Overview
As a home services marketer, mastering email deliverability is essential for campaign success. It's not enough to just hit send. You must ensure your emails land in the inbox and resonate with your audience. In this article, we'll explore key strategies you need to know, specifically for Marketing Pro. From navigating spam filters to crafting campaigns that truly connect, we'll cover the tactics that elevate your email marketing, helping you improve reach, boost engagement, and drive better business results.
Who uses this feature
Marketing managers, business owners, and other marketers on your team
Primarily benefits Residential Service and Replacement business types and Commercial Service and Replacement business types
Applies to all trades
Feature configuration
To get started with Marketing Pro, request a demo on our Pro Products page, or reach out to your Customer Success Manager (CSM) or Pro Account Manager (PAM).
What is email deliverability?
Email deliverability measures how successfully your emails reach your audience's inboxes without getting flagged as spam or shuffled into junk folders. It's not just about sending email. It's about ensuring they end up where your audience can see them.
While getting your emails into inboxes sounds simple, it's more complex than it seems. Deliverability isn't only a technical challenge. It plays a crucial role in whether your message reaches your audience or gets lost in the void. Your sender reputation is key here. It's the main factor that decides whether your email lands in someone's primary inbox or somewhere harder to find.
For example, Gmail reviews your sender reputation and email content to determine email placement. Even if your email isn't flagged as spam, it may still land in the Promotions inbox if it has marketing elements. This lowers the chances your audience will see it. Building a strong sender reputation increases the chances your email stays out of the Spam and Promotions folders and lands where your audience is more likely to notice it.
Each of the following factors shapes your sender reputation:
Engagement rates: When recipients open, click, and interact with your emails, your deliverability improves. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) see this as a sign that your emails are relevant and valuable.
Sending volume: Consistency is important. ISPs prefer steady, predictable email patterns. Sudden spikes in volume can raise red flags and trigger spam filters.
Bound rates and spam complaints: Many bounced emails or spam complaints can hurt your sender reputation. This makes it more likely that future emails will end up in the junk folder.
Remember, email deliverability is a dynamic, ongoing process. Even if your sender reputation is strong now, it can slip over time if you don't watch these factors. A poor sender reputation can reduce the effectiveness of your campaigns.
How do spam filters work?
Spam filters are one of the most misunderstood parts of email marketing. Think of them as black boxes—complex systems built by many teams over time. Each team worked on a different part, often without seeing the entire picture. The truth is, nobody fully understands how these filters work, and that's intentional. If everyone knew how they worked, people could find ways to bypass them, making them less effective.
Spam filters use algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to decide whether an email belongs in the inbox or spam folder. But it's not a simple yes or no decision. These filters learn from user behavior, email content, sender reputation, and engagement metrics. Over time, they improve at spotting spam, but the exact rules remain unclear even to those who maintain them.
The black box of spam filters
Spam filters can be tricky because they've been built by different teams and continually improved through AI and machine learning. Each new generation of filters adds another layer of complexity. No single person or team has a complete understanding of the entire system. Even the developers and systems themselves cannot fully predict how filters will behave in every situation. This complexity is necessary. If marketers knew exactly how these filters operated, they could manipulate their emails to bypass the system, making the filters useless.
Why spam filters are so restrictive
Email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook have a strong incentive to keep their spam filters strict. If people feel overwhelmed by spam, they might leave for a platform with better filtering. So, providers prioritize keeping junk mail out of sight to ensure user satisfaction.
There's also a financial motive. Many of these platforms offer paid services for businesses that want better inbox placement or access to marketing tools. By keeping spam filters strict, they create a competitive environment where businesses must work hard to improve their sender reputation and email engagement to reach their audience. This benefits providers financially while maintaining a valuable user experience.
Best practices for avoiding spam filters
Every email campaign is, in some ways, a battle against increasingly sophisticated spam filters. These filters aren't static. They evolve constantly, learning and adapting using AI and machine learning. To stay ahead of them, you must follow these best practices.
Maintain consistent email volume
Avoid sudden spikes in email volume. Sending emails at a regular, predictable pace helps build your reputation over time.
What it means: Send fewer emails at a regular, more consistent pace rather than in large, unpredictable bursts.
