AI is becoming indispensable in marketing, extending beyond advertising, content creation, analytics, and SEO into the space of email marketing. As businesses work to maximize engagement, email remains one of the most effective channels for reaching customers.
With the power of AI, email marketing enables marketers to personalize campaigns and save time, enhancing efficiency and impact. In this article, we’ll explore the six main commandments of email marketing and discuss the best practices to help you achieve successful campaigns.
Article Shortcuts:
- The 6 Commandments of Email Marketing
- Email Commandment #1: Uphold Your Sending IP Reputation
- Email Commandment #2: Protect Your Sending Domain Reputation
- Email Commandment #3: Curate a Quality List
- Email Commandment #4: Create Compelling Content and Design
- Email Commandment #5: Control Sending Frequency
- Email Commandment #6: Practice Active List Hygiene
- FAQ
The Rise of Email Marketing’s Importance
Contrary to predictions that email might decline, the number of emails sent and received globally continues to grow.
According to Statista, 281 billion emails were exchanged in 2018; by 2023, this number had risen to 347 billion.
Projections estimate that by 2027, it will reach 408 billion. This consistent increase shows email marketing’s relevance and potential as a channel for engagement, even as new tools emerge.
Source: Statista
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The Impact of AI on Email Marketing
According to Forbes, AI has rapidly integrated into email marketing, with 49% of marketers using it to create content. Within a few months, AI has doubled email marketers' open rates and tripled click-through rates (CTR), showing that AI’s influence can be transformative for engagement.
Email Marketing Software in 2025 will feature smarter automation, predictive analytics, and enhanced personalization, strengthening digital engagement.
Source: Ascend2
The 6 Commandments of Email Marketing
Explore the main six email marketing commandments to follow:
1. Email Commandment #1: Uphold Your Sending IP Reputation
Your IP reputation is crucial for deliverability. To maintain it:
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Start with small batches of recipients and gradually increase volume
Following the first commandment and maintaining a strong IP reputation, it’s essential to introduce a warm-up process, especially when reaching a large audience.
This can be done through “chunk sending,” a method that distributes emails in smaller batches over a period rather than sending them all at once.
Chunk sending helps manage risks such as high bounce rates, spam complaints, and potential damage to the sender's reputation, particularly if you buy mail server resources and need more control over performance.
By splitting a large list into manageable subsets, you minimize the strain on email servers and reduce the chances of triggering spam filters.
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Why is chunk sending important?
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Chunk sending is invaluable in maintaining a positive sender reputation. Sending too many emails at once can overwhelm servers, leading to spam issues and reputation damage.
Chunk sending addresses these risks, allowing you to monitor and adjust based on real-time performance.
Imagine you’re sending to a list of 16,000 contacts. Instead of reaching out to all 16,000 at once, start with 800 emails per day and gradually increase the number. Over the span of 15-20 days, you can reach the full list, reducing the chances of deliverability issues and ensuring a smooth campaign.
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Impact on campaign performance
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Chunk sending offers several advantages:
- Risk Mitigation: Spreads the risk of bounces and spam complaints over time.
- Improved Deliverability: Gradually warms up the IP address, preserving a strong sender reputation.
- Real-Time Adjustment: Enables you to pause or adjust campaigns based on performance, optimizing your strategy.
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Comply with regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR
Compliance with laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR is essential to avoid penalties and maintain a good reputation.
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CAN-SPAM Compliance
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The CAN-SPAM Act is a U.S. law that outlines rules for commercial emails. It mandates that:
- Unsubscribe options must be clear and functional.
- Senders must avoid misleading subject lines.
- Physical mailing addresses must be included.
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GDPR Compliance
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The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in effect since 2018, affects email marketers targeting EU residents. It emphasizes transparency and consent in data usage, requiring marketers to:
- Obtain explicit consent before sending emails.
- Provide a clear privacy policy.
- Allow easy data access and deletion for users.
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Monitor bounce rates to avoid blacklisting
Managing bounce rates is critical to prevent blacklisting and ensure successful email deliverability. High bounce rates can signal poor list hygiene and negatively impact the sender's reputation.
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How to manage bounce rates
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To reduce bounce rates:
- Clean Your List Regularly: Remove invalid or inactive addresses.
- Segment Your Audience: Tailor your content to relevant segments, reducing the likelihood of bounces.
- Use Double Opt-in: Ensure subscribers are genuinely interested by confirming their intent.
For more strategies, visit How to Manage and Reduce Email Bounce Rates.
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Monitor sender reputation with tools like Google Postmaster and Sender Score
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Regularly monitoring your sender reputation helps you respond proactively to any issues. Tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score provide insights into how email providers view your emails.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Offers insights into your sender reputation, spam rates, and more.
- Sender Score: Calculates a score based on your sending practices, helping identify areas for improvement.
These tools allow marketers to take action when necessary, ensuring a healthy reputation and improving deliverability.
Summary: Upholding your IP reputation is critical for successful email delivery. By gradually increasing volume through chunk sending, complying with regulations, and monitoring bounce rates, you can protect your sender reputation and maximize deliverability.
2. Email Commandment #2: Protect Your Sending Domain Reputation
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Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to secure your domain
Following commandment #2, protecting your domain reputation is crucial for successful email marketing. Poor management can lead to your domain being blocked by email service providers (ESPs), impacting your deliverability.
Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols strengthens your domain's credibility, ensures your emails are legitimate, and reduces the risk of spoofing.
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SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Verifying sending servers
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SPF is an email validation protocol that allows domain owners to specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on their behalf.
By adding an SPF record to your DNS settings, you help recipients verify the legitimacy of your emails. SPF ensures that recipient servers recognize your emails as authentic.
If an email isn’t from an authorized server, it may be flagged as suspicious or rejected. Implementing SPF reduces the risk of phishing or spam attacks using your domain, protecting your brand's reputation.
