email deliverability Archives

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Healthcare Marketing Trends

Thursday, January 2nd, 2025

Here are some healthcare marketing trends you should consider adopting.

Email Deliverability

Thanks to Google and Yahoo, significant changes happened for email marketers in 2024. As we’ve previously written about, Google and Yahoo are implementing new requirements for bulk email senders that will involve a lot of coordination and effort for marketers. Beyond the initial implementation of technical requirements like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, marketers must pay close attention to their spam rates in the future. Keeping your spam reports below 0.3% will be essential to ensure that Google and Yahoo aren’t blacklisting your emails. Marketers must keep their email lists clean, craft relevant campaigns, and use technology to remove unengaged contacts promptly. Over two billion people use Google or Yahoo as their email provider, so adopting these standards is not optional.

Artificial Intelligence

Healthcare marketers are also looking at ways to use artificial intelligence to save time and automate processes with tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Midjourney. Now, marketers are seriously evaluating tools that can assist with business processes like copywriting, graphic design, data analysis, and other functions.

However, it’s essential to carefully vet any artificial intelligence tool if you plan to use it in your marketing efforts. What data sets is it trained on? Are they biased? Some tools introduce legal compliance risks, and it’s essential to understand the risks thoroughly.

Trust is essential in healthcare marketing, and relying too heavily on AI tools can create a negative patient experience. AI tools should not replace marketers. At best, these tools can help marketers complete their work. Guardrails are required when it comes to AI tools, and healthcare marketers should be cautious to ensure their brands are well-represented by the output of these tools.

Automation and APIs

Another way to save time and measure results is using APIs and automation. Many marketers are turning to automation tactics to streamline operations in the face of increasing budgetary pressure. Advanced email marketers can use email APIs to trigger email campaigns when specific criteria are met and use dynamic content to personalize the email content. These tactics make email marketing scalable and ensure your audience receives the proper communications at the right time.

APIs can also be used to organize the results of your marketing efforts. Email APIs can deliver data about your campaigns (delivery status, open and clicks, unsubscribes, etc.) back into your marketing dashboards and databases. This is a way to help you make informed decisions and improve your marketing results. Expect to see more marketers embrace automation alongside AI tools this year.

Personalization

Personalization continues to be extremely important to successful healthcare marketing efforts. This is a challenge for healthcare providers because they must comply with HIPAA regulations in their email communications. Luckily, with the right tools and patient permission, it’s possible to personalize emails to create relevant campaigns. When healthcare marketers have access to zero-party patient data and the right tools to execute, they can go beyond practice newsletters to create email campaigns that deliver results.

One bonus personalization tip- create culturally competent emails and use the patient’s preferred language. Healthcare communications should not leave anyone behind. With the right tools, it’s easier than ever to segment your audience based on their language preferences and create alternate content that resonates.

Proving Impact and Delivering ROI

Healthcare providers continue to face a challenging economic situation and may be forced to cut marketing budgets. Although some advertising channels may be forced to take a hiatus, email marketing should not be one of them. Not only do patients want to receive marketing communications via email, but email marketing also delivers one of the best returns on investment compared to other channels.

However, the way we track and measure the impact of marketing campaigns must also change. In 2024, open rates are unreliable indicators of marketing success. Apple Mail’s privacy features and the increasing prevalence of email filtering and spam tools mean that marketers will need to rely on different metrics to judge the success of their campaigns. Tracking the clicks and what actions users take in other channels after receiving the email is crucial to understanding the effectiveness of your campaigns. Also, keeping email lists clean and removing unsubscribed and inactive users is more important than ever to keep your IP addresses from being throttled.

Tags: artificial intelligence, email api, email automation, email deliverability, email marketing, healthcare marketing, hipaa, personalization, reporting metrics, spam
Posted in HIPAA Marketing
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New Email Authentication Requirements from Google and Yahoo: What You Need to Know

Tuesday, December 12th, 2023

Google and Yahoo have recently announced their latest updates aimed at reducing spam and spoofed emails.

