It was recently announced that Hotmail has implemented some significant upgrades to their email solution. While it's not surprising that changes have come, it is important for email marketers to understand what these enhancements mean and how they could affect your email deliverability success into Hotmail. MediaPost published a great summary of Hotmail's new features and related issues, and suggested areas for email marketers to focus on to ensure continued deliverability success --

-- such as targeted segmentation and email authentication. What is most apparent to me is the collision course that traditional email and social channels appear to be on.

We have talked about "engagement" driving email deliverability and being a part of the ISPs' decision making process, but with the changes that Hotmail has introduced it appears that engagement does mean more than simply an email open or clickthrough.

That's why it’s simply not enough anymore to consider a solo email marketing solution without a social component or solution. Much has been written and commented on pertaining to the power of social activity and adoption, and Lyris certainly is a great supporter of the connection between social media and email marketing as we have these options integrated within our product offering.

Brand reputation is a key component of your strategy - remember that ALL things online can be tracked to determine what your online reputation may be. Don’t fall victim to "inbox clutter" as Hotmail indicates. Instead, have a clear and present email and social media marketing strategy to enhance your user experience.

Please contact your Lyris representative to learn how we can help. Thanks.

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About the Author

David Fowler is the director of email strategy, deliverability and privacy compliance for Lyris. He consults with email marketers to help them get better results from their email programs.

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