Why it matters: ISPs pay attention to your sending patterns. Sudden spikes in email volume can flag your account as suspicious, making your emails more likely to be filtered out as spam. Maintaining a steady and predictable email flow helps you build a positive sender reputation, signaling to email providers that you are a reliable and trustworthy sender.
Example: If you're planning a major promotion, don't send a massive email blast to your entire email list at once. Instead, ramp up the email campaign slowly over a few days to avoid sudden spikes.
Craft high-quality content
When creating marketing content, avoid spammy elements like excessive capitalization, exclamation points, or overly aggressive sales language. Focus on delivering relevant, valuable content to your audience.
What it means: Create professional, engaging emails that avoid spam triggers like the excessive use of certain phrases, exclamation marks, and unnecessary capitalization.
Why it matters: Spam filters target low-quality, overly promotional content. If your email uses excessive spam-like language, poor grammar, or low-quality visuals, it may get flagged as spam. High-quality content builds trust with email providers and your audience, helping your emails land in the inbox.
Example: Instead of spammy language like "BUY NOW AND SAVE $$$!!!", focus on value instead. For example, "Here's how you can save on your next service—no rush."
Engage with intent
Focus on sending emails to recipients who are likely to engage by targeting those who have shown interest, rather than blasting your entire email list.
What it means: Send emails to people who have interacted with your business, like those who called recently or have unsold estimates. Create content that speaks to their needs and encourages actions like clicking a link, making a purchase, or signing up for a service.
Why it matters: Engagement signals are critical for email deliverability. When recipients open, click, and interact with your emails, it signals to ISPs that your content is valuable. But if you send emails to people who aren't interested, it can lower your engagement rates and hurt your ability to reach inboxes.
Example: Instead of emailing your entire list, use your data in ServiceTitan to send relevant content based on customer behavior or preferences. For example, you can:
Follow up with people who received a quote but haven't purchased it yet to encourage them to do so.
Reach out to customers who had a repair done but haven't purchased a new system. Explain the benefits of a new system, and consider including a promotion to encourage the purchase.
Encourage customers who use your services to join your maintenance program. Highlight the benefits they'll receive as part of the program.
Let customers know about other services you offer. For example, contact customers who have used your plumbing services but not your HVAC services.
Target with personalized and relevant emails
Hyper target your audience. The more personalized and relevant your emails are, the more likely recipients are to engage with them, which boosts deliverability.
What it means: Use data to tailor your emails to each recipient's preferences, behavior, or demographics.
Why it matters: The era of generic email blasts is over. Today's consumers expect tailored content that speaks to their needs and preferences. By segmenting your audience and delivering highly personalized messages, you can increase engagement and send strong positive signals to ISPs. This reinforces to ISPs that your messages are valuable.
Example: Rather than sending a generic promotion to all your customers, segment your audience list by recent purchase behavior, geography, or service history. For example, a customer who recently had a furnace installed might appreciate a follow-up email offering discounted maintenance, rather than an email pushing unrelated services.
Build an effective email list
Your email list is the foundation of your email marketing strategy. A clean, well-targeted list ensures your emails reach the right people, at the right time, and with the right message.
Segment your audience
Break your audience into smaller groups based on customer behaviors and interactions with your services. This helps you send more relevant, personalized emails.
What it means: Divide your list into smaller, more targeted groups. For example, segment your audience by behavior, demographics, purchase history, or how they've interacted with your brand.
Why it matters: Not all subscribers are the same. Some are loyal customers, some are one-time buyers, and some might have never engaged with your brand. By segmenting your audience, you can send content that fits each group's needs, which boosts engagement and lowers unsubscribe rates.
Example: Create a segment for customers who got a quote but didn't book a service. Then send them a follow-up email with a special offer or remind them why they should act soon. Other segment examples for home service business include:
Customers who have used HVAC services but not plumbing.
Customers who have a maintenance contract expiring soon.
Customers who opened your last email but didn't click any links.
Define targeting criteria
Identify the key characteristics that define your segments, and make sure your data is clean and up-to-date. ServiceTitan gives you access to a lot of customer data, like service histories and geographic locations. You can use this information to create powerful, targeted segments.