These updates affect everyone sending emails to Google or Yahoo users. They apply fundamental authentication requirements to regular email, and further requirements apply to those sending higher volumes of bulk emails. These new requirements apply to all email platforms and service providers.

Please note: Many of these new requirements are technical in nature and will require access to your DNS management. You may learn more about these DNS concepts in this LuxSci blog: Understanding DNS Configurations for Email Security: A Guide to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records.

As a reminder, it is imperative that you adhere to strong email best practices. Here’s what you need to continue doing on top of your email game:

All senders emailing Yahoo or Gmail:

Add DNS SPF records for every domain you use to send emails to authenticate your emails.
Add DNS DKIM Records for every domain you use to send emails to further authenticate your emails.

While many have added SPF records in 2023, it’s now crucial to also have DKIM records in place.

For those sending large volumes of emails to Google or Yahoo users (over 5,000 messages on some days)

Complete the requirements required for all senders.
Implement DNS DMARC: Set up a DNS DMARC email authentication policy for your domains. You can set your DMARC enforcement policy to “none.”
Align Your Domains: Ensure the domain used for bounce processing (i.e., the “Return-Path”) matches/is aligned with your From domain in every email.
Include Easy Unsubscribe Options: Include a one-click unsubscribe option for marketing and subscription emails.

Google’s new requirements begin on February 1st, 2024, and Yahoo will follow in the first quarter of 2024. Aim to make these changes by the end of January 2024.

LuxSci customers will need to:

Ensure a DNS Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record.
Ensure a DNS DKIM record is in place.
Implement a DNS DMARC record.
For marketing and subscription emails, enable and use LuxSci’s “Unsubscribe Links” feature.
For those using LuxSci Bounce Processing, enable the user of a Custom Bounce Processing domain for every sending domain to ensure that these domains are aligned.

These steps will help ensure your emails continue to reach your audience effectively and responsibly. Without them, messages to Google and Yahoo! recipients may go directly to their Spam folders or be rejected.

As always, your LuxSci team is here to help clarify or provide further guidance. We are happy to support you and help you successfully navigate through these changes.

You may read more about these requirements at the following links:

Tags: dkim, DMARC, dns, email deliverability, google, high volume email, shv, spam, spf, yahoo!
Posted in LuxSci Library: The Technical Side of Email, New Feature Announcements
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Understanding DNS Configurations for Email Security: A Guide to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records

Tuesday, December 12th, 2023

In the vast digital landscape, email has evolved from a simple means of communication to a critical component of business operations and personal interactions. However, email’s convenience and efficiency also open the door to many security threats, ranging from phishing attacks to spoofing.

To fortify the defenses of your email infrastructure and protect your organization’s or personal digital identity, understanding and implementing robust Domain Name System (DNS) configurations is paramount. Among the key players in this security arsenal are SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) records.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

Every email you receive has a sender, just like a return address on a letter. However, spammers and cybercriminals can sometimes fake this sender information, making it look like the email is from someone trustworthy when it’s not.

SPF is a set of rules that the email sender puts in place. It’s like telling the email world, “Only these specific servers can send emails on behalf of my domain (like your email provider or company server). If you get an email claiming to be from me, but it’s not sent from these approved servers, be suspicious.”

So, when your email provider receives an email claiming to be from a specific sender, it checks the SPF records to see if the email is coming from an authorized server. If it doesn’t match up, your email provider might mark it as suspicious or even send it to your spam folder, helping to protect you from phishing and spoofed emails.

In a nutshell, SPF is like a security measure that helps ensure that the sender of an email is who they say they are, making your email experience safer and more trustworthy. You may read more about it in the LuxSci blog: Preventing Email Forgery Part One: SPF.

DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail)

DKIM adds another layer of validation to your email messages. It uses a private and a public key to add a digital signature to the messages you send. In addition to verifying the message source, DKIM also validates that messages were not modified on their way to a recipient. If messages are modified before delivery, the fingerprint of the message will then change and no longer match.

