Feedback loops (FBLs)

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What You Need to Know About Feedback Loops (FBLs)

A feedback loop (FBL) is a crucial component used by mailbox providers, such as Yahoo, to inform email service providers, including ActiveCampaign, which contacts have marked your emails as spam. Understanding how FBLs work and why they matter is essential for maintaining high email deliverability and preserving your sender reputation.

Introduction

Feedback loops play a vital role in ensuring that email communications remain effective and compliant with spam regulations. By having the ability to take action when a contact marks a message as spam, you can prevent diminishing your overall email deliverability. This feature is particularly useful for delineating which content resonates with your audience and fostering better engagement in the future.

How to Access This Feature

ActiveCampaign automatically manages feedback loops with major mailbox providers; therefore, you won't need to set anything up yourself. This means you can focus on crafting engaging emails without worrying about registering for feedback loops.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To view spam complaints related to feedback loops, you can access this information through the Campaign Reports or a contact’s profile page. Here’s how:

Viewing Spam Complaints from Campaign Reports

1. Click Reports in the left menu. 2. Select Campaign Reports. 3. Choose the specific campaign you wish to view. 4. Click Unsubscribe in the Summary box.

  * You will see unsubscriptions along with "spam complaint" as a possible reason for the unsubscribe.

Viewing Spam Complaints from a Contact's Profile

1. Click Contacts from the left menu. 2. Select the contact whose profile you wish to view. 3. Under General Details, click on the unsubscribed list in the Lists row.

  * A modal will pop up indicating if the contact submitted a spam complaint, noted by a red banner stating, "The contact is on the exclusion list because they reported your email as spam."

4. You can also see spam complaints listed in the contact's Recent Activities on the right side of their profile page.

By following these steps, you will be able to monitor and analyze spam complaints effectively, allowing you to adjust your email strategies as necessary.

Configuration Options and Settings

There are no manual configuration options needed for FBLs, as ActiveCampaign has proactively registered for feedback loops with all major inbox providers. This automatic setup ensures that feedback loops will start working on day one of your account.

Best Practices and Tips

To decrease the likelihood of spam complaints, consider implementing the following best practices:

• **Improve Unsubscribe Options**: Make the unsubscribe options clear and easily accessible. Having an unsubscribe link at the top of your emails can prevent accidental markings of spam.
• **Content Relevance**: Regularly assess your email content to ensure it is relevant and engaging for your audience. This can include tracking open rates and click-through rates across different campaigns.
• **Engagement Segmentation**: Consider segmenting your contact lists based on engagement levels. Send tailored content to active users and consider reducing the frequency for less active contacts.
• **Monitoring Spam Complaints**: Continuously monitor spam complaints to identify trends or specific content that may trigger complaints more often. Adjusting your approach based on this feedback is essential for maintaining a positive sender reputation.

Common Use Cases with Examples

Feedback loops are employed extensively to enhance sender reputation and email marketing efficiency. Here are some scenarios:

• **Understanding Audience Reception**: After sending a campaign about a new product launch, if a significant number of recipients mark it as spam, it may indicate that the audience did not find the content relevant. The sender can learn to adjust future content to better align with audience interests.
• **Preventing Future Spam Marks**: If a contact marks your email as spam, FBLs ensure they are suppressed from receiving further messages, which helps maintain the quality of your email list.
• **Brand Reputation Management**: By logging spam complaints and suppressing offending contacts, you can protect the sender's reputation, thereby improving deliverability rates on shared IPs.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter high levels of spam complaints, consider the following steps:

• **Analyze Content**: Review the content of emails with high complaint rates. Look for patterns in language, offers, or topics that may dissuade engagement.
• **Contact Support**: If a contact claims they mistakenly marked your email as spam, you can reach out to the ActiveCampaign Customer Experience Team to help reinstate their email address from the suppression list.

FAQ

Q1: Do I need to do anything to set up feedback loops?

A: No, ActiveCampaign has already registered for FBLs with all major inbox providers, so you don’t have to take any extra steps to enable this feature.

Q2: Can I see who marked my emails as spam?

A: Yes, you can view spam complaints through Campaign Reports and individual contact profiles.

Q3: How do spam complaints affect my email deliverability?

A: High levels of spam complaints can negatively impact your sender reputation, leading to potential deliverability issues.

Q4: What happens if someone clicks the spam button accidentally?

A: Accidental clicks can occur and are generally considered a minor issue. Implementing clear unsubscribe links can help reduce this occurrence.

Q5: Are there special mailbox providers that I should know about regarding FBLs?

A: Yes, providers such as Hotmail/Microsoft, OATH (Yahoo, AOL), and several others offer FBLs, but it's important to note that Gmail does not provide a traditional feedback loop.

Q6: Can I report a spam complaint to ActiveCampaign?

A: ActiveCampaign does not offer the ability to report spam complaints; however, you can contact support about mistakenly marked emails.

Q7: How can I prevent high spam complaint rates?

A: To prevent high spam complaint rates, maintain relevant content, clear unsubscribe options, and segment your audience to send targeted messages.

By utilizing feedback loops effectively, you can improve your email marketing strategy, maintain your sender reputation, and ensure compliance with anti-spam regulations. This proactive approach truly benefits your overall email deliverability and audience engagement. ```