Brace yourselves, Google is preparing to ramp up it's efforts against spam and email automation in February 2024. Now, you're probably wondering this means for your already struggling outbound sequences.
Will your emails make it through to your prospects' primary inboxes? Probably not, at least if you're following old strategies. We're breaking down what's coming and what you should do differently.
Gmail Doubles Down on Spam Cannons
Inbox hygiene has never been worse and bad actors overwhelm inboxes at rates that email providers are struggling to keep up with. Unfortunately, those bad actors make the lives of genuine sellers a nightmare.
Gmail and other providers are being forced to take action and improve email security, and in 2024 new regulations are being implemented. Focused on bulk senders (those bombarding inboxes with over 5,000 messages per day), there are three areas of focus that you need to know about when building email campaigns moving forward.
Spammy Automation will Fail More than Ever:
Email Authentication: Bulk senders must prove they are who they say they are. It's like Gmail asking, "Are you really the email wizard you claim to be?" Unauthenticated emails have been reduced by 75% already and expect that number to go up next year.
Unsubscription Made Easy: Gmail will demand one-click unsubscribe options – no questions asked. Straight from Google "we’re requiring that large senders give Gmail recipients the ability to unsubscribe from commercial email in one click, and that they process unsubscription requests within two days."
Spam Rate Threshold: Gmail is setting boundaries. There will be a new spam rate threshold for bulk senders to ensure inboxes aren't flooded with unwanted offers.
Surviving these Changes Requires Rethinking Outbound
Changes like this are inevitable, and they're considered necessary to keep email running smoothly. Sales teams need to consistently stay steps ahead by focusing on security and user-friendliness.
Email is also not the only answer to reaching prospects. Let's take a look at what you can do right away to not get caught in a jam next year.
1. Personalization at Scale
One-off emails are not a true solution. Manually emailing will play a huge part in outbound moving forward, but there's room for scaled activities if you can be efficient and resourceful.
Incorporating targeted and relevant research into your emails will improve open and response rates. They also take more time, and it will ensure you're not bomarding inboxes.
2. Don't be Ashamed of the Unsubcribe Button
Restrictions aside, allowing your propsects to unsubscribe is a sign that you respect them, and forces you to earn their trust through every touch point.
Don't be afraid to brand your unsubscribe experience and challenge yourself to keep your prospect's attention.
3. Manual Emails aren't Scalable. Send them Anyway
Companies have been built on choosing to do things that aren't scalable. Sales teams willing to take the time to send a well-written email, one-off, are never going to be in trouble.
4. LinkedIn is the Wild West
We have an entire article of best practices when using LinkedIn to prospect (read it here), but it's safe to say there's a lot of freedom to prospect on the platform.
Sales teams that sell on LinkedIn are winning, and LinkedIn touchepoints like connections, InMails, engagement, and comments are becoming normal steps in outbound sequences. We're big believers in reaching prospects where they are, and guess what: They're on LinkedIn.
Automate Prospecting with LinkedIn Prospecting Tool
As your prospecting efforts grow, manually sending connection requests and follow-up messages to each individual can become time-consuming.
This is where Poseidon comes in. Poseidon is a powerful linkedin prospecting tool which makes outreach easier than ever by simplifying prospecting missions and recruiting workflows. It's one of the best use cases of ai for sales prospecting.
To get the best results and save time, consider using linkedin automation tools that send out personalized messages at scale. These tools can help you streamline your outreach process, allowing you to focus on building relationships with your prospects instead of getting caught up in repetitive tasks.
However, it's important to use automation responsibly and ethically. Personalization is still key, even when using automated tools. Make sure to customize your messages and avoid sounding too robotic or generic.
Remember, the goal is to establish a genuine connection with your prospects, so take the time to craft thoughtful and personalized messages.