When DKIM is implemented, your email server creates and attaches a unique signature to the header of your email. This signature further validates that the message originated from an authorized source. This signature is a fingerprint unique to a specific message. This signature is generated using a private key that only your sending server knows.

Then, when the recipient’s email server receives your email, it looks up your public key (published in your domain’s DNS records). Using this key, the server can then verify and validate the signature. If the signature matches, the email hasn’t been tampered with and is verified to have originated from the authenticated server.

At the end of the day, DKIM is a digital authenticity seal for your emails. It provides a piece of validation for a sender’s legitimacy and that delivered messages haven’t been altered by mischievous characters. You may read more about it in the LuxSci blog Preventing Email Forgery Part Two: DKIM.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)

SPF and DKIM are excellent tools for enhancing your email security and improving deliverability. But what happens when a discrepancy is identified? That’s where DMARC comes in. DMARC works to prevent domain spoofing and email fraud by providing a framework for email senders to indicate the protection of their emails with SPF and DKIM and instructs email receivers on handling messages that do not pass. DMARC also provides a reporting mechanism to track how your email is being used.

In your DMARC policy, you specify what actions the email receiver should take if they receive an email claiming to be from you. When a message that fails both SPF and DKIM is received, your policy will dictate whether the recipient should do nothing and accept it, quarantine it, or reject it.

DMARC also includes a reporting mechanism. It tells the receivers to send you reports about the emails they receive, detailing which ones passed or failed authentication. This helps you track how your email is used.

DMARC adds yet another layer of security and control, reducing the chances of malicious individuals using your identity (or your organization’s identity) to deceive others. You may read more about it in the LuxSci blog Preventing Email Forgery Part Three: DMARC.

As you secure your digital communication channels, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are great tools that work together to help mitigate email-based fraud and improve deliverability.

Tags: dkim, DMARC, dns, email deliverability, email delivery, email spam, fraud, impersonation, spam, spf
Posted in LuxSci Library: The Technical Side of Email, HIPAA Email Compliance
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Improve Email Deliverability by Setting Up SPF Records

Thursday, May 25th, 2023

Recently, Gmail changed its email acceptance policies to reject emails from sending domains without SPF or DKIM records. If they can’t be sure a message originated from an authorized server, it may end up in the spam folder. Setting up SPF records is one way to improve email deliverability, prevent spoofing, and keep your emails out of the spam folder.

What are SPF Records?

SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. SPF allows administrators to specify exactly which servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of a domain by adding a record to the domain name settings (DNS). When an email is sent to another service provider, like Gmail, they compare the sender’s IP address to the SPF record. The email will only be delivered to the inbox if the record lists the correct server address. If the server is not listed, the email service provider assumes the message is forged and may send it to spam.

SPF records are primarily used to stop forged emails. Setting up SPF records for your sending IP addresses will prevent spammers from using your domain as their “From” sending address. For example, say your company domain is “trial.com,” and your SPF record correctly identifies your sending server’s IP address. Any messages you send will be verified as coming from your organization and will be delivered. When spammers try to use trial.com as their sending domain, the mail service provider will compare their IP address to your SPF record. When they do not match, the message will be flagged as suspicious.

However, SPF records do not prevent spammers from using other tactics to infiltrate your inbox. They could set up a similar domain like “trail.com” and set up SPF records for that domain to avoid scrutiny. SPF should be used in conjunction with other security measures like DKIM and DMARC to increase deliverability and protect your sending domains.

How to Set Up SPF Records

You must work with the domain owner or administrator to set up an SPF record. First, you need to collect all of the IP addresses that your organization uses to send email. Then, you will need access to your domain settings to add the SPF record. Whoever manages your domain name and web hosting can help you add the record. If you have further questions about how to improve your email deliverability, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the LuxSci support team.