What it means: ServiceTitan is more than just a marketing tool. It's an operational powerhouse that centralizes important customer data, like service history, where customers are located, and how they've interacted with your business. By using this data, you can create targeted and effective email campaigns. The information you use for targeting ties directly to your operations, helping you send the right message to the right customer at the right time. For more about the inclusion and exclusion criteria in ServiceTitan, see Create audiences.
Why it matters: Clean data and accurate targeting make your email marketing efforts more effective. Outdated or wrong data can lead to low engagement, damage your sender reputation, and waste resources.
Example: Use customers' service histories to create a group of those who booked an HVAC service in the past year but haven't scheduled any maintenance. Send them an email about the importance of regular HVAC check-ups and offer a discount on maintenance. You can also narrow it down by location, offering a seasonal promotion to customers in areas with extreme weather. This way, your message is relevant and timely.
Perform regular audits
Email list hygiene is critical for maintaining your deliverability rates.
What it means: Regularly review your audience criteria, clean up invalid or disengaged contacts, and ensure your email list reflects current, engaged recipients.
Why it matters: An outdated list can lead to disengagement and harm your deliverability rates. Regular audits help maintain a high-quality email list, ensuring your campaigns are relevant and well-targeted.
Example: Train your customer service representatives (CSRs) to confirm callers' contact information. This helps keep your email list accurate and up-to-date. Then, if you target recipients based on their geographical location, you can be sure your targeting is accurate and relevant.
Example of an effective email list in action
Scenario: Your plumbing company often provides quotes to homeowners for emergency services like leak repairs. But not all leads convert into bookings.
Action: Create a segment of homeowners who received a quote but didn't schedule a service. Automate follow-up emails that emphasize urgency. For example, "Don't let that leak get worse. Schedule today and get $50 off your first service!"
Result: You re-engage prospects by personalizing the message to address their specific situation, improving engagement and potentially boosting conversation rates.
Craft compelling email content
Even with perfect deliverability, your email is only as good as its content. If it doesn't engage your audience, you've lost them.
Personalize your emails
Use customer data and merge tags to personalize your emails, making each message feel relevant and tailored to the recipient.
What it means: Personalization involves using customer data, such as their name, service history, location, and preferences, to create a customized experience with each email. Merge tags allow you to dynamically insert this information, so the recipient feels the message is speaking directly to them. You can use the merge tags available in ServiceTitan or custom fields to craft messages that speak directly to individual customers' service histories, geographic locations, or upcoming maintenance needs. Merge tags can include details like the customer's name, last service date, and other data collected through custom fields. For more, see Add special links and merge tags to your marketing content and Marketing Pro Custom Fields settings.
Why it matters: People are more likely to engage with content that feels tailored to them. Personalizing emails increases relevance, boosts engagement rates, and fosters a stronger connection between the customer and your brand. It shows them that you understand their needs and offer something specifically for them.
Example: Instead of sending a generic Schedule Your Next Service email, you can say, "Hi John, it's time for your annual HVAC tune-up. Book today and receive 10% off!" By using the customer's name and referencing his past service, the email becomes more engaging and relevant.
Keep emails short and relevant
Your emails should be concise and focus on delivering immediate value. Don't overwhelm your audience with too much information. Just stick to the essentials.
What it means: Keep your emails short and clear, delivering key information quickly. Each message should provide immediate value and match your brand's voice, whether professional, friendly, or conversational. Focus on one key message per email and use bullet points or short paragraphs to make it easy to scan.
Why it matters: People get a lot of emails, and most won't spend more than a few seconds looking at yours. If it's too long or off-topic, they'll probably delete it. Short, relevant content keeps them interested and more likely to take action.
Example: If you're promoting a seasonal service, keep it simple: "Ready for winter? Schedule your furnace tune-up now to avoid costly breakdowns later. Get 15% off if you book by Friday!" This message is direct, relevant, and shows the value right away.
Include strong calls-to-action
Every email should have a clear call-to-action (CTA) that tells your audience exactly what to do next. Ensure your CTA stands out and is easy to find, especially on mobile devices.
What it means: Each email should guide your customers toward a specific action, like booking a service, requesting a quote, or clicking a button to learn more. The CTA should be easy to see and use, with strong, action-oriented language. Instead of saying "Click Here," try "Book My Service" or "Get My Discount." Use bold colors and place the CTA where it's easy to tap, especially on mobile devices.
