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“They Are Full of Sh*t” and Other Realities of Email Deliverability

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spamLet’s talk about email deliverability—that mysterious black box of digital marketing that determines whether your newsletter lands in someone’s inbox… or vanishes into the dark abyss of the spam folder where good content goes to die.

Now, deliverability is complex. But sometimes, complexity is used as an excuse to avoid doing anything useful.

Case in point: a recent email exchange I had with a client (hi Erik!) who was understandably concerned that his IP address had been listed on a blocklist. The ESP’s response? A long-winded, jargon-laden shrug. It started out as all these replies do:

“Deliverability is a complex topic and there are many factors that go into it…”

Translation: We’re going to explain this in a way that makes you stop asking questions.

The RBL Excuse Playbook

They then launched into the usual Greatest Hits playlist of email blocklist excuses:

  • “Anyone can start a blocklist!” (True. But this isn’t a middle school popularity contest.)

  • “Some of them are extortion schemes!” (Also true. Still doesn’t mean you should ignore them.)

  • “ISPs don’t take these seriously.” (Except, you know… when they do.)

My response?

“To be blunt, they are full of sh*t.”

I stand by it.

Look, no one is saying every RBL listing is the death of your email reputation. But pretending they have zero impact is like saying potholes don’t matter as long as the car is still moving. Sure, maybe your bounce rate isn’t showing red flags yet. But these signals—blocklists, trap hits, spam complaints—are inputs to how ISPs decide whether to trust you.

If you're sending 7 million emails a month (like Erik’s client was), a quiet downgrade in sender reputation can cost you thousands of clicks and conversions—without a single hard bounce.

Blocked ≠ Bounced

Here’s the real kicker: just because your emails aren’t bouncing doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Blocklists don’t always slam the door shut. Sometimes they just quietly steer you into the Promotions tab. Or worse, straight into the spam folder where your open rate dies a slow, invisible death.

“This information is used as a factor, not the factor, that determines whether we end up in spam folders.”

Let that sink in. Your IP reputation doesn’t need to kill deliverability outright to hurt it. All it takes is a few subtle downgrades—and suddenly your 30% open rate is sitting at 8%, and you’re wondering why your best subject lines are flopping.

What Should You Actually Do?

  1. Monitor your IPs regularly. Tools like MXToolbox or Talos Intelligence are free and helpful.

  2. Take blocklists seriously—but in context. No need to panic, but definitely don’t ignore them.

  3. Ask your ESP hard questions. And if they send you a “nothing to see here” novel, push back.

  4. Have a plan to delist IPs when necessary. Yes, some are sketchy. But others matter—a lot.

  5. Track inbox placement, not just bounce rates. If you’re landing in spam, it won’t show up in your bounce report.

Final Thought: Don't Let “Complexity” Become Complacency

Email deliverability is part science, part art, and part voodoo. But if your ESP starts gaslighting you into thinking everything’s fine while your open rates tank and your IPs are lighting up RBLs like a Christmas tree—call it like it is.

Or call us. At Sea Change Advisors, we’ve seen the deliverability horror stories, and we’ve helped clients recover. From sender reputation audits to IP warm-up strategy to getting your domain off the naughty list—we turn complexity into action.

Think your emails are underperforming?
Let’s take a look. I promise I’ll give it to you straight.
Contact Sea Change Advisors