Deliverability can be a real diva in the email marketing world: sometimes the spotlight is on the glittering top-line metrics, while the real meltdown happens off-stage. One domain at a time. Today, I’m unveiling our Deliverability Early Warning System (DEWS) for Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC). This solution shines a spotlight on underperforming recipient domains, so you’re never blindsided by a sudden act of inbox sabotage.
Attention: The Real Danger Lurking in Domain-Level Deliverability
Picture this: you send out a campaign that looks perfect at first glance. Opens are decent, clicks are passable, and the bounce rate isn’t anything to write home about. Everything looks peachy, right?
But here’s the twist: sometimes a single domain is quietly dragging down your entire deliverability. Whether it’s an ISP like Hotmail or Gmail enforcing stricter filtering criteria or a domain where recipients rarely open emails, these micro-problems can snowball into a full-blown crisis if left undetected.
That’s where DEWS steps in: it helps you see past the big, shiny numbers and zero in on underperforming domains before they stage a full mutiny against your sender reputation.
Interest: Diving into DEWS’s Four-Step Query Masterplan
1. Data Aggregation for Domain Performance
Let’s start backstage. We build a daily, domain-level performance database by counting each domain’s sends, opens, and bounces from the last 30 days. The core of this magic is an SQL query that digs deep into your SFMC data views:
SELECT
COUNT(s.subscriberid) as sends,
COUNT(o.subscriberid) as opens,
COUNT(b.subscriberid) as bounces,
CAST(COUNT(o.subscriberid) * 100. / COUNT(s.SubscriberID) AS INT) as openRate,
CAST(COUNT(b.subscriberid) * 100. / COUNT(s.SubscriberID) AS INT) as bounceRate,
s.domain,
s.jobid
FROM _sent s
LEFT JOIN _open o
ON s.subscriberid = o.subscriberid
AND s.jobid = o.jobid
AND o.isunique = 'True'
LEFT JOIN _bounce b
ON s.subscriberid = b.subscriberid
AND s.jobid = b.jobid
AND b.isunique = 'True'
WHERE s.eventdate > DATEADD(d, -30, GETDATE())
GROUP BY s.domain, s.jobid
HAVING COUNT(s.subscriberid) > 10
Why domain-level analysis? Because one slippery ISP can hide in the shadow of your overall stats – until it’s too late to fix without major damage control.
2. Calculating Average Performance
Next, we need a baseline. DEWS calculates “average” open and bounce rates per job by summarizing the same data but labeling them as 'average' in the domain column. That average is your yardstick for spotting anomalies: if a specific domain falls short of these benchmarks, it’s time to investigate.
3. Enriching Your Data
Numbers alone aren’t enough; context is key. DEWS merges performance records with SFMC’s _job data view, linking each domain’s stats to the relevant job. Now, you can pinpoint which domain is underperforming in which campaign – giving you the insights you need to take targeted measures with the ISP in question.
4. Flagging Underperforming Domains
Finally, our culminating SQL query compares each domain’s numbers to the overall average. Here’s the heart of the logic:
WHERE d.domain <> 'average'
AND (
d.openrate < (a.openrate * 0.6)
OR d.bouncerate > (a.bouncerate * 2)
)
In plain English, if a domain’s open rate nosedives below 60% of average, or if its bounce rate skyrockets to more than double, we label it a trouble spot. Those flagged domains are saved in a special “alert” data extension—your signal to spring into action with ISP-specific remedies.
Desire: Give Your Send Reputation the VIP Treatment
Deliverability is your ticket to front-row seats in the inbox. Without it, even the most brilliant email content risks ending up in the spam wilderness. DEWS delivers the intel you need, when you need it, so you can act fast and keep your show-stopping campaigns on track:
- Early Warnings Mean Fewer Nightmares: Find a domain meltdown early. Before it drags down your entire sender reputation.
- Data-Backed Decisions: With automated metrics arriving daily, it’s easy to pinpoint exactly where you need to tweak your sending strategy or follow up with ISP postmaster services.
- In-Context Results: By linking domain-level stats to the job information, you’ll know which campaign is seeing deliverability headwinds and can respond accordingly.
- Super-Easy Installation: The SFMC Package Manager makes setup a snap. Import, schedule, and let DEWS do its daily detective work.
Once you have identified the problematic ISP, you should immediately get into more details on their perception of you as a sender. This depends highly on which ISP we are talking, but here are some suggestions:
Google – Postmaster Tools and Gmail Bulk Sender Escalation Form. You need to ensure full compliance, before reaching out to them, otherwise you will be denied any remediation. They have recently launched a really nice compliance dashboard here.
Microsoft – SNDS and Bulk Sender Support Request Form. Microsoft are notorious for claiming it is not their fault, and they can’t see anything wrong on their side. If you are seeing deliverability issues with only them, and you are fully compliant with SPF, DMARC and whatnot – then keep pushing them. 4-5 escalations down the line, they will finally adjust their filtering and allow your emails to reach the inboxes.
Action: It’s Your Turn to Steal the Spotlight
Ready to step into the spotlight of top-tier email performance? Installing DEWS takes mere minutes through SFMC Package Manager. Simply import the package, schedule the automation, and let the system do its daily detective work.
Pro tip: Swing by other articles on deliverability here on Digital Marketing on Cloud for more how-tos and insights on wielding SFMC like a pro. Don’t let hidden deliverability woes overshadow your email marketing masterpiece – take charge, arm yourself with DEWS, and give your campaigns the VIP treatment they deserve. Even more curious on deliverability? Go through the vast goldmine of articles by Al Iverson (few people know more than him) on the topic, here on SpamResource.
So, there you have it: a cunning system that digs beneath the glossy facade of overall stats to catch troublemaking ISPs one domain at a time. With DEWS, you’ll never again be blindsided by a sneaky underperformer. Because in email marketing, as in showbiz, the better prepared you are backstage, the grander your performance on center stage!