Email Deliverability Consultant Recommendations?

[Conor_Fitzpatri]

Hi Everyone,

We're currently experiencing email deliverability issues (100% marked as spam by Google Apps according to Marketo support) and was wondering if anyone had some good recommendations for email deliverability consultants they've worked with in the past.

Thanks,

Conor

[Conor_Fitzpatri]

I've reached to my CAM to set up some time with them. Thanks again everyone for the help!

[Conor_Fitzpatri]

This is a little off topic, but definitely related. After reading Sanford Whiteman​​'s excellent articles​, it does appear our SPF and DKIM are set up properly (our email domain is longboard-am.com, not longboardmutualfunds.com) so I rechecked our sending IP through MultiRBL.valli.org and noticed it is on 24 blacklists including SpamCop and SpamCannibal! Do you guys have any recommendations for fixing this?

[Geoff_Krajeski1]

I would work with Marketo's Deliverability consultants to help your reputation and dig in deeper to the issues that may surround your blacklisting(s)!

Additionally, you need to check and weed out your spam traps from emailable records.

Make sure that you've created a Smart list that includes only those NOT in:

• Email Address = Not Empty
• Unsubscribed = False
• Marketing Suspended = False
• Black Listed = False
• Email Invalid = False

[Conor_Fitzpatri]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! Sanford Whiteman​ how can you see that our Marketo emails are not being signed with DKIM? In our admin panel, I'm seeing our DKIM record as verified and I've checked a couple free tools that say it exists as well.

[SanfordWhiteman]

What DKIM selector are you using?

[Conor_Fitzpatri]

I believe M1 or at least that is what it says in our admin panel.

[SanfordWhiteman · Accepted solution]

If you are having Marketo sign email, but your DKIM DNS record does not exist -- and m1._domainkey.longboardmutualfunds.com does not exist -- that's going to be very bad. It's a mandatory PERMFAIL for DKIM.

Since I don't have access to your Mkto instance, I took the absence of the DKIM record to mean you weren't attempting to sign. Not signing means your mail will lack that little "oomph" of accountability+certification that can get it in the inbox if it is otherwise on the edge.  But simply sending unsigned mail isn't going to mark all your outgoing email as spam.  The majority of email across the net, bear in mind, is not signed.

On the other hand, telling Marketo to sign without having a corresponding DNS record so recipients can verify the signature is a disaster.  Sounds like your problem right there!

[Conor_Fitzpatri]

Ahhh, I think I understand now. This stuff is a different language to me so I really appreciate your help!

[SanfordWhiteman]

Definitely have your DNS admin immediately create the TXT record m1._domainkey.longboardmutualfunds.com as indicated in the Marketo UI.
Then retest.

[SanfordWhiteman]

Hey Conor, I'm too busy to recommend my own services right now but I can tell you that your SPF record is broken exactly as I documented here.  Unless you have a branded sender domain on your Marketo instance, this will make no difference for Marketo-generated emails, but nevertheless it is something that any SMTP expert will tell you to fix.

You also are not signing Marketo-generated emails using DKIM.  This too will impact trust, though it alone will not result in 100% of email marked as spam.

Just a couple of high-level, non-content-specific pointers to expect from whomever you hire.

[Josh_Hill13]

Google Apps is likely hitting them because of DKIM.

It's also possible if you hit @gmail.com with a lot of email at the same time AND are missing signing, it will block you temporarily.

[SanfordWhiteman]

Yeah, no DKIM + high send rate together will contribute. But DKIM is so easy to fix + retest, I wouldn't want to point the finger prematurely.

[Geoff_Krajeski1]

Thanks Sanford Whiteman​.  I forgot to mention SPF/DKIM.

These are two VERY important items that all teams need to implement.

You may need to get your IT team (DNS/Networking) involved as well to get these implemented as it pertains to the domain record setup.

[Geoff_Krajeski1]

Our team works with Annuitas out of Atlanta, and they also have helped us to monitor our deliverability and reputation scores.

You might also check out GetMeInTheInbox.com as another option!

[Kiersti_Esparz1]

Conor,

Marketo does offer Deliverability Consulting Services provided by members of Marketo's Privacy and Deliverability Team.  This is a subject matter specific team separate from Marketo's standard Professional Services Team.  We sell consulting in 4 hour segments and can design a custom program depending on your specific needs.  You can reach out to your CAM and ask for a call with a consultant to scope what a program may look like.

If our services don't meet your needs I recommend these two individual consultants:

Word to the Wise

https://wordtothewise.com

This group has an excellent reputation and they have been in email for many, many years.

Deliverability Optimization Consulting

Home - Deliverability Optimization Consulting

Mark DiMaio is a very talented consultant who also has been in deliverability for many years and has an excellent track record.

Thank you,

Kiersti

Kiersti Esparza

Director, Privacy & Deliverability Team, Marketo, Inc.

[Josh_Hill13]

Marketo offers this help and they are very good.

Most of the agencies can assist you as well, but it sounds like you may need a solid expert like ReturnPath.