How to Run an Inbox Placement Test

Apr 4, 2023

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When emails don’t perform well, creators will do whatever it takes to uncover the root cause of the issue and win back their subscribers. Senders can learn whether their messages could get lost in the spam folder by running an inbox placement test that predicts deliverability issues.

This type of test gives creators more insight into their emails, especially if open rates have been lower than usual. Perhaps there’s a single word in the copy that’s causing the entire email to default to the “promotions” tab, and a quick revision could prevent this going forward. The test isn’t perfect, but it’s an effective way to gather data on your emails and their deliverability.

In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the benefits and drawbacks of inbox placement tests. Together they discuss what an inbox placement test is, why and how people run one, and what the results will look like.

Key Takeaways

[03:21] - What is an inbox placement test?
[05:27] - How panel data is used.
[07:07] - Why you should keep an open mind when running inbox placement tests.
[07:41] - Why inbox placement tests may not always be accurate.
[08:47] - The reasons people run inbox placement tests.
[10:36] - How to run an inbox placement test.
[13:31] - What do the results of an inbox placement test look like?
[17:00] - How to know if your emails are being blocked.
[20:45] - Why data-driven data people will love inbox placement tests.

Quotes

[07:07 ] - “With an inbox placement test, you really have to keep an open mind and not take it for the absolute because there are so many other factors that occur in those mailboxes and with subscriber behavior.” ~ @mel_lambert_

[07:27] - “If you're going to run an inbox placement test and try to gather insights from it, you have to use that data alongside your real subscriber data.” ~ @alyssa_dulin

[20:27] “Panicking doesn’t solve an issue. The best thing you can do is reach out to an expert and get some advice on what changes or steps you can take next that are actionable and helpful.” ~ @mel_lambert_

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