Why it matters: Without a clear CTA, customers may not know what to do next or lose interest. A strong, visible CTA increases the chances they'll take the next step, like scheduling a service or making a purchase.
Example: A well-placed CTA could be a large, easy-to-click button that says "Schedule My Service Now" or "Claim Your Discount." Ensure it's front and center, especially for mobile devices, so customers can act without scrolling or zooming in.
Example compelling email content in action
Scenario: A customer named Sarah recently had a water heater installed by your company. Your data shows Sarah hasn't scheduled any HVAC maintenance in the past two years. Based on her ZIP code, you know Sarah's region is expecting colder-than-average temperatures this winter.
Action: Send Sarah a hyper-personalized email addressing her by name and referencing the recent water heater installation. The email could say, "Hi Sarah, we hope you're enjoying your new water heater! With colder weather around the corner in your neighborhood, it's the perfect time for an HVAC tune-up to ensure your heating system is running smoothly. As a valued customer, we've reserved a $50 discount just for you if you schedule your tune-up before November 30th. Plus, we'll include a complimentary furnace filter replacement."
In the footer of the email, mention your company's electrical services as a gentle cross-sell. You could say, "Need help with home electrical projects? We've got you covered with 24/7 service."
Result: By combining Sarah's name, recent service history, local weather conditions, and a time-sensitive, exclusive offer, the email feels directly tailored to Sarah's needs. This level of hyper-personalization increases the likelihood of Sarah engaging with the offer while building a stronger connection with your brand. Also, the subtle cross-sell creates an opportunity for future services without being overwhelmed.
Automate email marketing
Automation in email marketing is where you unlock real value, running campaigns without active management. Think of it as an assistant that works behind the scenes, freeing your team to focus on more strategic marketing. It never takes a sick day, never misses a deadline, and always follows instructions exactly. Automation ensures the right person gets the right message at the right time, handling tasks like membership reminders, unsold estimate follow-ups, and service promotions.
How automation makes your job easier
Marketing may not be your main role. You may be a business owner, dispatcher, or customer service representative (CSR) who wears many hats to keep the business running. This is why automation is your friend. It allows you to set up campaigns that keep working for you, targeting the specific needs of your customers without having to send individual emails every time.
Here's how automation can help streamline your workflows:
Consistency: Automation handles tasks at the right time, sending reminders, promotions, and follow-ups so no opportunity is missed.
Efficiency: Once set up, automation handles repetitive tasks for you. For example, when a customer signs up for a service, automation can trigger welcome emails, follow-ups, and upsell offers automatically. This frees up your team to focus on more strategic work.
Personalization at scale: Automation lets you send personalized messages based on customer behavior, preferences, or service history. This keeps your communication relevant and timely.
Reaching the right person at the right time: Automation ensures personalized messages reach customers when they need them the most. For example:
Maintenance reminders based on service intervals.
Follow-ups on unsold estimates to nudge potential customers who haven't committed yet.
Membership expiration notifications that make it easy for customers to renew with just one click.
Check-ins with customers before and after service visits.
Importance of volume
Automation works best when emails are sent regularly at a significant volume. This can include reminders for maintenance, follow-ups, or promotions. Here's why it's important to keep emails flowing:
Boost engagement signals: Sending regular automated emails shows inbox providers, like Gmail or Outlook, that your audience is actively engaging with your emails. This improves your sender reputation, so your larger, one-time promotional blasts are more likely to land in inboxes instead of spam folders.
Improve deliverability: If you only send big, one-off emails, inbox providers may flag them as suspicious due to sudden spikes in volume. Regular emails show you're a reliable sender, which helps ensure your larger campaigns get through.
Drive signals of engagement to inbox providers
Every automated email you send helps keep your email marketing program healthy. When customers interact with these emails, it sends a message to inbox providers that your emails are valuable and relevant. This boosts your sender reputation, making it more likely that future emails—whether automated or part of a one-time campaign—will reach your customers' inboxes.
Improve reputation with regular engagement
Regular, automated email campaigns help build trust with inbox providers. When customers open and click on your emails, it sends positive signals that reduce the chances of being marked as spam.
By maintaining a steady flow of emails, you create a strong foundation of engagement. This helps when you're ready to send bigger, one-time campaigns, like promotions or announcements. Since inbox providers have seen a history of positive interactions, they're more likely to deliver your larger campaigns to inboxes.
