A Marketer's Guide to the
    "Big Four" ISPs
Matt Rausenberger
Sr. Director, Deliverability Consulting
Return Path, Inc.
matt.rausenberger@returnpath.net


                 eec Co-Chair
                 Deliverability & Compliance Roundtable

                 PSVillage Co-Chair
                 Denver Chapter
A Few Common Truths About
    Email and Receivers
1. ISPs are focused on providing a great
                   email experience to mailbox users

Common Truths   2. 99 / 100 deliverability issues are the
                   sender’s problem
   About
                3. ISPs put a heavy weight on a
  Email and        sender’s IP reputation
  Receivers     4. Engagement is important
                5. Batch and blast is a thing of the past
                6. ISPs will mediate with senders if
                   subscribers are engaged and vocal
                   about your email deliver (Detailed
                   Info is needed to support your case)
                7. ISPs have a tough time sorting the
                   good, the bad, and the ugly email
Reputation Factors
Infrastructure   IP Permanence   List Hygiene




  Content         Complaints     Engagement
Fun Facts
#1 ISP with 350 million active users / 1 billion mailboxes
HoTMaiL launched in 1996; acquired by Microsoft in 1997
8 billion emails per day for all domains


#2 ISP with 280 million users / 320 million with its partners
Y! launched in 1995 but email came later


#3 ISP with 193 million users
Launched beta 2004 and general public in 2007
Fastest growing ISP

#4 ISP in size
Email launched in early 90’s
Global presence is about half that of the top three ISPs
Spam Filtering


Patented         Spam Guard       Home-grown,        Home-grown
SmartScreen      Technology       learned system
                                                     Focus mainly on
anti-spam
                 All Aspects of   “This is Spam”     IP
filtering
                 Reputation       vs. “This is not
technology                                           “This is Spam” vs.
                                  Spam” Votes
                 Heavy Emphasis                      “This is not Spam”
Panel data
                 on URL Content   Domain and IP      Votes
(Active Users)
                 and User         Consideration
                 Complaints                          Invalid recipients
Junk or Not
                 (Trusted Voter                      or Unknown Users
Junk Votes
                 Community)                          Engagement
URL Content
Filtering        Engagement
                 Domain and IP
                 Consideration
Keep Complaints
      to a Minimum


  Best
Practice
Methods to Reduce Complaints

               Set expectations
               Respect unsubscribe
                requests
               Be recognizable
               Send relevant content
               Analyze complaint
                data
Junk e-Mail
                 Reporting
                 Program (JMRP)


                 FBL’s by individual
                 domain
                 (requires DKIM)


                 No FBLs
                 List Unsubscribe

Feedback Loops
                  Set industry
                  standard for FBL
                  application
Engagement
Panel Data Shapes their Filters
How active subscribers are with the mail
Considerations for Mail Placement (Inbox vs. Junk Folder)


Trusted Voter Community
In-house solution, coupled with a 3rd Party Filters



“This is Spam” vs. “This is not Spam” Votes
Priority Inbox


Analyzed engagement for a long period of time
Similar to Yahoo!
Engagement Trumps Complaints
Understand
Engagement


               Best
             Practice
Best
  Practice
                     Import
                     Address
                      Book




Maintain Your List
Consistent Hygiene
 Review your data collection
  processes and modify if necessary
 Use Confirmed Opt-In
 Segment new subscribers on IPs
 Monitor unknown user rate
 Grow your list organically
 Review your internal bounce
  categorization routine
 Monitor sending logs
 Monitor Blacklists
Sending Requirements & Authentication
         Sender ID
         DKIM look up when SID does not pass
         Throttles mail from new IPs

         Reviews both DKIM and SPF
         Max of 20 messages per SMTP connection
         reject if open relay or open proxies

         SPF, DKIM and DomainKeys
         From matches d= in DKIM record
         Shared IPs should sign DKIM w/ Unique domain

         Both DKIM and SPF is best practice
         DKIM will help maintain reputation across IPs
         Fail of both SPF and DKIM = Spam folder
Best
          Practice




       Utilize a
 Solid Sending
Infrastructure
Best
                          Best
                         Practice
                        Practice




Maintain Sending Permanence
Sending Reputation
      Tools

        Microsoft SNDS

  AOL Reputation Check Tool

Gmail List-Unsubscribe Link Enabled


   Return Path Sender Score
Prioritized Delivery
No internal Whitelist
Return Path’s Email Certification Program

Yahoo offers an internal Whitelist
Return Path’s Email Certification Program

No Whitelist
Priority Inbox

AOL Standard Whitelist
AOL Enhanced Whitelist
Partners
Partners
Sympatico (Bell Canada)
Partners
Sympatico (Bell Canada)

AT&T (BellSouth, SBC, Ameritech)
Verizon
Rogers, BT, TNZ, and Nokia
Partners
Sympatico (Bell Canada)

AT&T (BellSouth, SBC, Ameritech)
Verizon
Rogers, BT, TNZ, and Nokia
ig.br
virginmedia.com
sify.com
Partners
Sympatico (Bell Canada)

AT&T (BellSouth, SBC, Ameritech)
Verizon
Rogers, BT, TNZ, and Nokia
ig.br
virginmedia.com
sify.com

