Common Mistakes in Email Monitoring for Professionals

I've run hundreds of email account audits, and I always see the same mistakes. Here are the "5 Deadly Sins" that are killing your email performance – and how to fix them. MISTAKE #1: TOO MUCH EMAIL VOLUME When it comes to email marketing, engagement is far more important than list size. Sending too many emails can overwhelm your subscribers, leading to lower engagement rates, increased unsubscribes, and damage to your sender reputation. This turns into a “boy who cried wolf” scenario, where too much volume results in your messages getting ignored or sent to SPAM. THE FIX: Focus on quality over quantity. Prioritize sending valuable content at a steady cadence rather than hitting an arbitrary volume target. MISTAKE #2: NOT SEGMENTING YOUR AUDIENCE If you’re still sending “email blasts” in 2024, you’re gonna have a bad time. Sending the same email to your entire list without considering a subscriber’s unique needs or interests is a recipe for terrible engagements, sales, and unsubscribe rates. THE FIX: Segment your list based on demographics,interests, or behaviors. Send hyper-personalized content to maximize relevance and improve conversion rates. MISTAKE #3: WEAK OR MISLEADING SUBJECT LINES Using vague, spammy, or clickbaity subject lines is an absolute no-no. If your subject line is unclear, it’s not getting opened. If it makes a promise that your content doesn’t deliver on, your subscribers will lose trust, killing your future engagement metrics. THE FIX: Craft subject lines that are both clear and compelling. Set expectations for what’s inside and make sure the email content follows through on that claim. MISTAKE #4: IGNORING MOBILE OPTIMIZATION Current estimates suggest that around 60% of website visits take place on mobile devices. Similarly, studies have shown that around 40-60% of email opens happen on mobile. So, why do so many brands invest thousands in mobile optimization for their SITE, and almost nothing in optimizing their EMAILS? THE FIX: Use responsive email templates that adjust to any screen size, and always test how your emails look on mobile before sending. MISTAKE #5: FAILING TO ANALYZE PERFORMANCE For many brands, email marketing is an item on a to-do list that just needs checked off. If you’re not running a post-send analysis to determine what’s working and what’s not, you are absolutely leaving money on the table. THE FIX: Analyze your email marketing metrics on a monthly basis to understand what’s working and use that to drive further experimentation and optimization. I see these mistakes in every single account I audit – and it KILLS me. Get these low cost, high impact opportunities dialed in and you’ll dramatically improve your results.

Too often, organizations invest heavily in firewalls, endpoint security, and threat detection—yet overlook a critical flaw in their environment... Inconsistent mail flow rules. These rules govern how emails move through your system, but without proper oversight, they can quickly turn into a security risk. Common issues we find during audits include: - Overlapping rules that create unnecessary complexity - Whitelisted senders/domains that no longer need access - Unmonitored rule changes that open up security gaps When mail flow rules aren’t properly managed, it’s like leaving the back door open while reinforcing the front. The Business Risk? Inconsistent or outdated mail flow rules expose your organization to: 1. Data breaches via unmonitored email traffic 2. Phishing attacks that slip through poorly configured rules 3. Operational inefficiencies, with IT teams spending valuable time troubleshooting preventable issues A proactive approach is essential 1. Regular audits to eliminate redundancies and reduce exposure. 2. Consolidation of mail flow rules into clear, high-level policies that are manageable and secure. 3. Real-time monitoring through your SIEM to alert you of any unauthorized changes. The payoff? Stronger security, reduced complexity, and better control across your email system. This isn’t just a tech issue—it’s about protecting your business from preventable risks and avoiding costly breaches or compliance failures. When was the last time you audited your mail flow rules? If it’s been a while, now’s the time to reassess before they become a liability.

In the past 8 months, I've helped over 100 clients fix their email authentication, preventing costly deliverability issues. Here are the 5 most common (and avoidable) mistakes Back in 2023, I wouldn’t have called myself an email deliverability expert. But I’ve always been tech-savvy and known for tackling complex challenges. When Google and Yahoo announced new email authentication protocols, something unexpected happened -  past clients started reaching out, asking for help navigating these changes. They had email lists. But didn't understand the new protocols. They trusted me to find solutions. So, I dove in— ✔ researching everything I could, ✔ consulting with industry experts, ✔ reviewing the implications, and ✔ testing out tools. As I worked with client after client, I began to notice patterns. The same mistakes showed up repeatedly, blocking emails from landing in inboxes. Fast forward to today: - I’ve helped over 100 clients authenticate their emails. - I’ve identified the top issues that impact deliverability. - And now, I get to help businesses prevent these costly errors. But I keep seeing the same mistakes... Over and over again. Here are the 5 biggest mistakes I saw when working with clients on email authentication: 1. Jumping into authentication without preparing the list - Skipping list preparation leads to deliverability problems - Unclean, unsegmented lists trigger spam filters - Damaged sender reputation is hard to repair 2. Not understanding SPF, DKIM, and DMARC - Many set up authentication without knowing the details - Misconfigured SPF or DKIM causes failed authentication - Leads to poor deliverability and email failures 3. Only setting up DMARC without reporting - DMARC is powerful but needs reporting to be effective - Without reports, you’re in the dark about email performance - Reports help identify issues and guide adjustments 4. Starting with a strict DMARC policy - Jumping straight to “reject”  is risky - The best practice? Start with the lowest level and monitor results - Gradually increase enforcement as your setup stabilizes 5. Failing to monitor email list data. - Authentication isn’t set-it-and-forget-it - Regular monitoring prevents unnoticed failures - Catching shifts in performance is crucial for inbox placement TAKEAWAY If your emails aren't landing in inboxes, your time and money are going to waste. The truth? You can start your email list with 1 subscriber. You can start with one email. But you shouldn’t start without understanding deliverability. --------- Questions about your email list? DM me to chat.

