Building a beautiful email campaign is useless if it never reaches the inbox. For Australian small businesses, poor deliverability doesn't just mean lower sales—it can damage your brand reputation and lead to your domain being blacklisted by major providers like Telstra, BigPond, or Gmail.
This guide will walk you through the technical and tactical steps to ensure your emails land exactly where they should: right in front of your customers.
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have:- Access to your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, VentraIP, or Crazy Domains).
- Login details for your Email Service Provider (ESP) like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or ActiveCampaign.
- A list of your current sending domains.
- Your Australian Business Number (ABN) handy, as some verification steps may require business details.
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Step 1: Run a Baseline Deliverability Test
Before changing settings, you need to know where you stand. Use a tool like Mail-Tester or [GlockApps]. What you'll see: These tools provide a unique email address. You send your typical marketing email to that address, and it generates a report scoring your authentication, content, and blacklist status. Aim for a score of 9/10 or higher.Step 2: Verify Your SPF Record
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a DNS record that tells receiving servers which IP addresses are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain. How to check: Go to your DNS settings in your domain registrar. Look for a TXT record starting withv=spf1.
The Fix: Ensure your ESP’s include statement is present (e.g., include:servers.mcsv.net for Mailchimp).
Warning: You should only ever have ONE SPF record. If you have multiple, merge them into one, or servers will reject your emails entirely.
Step 3: Set Up DKIM Authentication
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your emails. It’s like a wax seal on a letter that proves the content hasn't been tampered with in transit. The Process: Inside your ESP (e.g., Klaviyo), look for "Domain Authentication" or "Sending Domain." They will provide two CNAME records. Copy these and paste them into your DNS settings at your registrar.Step 4: Implement DMARC (Crucial for 2024)
As of February 2024, Google and Yahoo require a DMARC record for anyone sending more than 5,000 emails a day, but we recommend it for every Australian business regardless of size. The Fix: Add a TXT record to your DNS with the host_dmarc. A basic "p=none" policy tells servers: "I have SPF and DKIM, please check them, but don't reject the email if they fail yet."
Example record: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:admin@yourdomain.com.au
Step 5: Check for Blacklist Placements
If your IP or domain has been flagged for spamming in the past, you might be on a blacklist like Spamhaus or Barracuda. What to do: Use [MXToolbox] to run a Blacklist Check on your domain. If you find your domain listed, follow the specific removal instructions provided by that blacklist. Often, simply fixing your SPF/DKIM and stopping spammy behaviour for 30 days will allow you to request a delisting.Step 6: Clean Your Email List (Sunsetting)
Sending emails to inactive addresses is a massive red flag for ISPs. If people aren't opening your emails, Gmail assumes your content is unwanted. The Fix: Create a segment in your ESP for "Unengaged Subscribers" (anyone who hasn't opened an email in the last 6 months). Send them one final "Do you still want to hear from us?" email. If they don't respond, unsubscribe them. It hurts to see the list size drop, but your deliverability will skyrocket.Step 7: Optimise Your "From" Address and Subject Lines
Avoid using free webmail addresses (like @gmail.com or @bigpond.com) as your "From" address for business marketing. Use a professional domain (e.g., hello@businessname.com.au). Pro Tip: Avoid "spammy" triggers in subject lines like "FREE," "$$$," or ALL CAPS. Also, ensure your physical Australian business address is in the footer to comply with the Spam Act 2003.Step 8: Monitor Your Spam Complaint Rate
In your ESP dashboard, look for your "Spam Complaint Rate." The Goal: This should stay below 0.1% (1 in 1,000 emails). If it hits 0.3%, Google may start routing all your mail to the spam folder automatically. If your rate is high, make your "Unsubscribe" link easier to find. It is much better for a user to unsubscribe than to mark you as spam.Step 9: Check Your Link-to-Text Ratio
Emails that are just one giant image or have dozens of links often get flagged. The Balance: Aim for a 60/40 text-to-image ratio. Ensure every link goes to a reputable domain (your own website or known social media platforms). Avoid using URL shorteners like Bitly in emails, as spammers often use them to hide malicious links.Step 10: Warm Up Your Sending IP (For Large Lists)
If you have just moved to a new ESP and have a list of over 10,000 people, don't blast them all at once. The Strategy: Start by sending to your most engaged users (those who opened in the last 30 days) in small batches. Gradually increase the volume over two weeks. This builds a "reputation" with providers like Outlook and Gmail.---
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Buying Email Lists: This is the fastest way to get blacklisted in Australia. Under the Spam Act 2003*, you must have express or inferred consent. Bought lists are full of "spam traps."- Missing a Plain Text Version: Most ESPs create this automatically, but if yours doesn't, ensure you provide a plain text alternative to your HTML email.
- High Frequency: Sending three emails a day will lead to rapid-fire spam complaints.
Troubleshooting
- "My SPF is valid but emails still fail": Check if you have more than 10 "DNS lookups" in your SPF record. If you use too many services (Outlook, Mailchimp, Zendesk, etc.), you may need to use a "Subdomain" for your marketing mail.
- "Emails go to spam only for BigPond users": Telstra/BigPond has notoriously strict filters. Ensure your DKIM is 2048-bit and that your content is very low on "salesy" language.
- "I fixed everything but nothing changed": Reputation takes time to rebuild. Continue sending high-quality content to your most engaged users for 2–4 weeks to see an improvement.
Next Steps
Once your technical foundations are solid, it's time to focus on the content that keeps people engaged. Check out our guide on Creating High-Conversion Email Sequences or How to Segment Your Audience for Better ROI.If you're still finding your emails are landing in the junk folder and you can't figure out why, our team at Local Marketing Group can run a full technical audit for you. Contact us today to get your communications back on track.