Overview

The number one reason senders get blocked is due to having a bad mailing list. Only send emails to people that have opted in to receiving emails on your website. In addition, consider sending a verification email with a link that confirms their subscription (double opt-in) to make sure their email address is correct and that they are the person that signed up.

You should have a Privacy Policy that is easily accessible on your website. Ensure that there is somewhere on your website where users can unsubscribe from your mailings, in addition to a link in every email you send.

While you are responsible for procuring your mailing list, Tenon does track and give you data to easily see how your emails are being received. We also provide bounce, unsubscribe, complaint, open and click data so that you can modify your mailing lists appropriately. In addition, we automate a lot of the work by keeping track of recipients that have unsubscribed, bounced or complained and stop future deliveries to those recipients.

Do

Segment Your Audience

• Use data-driven segmentation (e.g., behavior, engagement level, location, or lifecycle stage) to send relevant and personalized content.

Regularly Clean and Update Lists

• Remove inactive, bounced, or invalid email addresses regularly to maintain list hygiene and protect your sender reputation.

Use Double Opt-In Where Appropriate

• Confirm email addresses with a second opt-in step to ensure accuracy and compliance with anti-spam laws.

Respect Consent and Compliance Requirements

• Ensure compliance with GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and other relevant regulations by maintaining records of consent and providing clear unsubscribe options.

Monitor Engagement Metrics

• Track open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe trends to identify disengaged segments and optimize targeting.

Implement Suppression Lists

• Maintain suppression lists for users who have opted out, bounced repeatedly, or marked emails as spam to avoid re-engagement attempts.

Label and Organize Lists Clearly

• Use clear and consistent naming conventions to avoid confusion and ensure efficient list management.

Don’t

Don’t Purchase Lists

• It's the easy way out, but you will pay the consequences. Most of these lists have bad email addresses and include spam traps. MBPs (Mailbox Providers) are very good at recognizing bad mailing lists.

Don’t Overload Your Lists

• Avoid adding unqualified or uninterested contacts who haven't shown clear consent or intent to engage.

Don’t Ignore Bounce Reports

• Repeatedly sending to hard-bounced addresses can damage deliverability; always act on bounce data.

Don’t Mix Inactive and Active Users

• Sending to disengaged users alongside engaged ones can dilute performance metrics and trigger spam filters.

Don’t Send Without Clear Value

• Avoid irrelevant or overly frequent messages that lead to unsubscribes and diminished trust.

Don’t Rely Solely on Manual Updates

• Manual list management increases the risk of errors. Use automation and integrations to keep data accurate and current.

Don’t Disregard Frequency Preferences

• Ignoring user preferences for how often they want to hear from you can lead to unsubscribes and complaints.

Don’t Leave Unsubscribes in Your Active Lists

• Failing to promptly remove unsubscribed users is a serious compliance risk and can lead to penalties.

Don’t Use Vague or Misleading Labels

• Unclear list names can result in sending the wrong message to the wrong audience.

Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Bad List Hygiene

• Poor list management can lead to blacklisting, reduced deliverability, and long-term damage to your brand reputation.

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