Everyone’s chasing the next growth hack. TikTok ads. AI-generated funnels. Influencer UGC. But you know what’s quietly tanking revenue in most small businesses?
Your emails aren’t even getting delivered.
Not “they’re not good.”
Not “open rates are low.”
I mean they aren’t even making it into inboxes. They’re vanishing into spam filters faster than you can say “20% off.”
And if you think this doesn’t apply to you because you’ve “been emailing for years,” think again. Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook have all tightened the rules. What worked last year will straight-up fail this year.
Why Deliverability Is Suddenly a Big Deal
Here’s what changed:
- Google and Yahoo raised the bar. If you send bulk emails and you don’t have proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), your emails can be blocked. Not just “spam folder” blocked ie you are completely rejected.
- Engagement matters more. Low open rates don’t just mean your emails are boring. They now hurt your sender reputation, making all your future emails harder to deliver.
- Shared domains = shared problems. If you’re using your platform’s generic sending domain (like @mailchimpapp.com), you’re at the mercy of everyone else on that domain. If one marketer spams, your deliverability tanks too.
This isn’t paranoia. It’s happening right now. I’ve seen businesses with lists of 20,000+ lose 40–50% of their reach because of poor deliverability.
What Failing Deliverability Really Costs You
- Money left on the table. If only half your emails are hitting inboxes, you’re basically burning ad spend. One e-commerce brand I worked with thought their funnel was broken. Nope. Their cart abandon emails were hitting spam. We fixed it and conversion rates doubled — with the exact same copy and creative.
- False data. When deliverability is bad, your open and click rates are lies. You can’t optimize campaigns on bad data.
- Reputation damage. Internet service providers (ISPs) track your sender behavior. If you don’t fix deliverability, it can take months to rebuild your reputation.
Here’s the kicker: businesses blame “email is dead” when really it’s just their email is dead on arrival.
How to Fix Deliverability Without Losing Your Mind
Let’s break it down in human language.
- Authenticate your sending domain. Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. It’s like giving your emails a passport so Gmail knows they’re legit. Start DMARC with “p=none” so you can monitor, then tighten to quarantine/reject.
- Send from your domain, not a rented one. If your emails come from *@gmail.com or *@mailchimpapp.com, stop. Send from your own authenticated domain. That’s like owning your house instead of renting a shady motel room.
- Warm up and maintain. New domain? Don’t blast 10,000 emails on day one. Start small and build up. Keep your complaint rate under 0.3%. Prune deadweight subscribers who never open.
- Track the right metrics. Stop obsessing over open rates alone. Watch delivery rates, spam complaints, and engagement trends. These are the numbers that actually protect your sender reputation.
The Future of Deliverability
Here’s my contrarian take: the businesses that win in email over the next few years won’t be the ones with the “prettiest newsletters.” They’ll be the ones who:
- Treat email like infrastructure. Deliverability is plumbing. If the pipes are broken, it doesn’t matter how good the water is.
- Use AI for targeting, not blasting. Don’t just send more. Send smarter. Personalized, segmented campaigns will keep engagement up and your reputation safe.
- Prioritize trust. Transparency matters. Label AI-assisted emails. Make unsubscribing painless. Respecting your audience pays off in deliverability scores.
The Bottom Line
Email is still the most profitable channel for most businesses. But if your deliverability is broken, you’re basically whispering into the void.
Fix the plumbing, and suddenly all your other marketing starts working harder. Your funnels convert better. Your launches don’t flop. Your retention skyrockets.
It’s not sexy. It’s not flashy. But right now, deliverability is the ultimate growth hack.
Ready to Fix Your Deliverability?
- Funnels falling flat? Book a Done Day Intensive — we’ll fix your email authentication, funnels, and reporting in 7 hours flat.
- Want a full roadmap? My AI Audit will show you where deliverability, stack, and automation can work smarter together.
- Scaling fast? Bring me in with the Fractional Fix and we’ll never let email fall through the cracks again.
Stop writing emails no one sees. Let’s get you back in the inbox — where the money actually is.