removal and verification service!

Consultants

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Tools

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