Tags: dkim, DMARC, dns, domain name service, email deliverability, gmail, spam, spf, spf records, spoofing
Posted in LuxSci Library: The Technical Side of Email, LuxSci Library: Email Programs and Devices
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Email Marketing Metrics: 5 KPIs for Data-Driven Marketers

Wednesday, May 17th, 2023

Open rates only offer a small glimpse into the success of your email marketing campaigns. To determine whether your campaigns successfully drive engagement and behavior, diving deeper is necessary. In this article, we go beyond the basics to look at other email marketing metrics that can help you determine the success of your campaigns.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

One way to tell if your email content engages your audience is by looking at the click-through rate or CTR. Instead, looking at your messages’ click-through rate can tell you more about how successful the campaign is. The click-through rate can be calculated by dividing the number of total clicks (or unique clicks) by the number of emails delivered.

This metric tells you how successful the message content is and whether the recipients find the content engaging. Many split tests are designed to find new ways to get more clicks in your emails, and the click-through rate is an essential metric to determine success. Clicks are significant because they often lead to conversions.

Conversion Rate

For most marketers, the conversion rate is the most vital metric to track. The conversion goal you are tracking may change from email to email. For example, the goal of one campaign may be to increase app downloads. In another, the goal may be to increase appointment sign-ups. Whatever your goal, to track the conversion rate, you compare the number of people who completed the desired action to the number of emails delivered.

To measure the conversion rate of your emails, you may need to integrate your email platform with web analytics. You can do this by creating unique tracking URLs for your email links that identify the source of the click as coming from a specific email campaign. Tracking the source is incredibly important for understanding the ROI of your email campaigns.

Bounce Rate

It’s imperative to keep an eye on your bounce rate. The bounce rate measures how many emails were delivered to the recipients’ inboxes. Bounces can either be soft or hard. Understanding why an email failed to be delivered can help you improve your lists for future sends.

Soft bounces result from a temporary problem with a valid email address, such as a full inbox or a problem with the recipient’s server. The recipient’s server may hold these emails for delivery once the problem clears up, or you can try to resend the message manually.

Hard bounces result from invalid, closed, or non-existent email addresses. These emails will never be successfully delivered. You should immediately remove addresses that hard bounce from your email list because internet service providers (ISPs) use bounce rates to determine an email sender’s reputation. Keeping your email lists clean is essential to maintaining email deliverability.

Unsubscribes

Similarly, you should be tracking who is unsubscribing from email messages. Seeing a small number of unsubscribes from your email campaign is expected. The average email campaign unsubscribe rate is about 0.2%. Nevertheless, tracking unsubscribes on a per-campaign basis is helpful to ensure your content is hitting the mark. If your unsubscribe rate jumps above the average, it may be time to re-evaluate your content or clean up your lists. Unsubscribing indicates that the recipient did not find your messages engaging, and you should remove any contacts who unsubscribe from future marketing messages. There are also legal ramifications for failing to comply. The CAN-SPAM Act requires companies to honor all opt-out requests and enforces penalties for noncompliance.

Spam Complaints

Spam complaints can also affect the future deliverability of your emails, so it’s crucial to track who is marking your emails as spam and remove them from your list. Spam complaints are delivered to ISPs, and receiving a lot of them could impact your deliverability and sending reputation. If you aren’t tracking these requests, you could be emailing people who do not want to be contacted by your company.

Conclusion: Implement Data-Driven Email Marketing Today

Move beyond top-line email marketing metrics to take your email marketing expertise to the next level. You can better engage patients, drive behavior, and improve outcomes by using data-driven email marketing techniques. Contact LuxSci today to learn more about how our HIPAA-compliant email marketing software can help you achieve results.

Tags: click tracking, conversion rate, data driven email marketing, email analytics, email deliverability, email engagement, email list clean up, email list hygiene, email marketing, email marketing metrics, metrics, patient engagement, precision nudging
Posted in HIPAA Marketing
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