{"id":7996,"date":"2026-03-10T08:53:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T08:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/?p=7996"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:54:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T11:54:12","slug":"email-marketing-in-2026-strategies-to-improve-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/email-marketing-in-2026-strategies-to-improve-results","title":{"rendered":"Email marketing in 2026: strategies to improve results"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"7996\" class=\"elementor elementor-7996\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-49c397a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"49c397a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-967f26\" data-id=\"967f26\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7186284c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7186284c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Email Marketing in 2026: How to Succeed as Inbox Rules Become Stricter<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65146e5e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"65146e5e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/226lab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Email-Marketing-in-2026-How-to-Succeed-as-Inbox-Rules-Become-Stricter-1024x614.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-7997\" alt=\"Email Marketing in 2026: How to Succeed as Inbox Rules Become Stricter\" srcset=\"https:\/\/226lab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Email-Marketing-in-2026-How-to-Succeed-as-Inbox-Rules-Become-Stricter-1024x614.webp 1024w, https:\/\/226lab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Email-Marketing-in-2026-How-to-Succeed-as-Inbox-Rules-Become-Stricter-300x180.webp 300w, https:\/\/226lab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Email-Marketing-in-2026-How-to-Succeed-as-Inbox-Rules-Become-Stricter-768x461.webp 768w, https:\/\/226lab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Email-Marketing-in-2026-How-to-Succeed-as-Inbox-Rules-Become-Stricter-1536x922.webp 1536w, https:\/\/226lab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Email-Marketing-in-2026-How-to-Succeed-as-Inbox-Rules-Become-Stricter-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/226lab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Email-Marketing-in-2026-How-to-Succeed-as-Inbox-Rules-Become-Stricter.webp 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2012df42 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2012df42\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective channels in digital marketing. However, in recent years inbox providers have introduced stricter rules, and managing campaigns now requires greater attention to deliverability, segmentation, and list quality.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2026, achieving strong results with email marketing will depend less on sending frequency or list size and more on the <\/span><b>quality of interactions and the relevance of content for recipients<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><h2>Why deliverability has become essential<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Providers such as Gmail and Yahoo use increasingly advanced systems to filter unwanted messages. This means that even technically correct campaigns may struggle to reach the inbox if recipients do not engage with the emails.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To maintain strong deliverability you should:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">correctly configure authentication systems<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">keep your list clean and regularly updated<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reduce sends to inactive contacts<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">closely monitor spam signals<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-23b1d8d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"23b1d8d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These elements form the foundation for protecting your sending domain\u2019s reputation.<\/span><\/p><h2>Email authentication: the key technical requirements<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the first elements to verify is the configuration of email authentication systems. These protocols allow inbox providers to confirm that messages genuinely come from the domain they claim to be sent from.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main standards used include:<\/span><\/p><p><b>SPF (Sender Policy Framework)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 authorises which servers can send emails on behalf of your domain.<\/span><\/p><p><b>DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 digitally signs messages to guarantee message integrity.<\/span><\/p><p><b>DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 defines the policy applied when a message fails authentication checks.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Correctly configuring these protocols is essential to reduce the risk of emails being classified as spam.<\/span><\/p><h2>Why open rates are no longer a reliable metric<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recent years, privacy-related changes have made open rates significantly less reliable. Some email applications automatically preload tracking pixels, generating opens that do not correspond to real reading behaviour.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For this reason, email marketing strategies in 2026 should focus on more meaningful metrics such as:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">content clicks<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conversions<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">follow-up actions on the website<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">impact on revenue or sales opportunities<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd0b540 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fd0b540\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This shift in perspective helps evaluate campaigns based on real outcomes rather than simple visibility.<\/span><\/p><h2>The importance of an engagement-first strategy<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An effective email marketing approach puts user behaviour at the centre of decision-making. In practice, this means deciding <\/span><b>who should receive each email and how frequently<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, based on engagement signals from subscribers.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the most effective practices include:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">segmenting lists based on user interactions<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sending more frequently to active subscribers<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reducing frequency for less engaged contacts<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">personalising content according to interests<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1657ae0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1657ae0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This approach reduces spam complaints and increases the likelihood that emails will be opened and clicked.<\/span><\/p><h2>How list quality affects sender reputation<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">List health is one of the most important elements for maintaining a strong sender reputation. Continuously emailing inactive or uninterested contacts can reduce campaign effectiveness and increase the risk of spam complaints.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For this reason, it is essential to apply <\/span><b>list hygiene<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> practices such as:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quickly removing addresses that generate hard bounces<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">monitoring recurring soft bounces<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">suppressing contacts who show no activity over long periods<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">running re-engagement campaigns before permanently removing contacts<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4cdea7a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4cdea7a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These actions help maintain higher engagement levels and protect domain reputation.<\/span><\/p><h2>The most relevant email marketing KPIs in 2026<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the limitations of open-rate measurement, businesses should focus on metrics more directly connected to business outcomes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most useful KPIs include:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">clicks to key website pages<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conversions such as purchases, bookings, or enquiries<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">value generated by campaigns<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quality of acquired leads<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40af578 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"40af578\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Analysing this data by segment helps identify which audiences respond best to communications and supports continuous optimisation.<\/span><\/p><h2>Common mistakes that damage performance<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many deliverability and performance issues come from outdated habits. Among the most common mistakes are:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">emailing inactive lists for too long<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increasing send volume during promotions without segmentation<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making decisions based only on open rates<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making the unsubscribe process difficult<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-603a977 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"603a977\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These behaviours can lead to gradual engagement decline and increased spam complaints.<\/span><\/p><h2>How to build an effective email marketing strategy<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To achieve consistent long-term results it is necessary to define a clear plan that establishes processes, responsibilities, and performance metrics.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Una strategia efficace dovrebbe includere:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">clear management of sending domains<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">engagement-based segmentation rules<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">structured list cleaning procedures<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KPIs focused on clicks and conversions<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ongoing deliverability monitoring<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71ea73a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"71ea73a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This approach allows campaigns to remain effective even as inbox providers become increasingly selective.<\/span><\/p><h2>The role of email marketing in the wider digital strategy<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email marketing performs best when integrated with other digital marketing activities. It can support both acquisition and conversion strategies.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ad esempio:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it can reinforce advertising campaigns by directing users toward specific offers<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it can support website content by guiding users toward action<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it can nurture leads acquired through other channels<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cdb5907 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cdb5907\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When email, website, and media campaigns work together, it becomes easier to turn user interest into measurable results.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Want to improve the performance of your email campaigns?<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/contatti\/\"> <b>Contattaci oggi<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a tailored consultation and discover how to build an effective and sustainable email marketing strategy.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d8dad8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"5d8dad8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-98eac63 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"98eac63\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40b02f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"40b02f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover how to succeed with email marketing in 2026 by improving deliverability, engagement, and performance KPIs as inbox rules become stricter.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":7997,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-notizia"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7996"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8003,"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7996\/revisions\/8003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/226lab.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}