Level 9: Email Setup Checklist

Before launching your email campaign, run through this checklist to make sure your email is outreach-ready. If you’re dealing with a bounce rate higher than 8%, this list will help you find what’s causing it and how to fix it. 👇

9.1. Check If Your IP And Domain Are Blacklisted 🚫

Go to your InboxFlare account, and select the email you want to inspect. Then, scroll down to the Email deliverability test, and run it. 

You’ll have to wait between 3 and 5 minutes. After the test is done, hit Detailed information above the pie chart.

Lastly, scroll down to the IP blacklists section, and you’ll see if your IP address is in any blacklist.

Once you know which blacklist you're on, head to their website to check out the steps for getting removed. Make sure to stay polite and professional - it shows you're serious about fixing the issue.

After you've followed all the steps, reach out to the blacklist admin to let them know you've resolved the problem that got your IP blacklisted. Depending on the blacklist, removal might happen automatically after some time or require manual approval.

To check if your domain is blacklisted, you can use tools such as Mx Toolbox. The process of removing your domain from the blacklist is the same as for your IP address. 

9.2. Check Your DNS Records 🖊️

Head back to your InboxFlare account and pick the email you want to check DNS records for. Scroll down to the DNS records section and hit the Check DNS Records button.

The results will show you which DNS records are set up correctly and which ones need fixing. From there, you can head over to your domain provider and sort it out.

9.3. Check Your Email Score 📊

Tools like Mail Tester are perfect for checking your overall email address score. They give you insights like:

• If your email message is spam free, safe, and well formatted;
• If your email address is properly authenticated;
• The validity of the image in your email (if used);
• If you’re blacklisted, etc.

So go ahead and test your email message to find out the score and figure out any potential issue that you might have.

9.4. Check The Email Sending Volume In Sales Engagement Tool✉️

Sometimes, our emails aren’t warmed up enough to handle sending large volumes. The easiest way to check is by heading to your InboxFlare account and checking your Mailbox temperature.

If the temperature is not at its maximum, go to Sales Engagement Tool's settings page, and under Email settings, edit your email of choice and lower the number of emails you send per day. 

We recommend setting your daily sending limits to 50 or less to protect your sender reputation.

💡 Pro tip: If your email accounts aren’t warmed up yet, it’s best to remove them from the campaign for now and wait until they’re fully ready for outreach.

9.5. Check If Your Message Content Quality Is High 💬

Sometimes, we unknowingly include blacklisted words in our email subject lines or body. These are terms or phrases that can trigger spam filters, getting your emails flagged as spam or even blocked from reaching the inbox. These words are often linked to overly promotional or spammy content. 

While the specific list can vary by email provider, some of the most common blacklisted words are:

Overly Promotional Words

• Free, 100% Free, No Cost
• Deal, Offer, Limited-Time Offer
• Discount, Sale, Lowest Price
• Win, Winner, Congratulations
• Cash, Money-Back Guarantee

Financial and Risk-Related Words

• Earn, Income, Work from Home
• Investment, Millionaire, Make Money
• No Fees, Credit, Loan
• Save Big, Double Your Earnings

Urgency and Pressure Words

• Act Now, Hurry, Don’t Miss Out
• Last Chance, Urgent, Limited Time
• Order Now, Apply Now, Instant

Sensational or Manipulative Phrases

• Click Below, Click Here, Visit Our Site
• Guaranteed, Risk-Free, No Obligation
• This Isn’t a Scam, Trust Us

Suspicious Words

• Call Now, Toll-Free, Direct Phone
• Passwords, Access, Congratulations
• XXX, Adult, Explicit Content

Formatting Red Flags

• Excessive use of ALL CAPS
• Multiple exclamation marks (!!!)
• Overuse of emojis 🎉💸🔥

That’s why it’s important to review your message and remove any blacklisted words. Also, steer clear of overloading your email with overly salesy or sensational language. If you’re using promotional content, keep it balanced by mixing in valuable, informative content. And don’t forget - always keep your emails professional and visually clean. 

You can manually check your message for blacklisted words by looking up and matching with these lists online. Or, you can make it easier by using tools like ChatGPT or an Email spam-words checker.

9.6. Create a Request To Check The Bounce Rate Cause 📝

If you’ve started your email campaign, received our email about the 8% bounce rate, and none of the points on the list seem to match your issue, don’t worry - just reach out to our customer support team. They’ll forward your request to our tech team to find out what’s causing the high bounce rate and get it sorted for you in no time.

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