CompuServe
Netscape
Deliverability Blogs

Return Path
       www.returnpath.net
Deliverability.com
       www.deliverability.com
Word to the Wise
       blog.wordtothewise.com
Al Iverson
       blog.exacttarget.com/blog.php/al-iverson
© 2011 Return Path, Inc.
www.returnpath.net |
Confidential, do not reproduce

A Marketer's Guide to the 4 ISP's

  • 1.
    A Marketer's Guideto the "Big Four" ISPs
  • 2.
    Matt Rausenberger Sr. Director,Deliverability Consulting Return Path, Inc. matt.rausenberger@returnpath.net eec Co-Chair Deliverability & Compliance Roundtable PSVillage Co-Chair Denver Chapter
  • 4.
    A Few CommonTruths About Email and Receivers
  • 5.
    1. ISPs arefocused on providing a great email experience to mailbox users Common Truths 2. 99 / 100 deliverability issues are the sender’s problem About 3. ISPs put a heavy weight on a Email and sender’s IP reputation Receivers 4. Engagement is important 5. Batch and blast is a thing of the past 6. ISPs will mediate with senders if subscribers are engaged and vocal about your email deliver (Detailed Info is needed to support your case) 7. ISPs have a tough time sorting the good, the bad, and the ugly email
  • 6.
    Reputation Factors Infrastructure IP Permanence List Hygiene Content Complaints Engagement
  • 7.
    Fun Facts #1 ISPwith 350 million active users / 1 billion mailboxes HoTMaiL launched in 1996; acquired by Microsoft in 1997 8 billion emails per day for all domains #2 ISP with 280 million users / 320 million with its partners Y! launched in 1995 but email came later #3 ISP with 193 million users Launched beta 2004 and general public in 2007 Fastest growing ISP #4 ISP in size Email launched in early 90’s Global presence is about half that of the top three ISPs
  • 8.
    Spam Filtering Patented Spam Guard Home-grown, Home-grown SmartScreen Technology learned system Focus mainly on anti-spam All Aspects of “This is Spam” IP filtering Reputation vs. “This is not technology “This is Spam” vs. Spam” Votes Heavy Emphasis “This is not Spam” Panel data on URL Content Domain and IP Votes (Active Users) and User Consideration Complaints Invalid recipients Junk or Not (Trusted Voter or Unknown Users Junk Votes Community) Engagement URL Content Filtering Engagement Domain and IP Consideration
  • 9.
    Keep Complaints to a Minimum Best Practice
  • 10.
    Methods to ReduceComplaints  Set expectations  Respect unsubscribe requests  Be recognizable  Send relevant content  Analyze complaint data
  • 11.
    Junk e-Mail Reporting Program (JMRP) FBL’s by individual domain (requires DKIM) No FBLs List Unsubscribe Feedback Loops Set industry standard for FBL application
  • 12.
    Engagement Panel Data Shapestheir Filters How active subscribers are with the mail Considerations for Mail Placement (Inbox vs. Junk Folder) Trusted Voter Community In-house solution, coupled with a 3rd Party Filters “This is Spam” vs. “This is not Spam” Votes Priority Inbox Analyzed engagement for a long period of time Similar to Yahoo! Engagement Trumps Complaints
  • 13.
  • 14.
    Best Practice Import Address Book Maintain Your List
  • 15.
    Consistent Hygiene  Reviewyour data collection processes and modify if necessary  Use Confirmed Opt-In  Segment new subscribers on IPs  Monitor unknown user rate  Grow your list organically  Review your internal bounce categorization routine  Monitor sending logs  Monitor Blacklists
  • 16.
    Sending Requirements &Authentication Sender ID DKIM look up when SID does not pass Throttles mail from new IPs Reviews both DKIM and SPF Max of 20 messages per SMTP connection reject if open relay or open proxies SPF, DKIM and DomainKeys From matches d= in DKIM record Shared IPs should sign DKIM w/ Unique domain Both DKIM and SPF is best practice DKIM will help maintain reputation across IPs Fail of both SPF and DKIM = Spam folder
  • 17.
    Best Practice Utilize a Solid Sending Infrastructure
  • 18.
    Best Best Practice Practice Maintain Sending Permanence
  • 19.
    Sending Reputation Tools Microsoft SNDS AOL Reputation Check Tool Gmail List-Unsubscribe Link Enabled Return Path Sender Score
  • 20.
    Prioritized Delivery No internalWhitelist Return Path’s Email Certification Program Yahoo offers an internal Whitelist Return Path’s Email Certification Program No Whitelist Priority Inbox AOL Standard Whitelist AOL Enhanced Whitelist
  • 21.
  • 22.
  • 23.
    Partners Sympatico (Bell Canada) AT&T(BellSouth, SBC, Ameritech) Verizon Rogers, BT, TNZ, and Nokia
  • 24.
    Partners Sympatico (Bell Canada) AT&T(BellSouth, SBC, Ameritech) Verizon Rogers, BT, TNZ, and Nokia ig.br virginmedia.com sify.com
  • 25.
    Partners Sympatico (Bell Canada) AT&T(BellSouth, SBC, Ameritech) Verizon Rogers, BT, TNZ, and Nokia ig.br virginmedia.com sify.com CompuServe Netscape
  • 26.
    Deliverability Blogs Return Path www.returnpath.net Deliverability.com www.deliverability.com Word to the Wise blog.wordtothewise.com Al Iverson blog.exacttarget.com/blog.php/al-iverson
  • 28.
    © 2011 ReturnPath, Inc. www.returnpath.net | Confidential, do not reproduce