Increase long-term success
The more you rely on automation to consistently reach your audience with relevant, personalized messages, the more efficient and successful your email marketing becomes. It's like having a dedicated team working around the clock to nurture leads, engage existing customers, and boost revenue. Some long-term benefits of automation include:
Predictable, timely communication: Automation ensures you never miss an opportunity to re-engage a customer or drive a sale, covering every important interaction.
Higher return on investment (ROI): Automated campaigns consistently perform better because they're sent at the perfect time, providing more value to recipients and increasing engagement.
Automation not only helps grow your email list, but also improves deliverability, engagement, and revenue. In short, it's the cornerstone of any high-performing email marketing strategy.
Example of automation in action
Scenario: John, a customer, signed up for an HVAC maintenance membership with your company. The membership includes two seasonal tune-ups per year. John's membership is set to expire in 30 days, and you want to remind him before it lapses.
Action: Set up an automated email to send 30 days before John's membership expires. The email could say, "Hi John, it's almost time to renew your HVAC maintenance membership! With your membership, you've enjoyed priority scheduling, discounts on repairs, and regular tune-ups that keep your system running smoothly. Don't miss out! Renew now and get 10% off your next service."
You could also include a personalized summary of the benefits John used during the membership. For example, "In the last year, you saved $120 on repairs and received two priority tune-ups." Also, be sure to add a clear call-to-action button for easy renewal.
Result: This timely, automated email reminds John before the membership expires, making renewal simple with a single click. The personalized savings and benefit details reinforce the value John received, boosting the chances of renewal. Offering a discount for early renewal creates urgency and gives John an extra reason to act quickly.
Monitor campaign performance
To continuously improve your marketing efforts, it's essential to track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs):
Open rates: Measure the percentage of recipients who open your emails.
Click-through rates (CTR): Monitor how many recipients click on the links in your emails.
Conversion rates: Track the number of recipients who completed a desired action after interacting with your email.
Return on investment (ROI): Evaluate the overall return on investment for your email campaigns.
Engagement levels: Assess how actively your audience interacts with your emails.
Some additional metrics you may want to track include:
Unsubscribe rates: If many recipients opt out of your marketing emails, review your content for relevance. Ensure you're not sending too many emails or irrelevant offers.
Spam complaints: High spam complaints can damage your sender reputation. Ensure recipients have opted in, and always provide an easy way to unsubscribe.
Each KPI tells a story about your campaign's success or highlights areas for improvement. See the sections below to learn how to interpret specific metrics and take action.
Fewer emails delivered than sent
If there's a large drop in delivered emails compared to sent emails, you likely have a deliverability issue.
To resolve this:
Check your sender reputation.
Ensure you're following best practices such as avoiding spammy content, maintaining a clean email list, and not sending large blasts of emails.
Low open rates
Low open rates may indicate issues with your subject lines or send times. It could also suggest your emails are landing in the promotions tab or other inboxes, not the primary inbox.
To resolve this:
Experiment with different subject lines to see which grabs your audience's attention better.
Segment your audience and tailor subject lines to specific groups.
Analyze when your audience is most active and adjust send times to match when they're most likely to check their inbox.
Email yourself to test inbox placement.
Low click-through rates
If open rates are high but click-through rates are low, the issue is likely with your email content, particularly the call-to-action (CTA).
To resolve this:
Ensure your CTA is clear, prominent, and actionable. It should be easily visible, especially on mobile devices, and aligned with your message.
Simplify your content to make the offer more compelling and ensure the layout is user-friendly.
Low conversion rates
If people click through but don't book or purchase, there may be issues with your sales funnel or customer service.
To resolve this:
Review the landing page experience. Ensure it matches the email content and provides a seamless booking experience.
If the landing page is optimized but conversion rates remain low, evaluate your customer service. Your CSRs might need coaching on how to handle inquiries or follow up effectively with leads.
Low revenue or final sales
If bookings are made but don't translate into sales, the issue may be with your sales process.
To resolve this:
Provide additional training to your sales team to help them close deals.
Evaluate whether the promotions or services offered align with customer expectations.
Review how quotes are provided and ensure the follow-up process is strong.