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DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail): Ensuring message integrity
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DKIM is an authentication method that verifies whether an email was authorized by the sender’s domain. It adds a digital signature to email headers, which the recipient's server can validate using the public key in the sender’s DNS records.
DKIM prevents email tampering by confirming that the email content hasn’t changed during transmission. This added security helps build trust with recipients, assuring them that the message truly comes from the specified sender.
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DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
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DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM to offer a full authentication framework. It allows domain owners to specify how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, with options to reject, quarantine, or monitor suspicious emails.
Benefits of DMARC
- Prevention of Spoofing: Stops unauthorized emails, protecting your domain from being used for phishing.
- Visibility and Reporting: DMARC provides detailed reports, helping you monitor who is sending emails on behalf of your domain.
- Control Over Email Authentication: Set enforcement levels based on the level of security desired.
For more details on setting up DMARC, refer to the VBOUT Knowledge Base on DMARC.
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Avoid buying low-quality lists to prevent honeypot traps
Buying low-quality email lists may expose you to honeypot traps—fake email addresses used by security providers like Malwarebytes or McAfee to detect spammers. These traps can damage your reputation by flagging your domain as a spam source.
Always build your list organically to ensure high-quality contacts and reduce the risk of blacklisting.
Summary: Protecting your domain reputation requires implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols. These authentication measures help prevent spoofing and phishing, ensuring that your emails are trusted and reach the intended inboxes.
3. Email Commandment #3: Curate a Quality List
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Use double opt-in and email validation
Following the third commandment, double opt-in and email validation are essential practices for maintaining a clean, high-quality email list. By requiring subscribers to verify their email addresses, you can prevent spam and fake addresses from polluting your list.
Double opt-in ensures that the person signing up is genuinely interested, as they must confirm their subscription via a secondary email.
Email validation tools enhance list quality by verifying contacts' addresses upon import. These tools check for risky or invalid addresses and suppress them, ensuring that only reliable contacts receive your emails.
This proactive approach reduces bounce rates, enhances deliverability, and maintains your sender reputation.
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Segment new subscribers based on preferences or actions
Segmentation from the outset enables you to send targeted, relevant emails that align with your subscribers’ interests.
When you send your recipients an email campaign, consider asking them to update their preferences and allowing them to select the topics or types of content they want to receive.
By offering subscribers control over which lists they remain opted into, you ensure that each email is relevant to their needs. This approach improves engagement and reduces unsubscribe rates, as subscribers feel more in control of the content they receive.
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Build a strong community with ongoing value
A strong, engaged community is key to successful email marketing. Offering ongoing value through educational content, workshops, or webinars can keep subscribers invested in your brand.
By sharing knowledge and providing value beyond promotional content, you cultivate loyalty and increase the likelihood of long-term engagement.
Educational resources and community-building efforts foster trust and encourage active participation.
Subscribers who view your brand as a valuable resource are likelier to engage with your emails, share them with others, and stay subscribed for the long term.
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Leverage social media to turn views into emails
Social media can be a powerful tool for growing your email list.
For instance, after posting an engaging Instagram reel, you can invite viewers to direct message (DM) a specific keyword (e.g., "guide" or "coupon") to receive exclusive content. An AI-powered chatbot can manage the conversation, guiding users through a process that captures their email addresses.
This approach creates a seamless experience that moves users from social media to email. Starting with a short, visually appealing video on social media, the interaction continues with a chatbot conversation.
The chatbot gathers contact details and then follows up with personalized emails or other content based on user preferences, such as e-commerce offers or tutorials.
By combining social media's visual reach with chatbots' conversational engagement, you can transform fleeting social interactions into measurable leads.
This enhances lead generation across channels and enables you to start the nurture process, which might consist of various automated messages, such as emails and SMS campaigns.
Summary: A high-quality email list starts with double opt-in, segmentation, and clear consent options. This commandment ensures you’re reaching an engaged audience, reducing the risk of unsubscribes and boosting overall engagement.
4. Email Commandment #4: Create Compelling Content and Design
Following the fourth commandment in email marketing, content and design play critical roles in capturing attention and driving engagement. A well-structured email with a clear message can significantly increase open and click-through rates.
Let’s dive into optimizing content and layout for maximum impact.
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Decide on a clear format
Choosing the right format for your email facilitates the way for effective communication.
Your email layout should be simple, visually pleasing, and easy to navigate. A minimalist design with white space can enhance readability and make the content more inviting.
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Simple, comfortable design
A simple structure keeps your email organized and comfortable for the eyes. Avoid overcrowding with excessive visuals or long paragraphs.
Instead, focus on short, digestible sections that effortlessly guide the reader. The content should be straightforward, helping readers quickly understand the message without overwhelming them.
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Personalize content with dynamic elements
Personalization goes beyond just addressing the subscriber by name. Dynamic elements tailored to individual behavior or preferences can make emails feel more relevant and engaging.
For example, you can incorporate personalized offers, tailored product recommendations, or content that updates based on user activity.
Dynamic content adapts based on user data, ensuring that each recipient sees content most relevant to them.
For example, if you want to send the same email to two different segments within your list—one consisting of customers and the other of subscribers who are not yet clients—you can personalize the email for each group.
For the non-client segment, you might include a CTA button inviting them to book a demo showcasing how your product can help address their marketing challenges while excluding this option for your existing clients. Here’s how the email might look for each segment:
Non Clients
Clients
Personalized emails have been shown to boost open and click-through rates, creating a more engaging experience.
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Use the Problem-Solution-Hook technique
The Problem-Solution Hook (PSH) technique is an effective way to capture attention and drive action in email marketing. This approach begins by identifying a problem the reader may face, offering a s