Getting your B2B emails into inboxes rather than spam folders is crucial for successful lead generation. Poor deliverability can destroy your sender reputation and waste valuable prospects. According to Return Path’s 2019 Deliverability Benchmark Report, only 85% of legitimate emails actually reach the inbox, with 15% landing in spam or disappearing entirely.
Before launching your first campaign, use this 10-point checklist to maximise deliverability and protect your sender reputation.
1. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records
Domain authentication is the cornerstone of email deliverability. These three protocols confirm you are a legitimate sender:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Authorises which servers can send from your domain
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to verify authenticity
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication): Instructs servers on handling failed checks
Validity’s 2020 research shows that emails with DMARC authentication see 10% higher inbox placement rates.
2. Dedicated IP Address
If sending large volumes, use a dedicated IP instead of a shared one. This gives you full control of your reputation, but requires careful warming over several weeks.
3. Use a Subdomain for Outreach
Protect your main domain by sending from a subdomain (e.g. outreach.yourcompany.co.uk). This ensures any issues don’t harm your primary domain’s reputation.
4. Professional Email Address
Avoid generic addresses like info@ or noreply@. Use a personalised address with a real name such as james@yourcompany.co.uk to build trust and encourage replies.
5. Clean Your Email List
Good list hygiene is essential. Remove invalid addresses, role-based emails, spam traps, and unverified contacts before sending. Mailgun research shows sending to invalid addresses can reduce sender scores by up to 10 points.
6. Segment Your Audience
Don’t blast the same message to everyone. Segment by industry, company size, or role for more relevant emails. Targeted campaigns improve engagement rates, which strengthens deliverability.
7. Write Natural, Conversational Copy
Avoid spam-trigger words like “FREE TRIAL!” or “URGENT!”. Keep messages professional but conversational. Research by Boomerang found emails between 50–125 words perform best and are less likely to trigger filters.
8. Include a Clear Unsubscribe Link
GDPR requires an unsubscribe option, but beyond compliance, it reduces spam complaints and improves deliverability. Make the link clear and functional.
9. Test Before Sending
Use tools such as Mail Tester or GlockApps to check content against spam filters and get deliverability scores. Start with small test batches of 50–100 emails before scaling to your full list.
10. Warm Up and Monitor
Warm new domains or IPs gradually, starting with 10–20 emails per day and building over 2–4 weeks. Monitor bounce rates (keep below 2%), spam complaints (under 0.1%), and unsubscribe rates (0.2–0.5% average).
Professional Support for Deliverability
Email deliverability requires continuous monitoring and expertise. Many B2B companies partner with specialist agencies that handle technical setup, compliance, list hygiene, and optimisation.
At SendIQ, we manage every aspect of deliverability, from domain setup and list cleaning to content optimisation and monitoring. Our multi-channel approach—email outreach, LinkedIn automation, cold calling, and website visitor identification—maximises lead generation results.
Ready to launch your first campaign with confidence? Proper deliverability setup is the foundation of B2B sales success.
