In October 2023, Google ushered in a new era for bulk email senders, aiming to enhance the recipient experience and combat spam. The announcement sparked a reevaluation across go-to-market organizations, forcing a realization that outdated systems wouldn't suffice under these new compliance guidelines.

While Google later exempted Google Workspaces, it acknowledged the need for a long-overdue change in sales engagement. 2023 revealed a harsh reality – two-thirds of emails go unopened, and 96% receive no replies due to impersonal, irrelevant communications.

As we step into 2024, organizations face a mandate to revamp sales engagement, prioritizing quality over past "spray and pray" tactics. In response, we've crafted an all-encompassing guide for Sales, Marketing, and Operations/Systems Administration stakeholders.

Email Optimization Guide for Bulk Senders: Transforming Outbound Email Strategy 🌐✉️

Google's original announcement emphasized technical settings adherence. This checklist goes beyond basics, providing additional considerations to prevent spam flags and offering a contingency plan if needed.

Operations and Admin’s Checklist to Improve Email Deliverability 🔧📈

Email authentication is a technical standard crucial for preventing spam or spoofing. Your IT team configures email servers to verify your identity, preventing bad actors from impersonating you. Explore DKIM, SPF, DMARC, and ARC authentication. Unsubscribe links and Google's one-click unsubscribe are essential (this is now a requirement from Google- your link must be 1 click and the subscriber must be able to unsubscribe in less than 2 business days). Regularly monitor your domain’s spam rate and follow sender guidelines. Feel free to use Google’s Postmaster tools, available to you for free. 

Secure warmed-up domains for potential flagging, monitor blacklists, and adhere to email best practices. Bulk emails should be spaced out to avoid newsletter-like perceptions. A/B testing can help with this, and many tools offer features where you can randomly space out outbound automated emails. We also would highly recommend verifying all of your contact information before sending emails, by using a tool like MillionVerify.

Data privacy is paramount, with laws allowing individuals to opt out. Organizations need to secure additional email domains, check blacklists, throttle bulk sends, and comply with data privacy regulations.

Marketing’s Checklist to Boost Pipeline and Conversion 📊🚀

Segment audience lists based on demographics, firmographics, and behavior. Limit email frequency and give breaks to non-engaging contacts. Leverage third-party tools, maintain a consistent brand voice, and steer clear of generic templates.

Sales’ Checklist to Increase Seller Productivity 💼📈

Personalization is key. Use tools like Instantly, Apollo, Outreach, Salesfloft, Smartlead.ai to personalize at scale. Avoid spam-triggering language (use Spintax where necessary and use MailMeteor to spam check your emails), target the right contacts, and reassess contact data strategies. An omnichannel approach, frequent flow updates, and outcome-based metrics are essential.

In a world projecting 376 billion daily emails by 2025, organizations must evolve marketing practices. This guide equips teams to navigate changes, ensuring relevance, personalization, and quality in every interaction. Share it across your team to prepare for success in 2024 and beyond.