How a business lost 100,000 subscribers and didn't even notice At Maestra, we audit dozens of marketing operations every week. Our findings often surprise marketing leaders - not in a good way. Here's one of the biggest mistakes that's quietly stealing your money: 📉📉📉 not monitoring your audience quality 📉📉📉 Many marketers think: High delivery and open rate = Good email list So wrong! You can send an email to yourself and get ✨a perfect 100% open rate ✨ But that won't make you any sales. You need to look much deeper and do it often, or else... A business came to us with ~500К email subscribers. Our team found subscribers who had opted in… but weren't receiving anything. How many? 100К customers. One. Hundred. THOUSAND! Confusing settings in Klaviyo had cut out these customers from all emails - and the business didn't know. Good thing we found this before Black Friday and started re-engaging them with a strong offer. But this wasn't the only time we've seen this problem. So, how do you avoid losing 100,000 customers? Check your email list regularly from different angles: 1️⃣ Track size trends + subscriptions/unsubscriptions 2️⃣ Monitor customer segments (try RFM): Are top customers growing? What prevents promising segments from advancing? 3️⃣ Review subscription preferences: Is everyone receiving messages through their preferred channels (email, SMS, push, etc.) and frequency? Which content performs best? And yes, watch delivery rates and open rates. When these numbers suddenly change, something's wrong. Tag your CMO or marketing lead - have your team run an audit lately? And let me know in the comments if this helps - I'll share more stories like this

Most deliverability issues boil down to bad data. Either you’re sending to people you shouldn't, or you’re sending things the right people don’t care about. Here's what might be contributing to your issue… First, the most common list growth missteps: 💌 Not getting explicit permission at signup. I’m not talking about what legally counts as an opt-in… for example, acquiring a list of “opt-in” addresses from a partner or affiliate. If they’re not aware of the fact that your brand will be emailing them, just don’t do it. 💌 Not clearly setting expectations. They should know exactly what they’re signing up for before they submit their address. And ideally, you follow up with a welcome email that reinforces who you are and why you’re in their inbox. Then you stick to what you promised! If you haven’t defined re-engagement or sunset policies yet, skip ahead to Step 6 — it walks you through how to build them. 💌 Not validating email addresses at the point of entry. Sometimes, even the most legitimate brands pull in trash signups… perhaps because they’re running a sweepstakes that entices people to share disposable email addresses. Or their form isn’t protected with a CAPTCHA (or similar line of defense against bot signups). Quick plug for real-time email verification if you’re collecting a LOT of addresses and delivery rates are often below ~95%. 💌 Sending mail that’s disconnected from what they signed up for. For example, if your last sweepstakes attracted people who only wanted a free iPad, not your content. Keep it relevant to what you’ll be emailing them about, people! Email is about quality, not quantity. Now on to common flaws in list management: 💌 Changing your frequency or volume without warning. Mailbox providers like consistency. When they notice changes in recipient reaction or sending volume, they’re likely to figure you’ve been hacked (and someone else is running amok with your sender reputation), or you’re doing something squirrely (in which case, well, maybe you don’t deserve the inbox anymore). 💌 Sending infrequently (e.g. once every 6 months). This one’s also a red flag for mailbox providers since they don’t have enough recent sending history to know if you’re safe for their users. Not to mention, recipients may forget about you, making them more likely to mark your emails as spam. 💌 Not acting on engagement data. You’ve gotta pay attention to your positive engagement signals (e.g. opens and clicks) and the negative ones (e.g. marking your email as spam or unsubscribing) to ensure you’re only sending to people who actually want to hear from you. Suppressing people who’ve asked to get off the ride isn’t just good for deliverability… it’s also legally required in a lot of parts of the world. 💌 Not having a re-engagement or sunset policy. Want to know what ‘unengaged’ should mean for your brand, or how to build re-engagement flows? Check out my most recent blog post for Send It Right.