Below is another example of how using a custom DNS with your email service provider can help increase trust and deliverability.  In this example, TechTarget sent me an email to sign up for their Online ROI Summit.  However when clicking on the link my email client warns me that the link could be fraud.  Why?  Because the link resolves through the email service providers domain instead of TechTarget.  This is why custom DNS coupled with a unique IP is the gold standard for deliverability and trust. ...

There is a dizzying array of information, discussions and banter regarding the importance of sender reputation, however very little substance about how the process technically works. Even more surprising is the continuous debate among ESPs as to whether its better to have a client on a shared IP address verses a unique IP address. Please tell me how a sender establishes a good reputation using a shared IP address? I still haven't figured out the risk logic to this yet. What's most shocking is that very few ESPs offer their clients custom DNS. What is custom DNS you ask? It's when you have the ability to send email from your own domain name such as This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it instead of your ESPs mail server domain such as This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This involves pointing certain DNS records to the unique IP address your ESP provides. The IP has to be unique since reverse DNS needs to...

Another year in email marketing is almost gone and the good guys' battle against spam has barely made a dent.  Black lists, content filters and challenge response are all a joke to spammers.  Ninety-nine percent of spammers are never identified because of their uncanny ability to hide behind hijacked pc's and servers.  As an email marketer, the only real silver bullet to combat spam is the unified use of SPF or Sender Policy Framework.  SPF is a simple string of code attached to a domain that forces an email sender to be identified hence there is no place for spammers to hide.  The biggest issue to using SPF in the battle against spam is getting network administrators to implement it on their DNS (Domain Name Service) in addition to them not allowing email to enter their network from a sender who has not implemented SPF.  Two very simple things that need to be done in concert.  However there is...