If you're like the majority of marketers polled by Jupiter Research, your number one consideration when choosing an ESP is deliverability. But Adam Covati says an ESP can only do so much to ensure your message reaches an inbox; this is, ultimately, your responsibility, and dependent on how you manage your list, your message, your subject line and your reputation.

"Think of ISPs as bouncers at a private club," he says. "If they don't know you or they don't like what you've done in the past, you are going to have a hard time getting [past them]." If you want to glide past an ISP's velvet rope, Covati recommends pondering four questions on a regular basis:

1. How old are the email addresses on this list?
2. How long has it been since I have obtained permission from these recipients?
3. Have too many people on this list unsubscribed?
4. If recipient "A" has not opened any of the last five messages I have sent, should I remove her from my list?

"You should never guess at email addresses or assume your recipients' preferences," he argues. "If you're not 100 percent confident that an address rightfully belongs on your list, for any reason, you should remove it." Finally, ask your ESP to help clarify best practices. "Although deliverability is in your hands," Covati says, "consider your ESP your go-to-resource for getting on the right track."

The Po!nt: Don't pass the deliverability buck. Use these four questions to regularly assess your list, to ensure your messages get through.

Source: MarketingProfs. Click to read the article.

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