If your email open rates have tanked and you’re staring at your stats wondering what went wrong, you’re not alone. This guide is for email marketers, SDRs, and anyone tasked with getting emails actually seen—not just sent. We’ll walk through how to use Folderly’s advanced analytics to pinpoint problems and fix what’s dragging your results down. No fluff, no magic bullets—just practical steps, a dose of skepticism, and clear advice on what matters.
Step 1: Confirm What “Low” Really Means
Before diving into Folderly’s dashboard, get real about what counts as a “low” open rate for your situation.
- Industry averages are just that—averages. A SaaS cold outreach probably won’t match a nonprofit newsletter.
- Look for sudden drops. A big dip usually signals a technical or deliverability problem, not just a boring subject line.
- Ignore “vanity” metrics. Opens are only meaningful if they drive your actual goals.
Pro tip: If your open rates have always been low, the problem may be your list, not your tech stack.
Step 2: Check Your Deliverability Score
Folderly’s analytics start with a deliverability dashboard. This is where most issues show up first.
How to use it:
- Open the Deliverability tab. Look for an overall score (usually out of 100).
- Compare the spam, promotions, and inbox rates. If most emails land in spam or promotions, your open rates won’t budge no matter how clever your subject lines are.
- Look for warnings. Folderly highlights authentication issues (like missing SPF/DKIM/DMARC), blocklisting, or sender reputation drops.
What actually matters:
- Authentication errors (SPF, DKIM, DMARC): These are non-negotiable. If Folderly flags them, fix them first. Most “fixes” downstream won’t work until these are clean.
- Blocklists: If you’re on a major blocklist, your open rates will crater. Folderly will usually point this out. Don’t ignore it.
What to ignore:
- Minor fluctuations. Everyone’s deliverability score bounces around a bit.
- Over-optimizing for “promotion” vs. “primary” tabs—Google changes this constantly.
Step 3: Dig Into Spam Placement Analytics
Folderly’s advanced analytics can show you where your emails actually end up across different providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.).
How to use it:
- Check spam placement by provider. If Gmail is putting 80% of your emails in spam but Outlook isn’t, you’ve got a Gmail-specific problem.
- Drill down into patterns. Are certain campaigns or sending domains getting flagged more than others?
What works:
- Segmenting your findings by domain or campaign can help you isolate the issue. Maybe it’s one bad campaign or a particular sender address doing damage.
- Look for triggers: Sudden spikes in spam placement often correlate with recent changes—like new links, attachments, or a bought list.
What doesn’t:
- Obsessing over minor differences between providers. Focus on big gaps.
Step 4: Analyze Technical Setup Warnings
This is the part most people skip (or don’t fully understand). Folderly’s technical analytics will flag:
- Authentication gaps: Missing or misconfigured SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records.
- Sending domain issues: Mismatched domains, newly registered domains, or domains that look suspicious.
- Sending IP reputation: If you’re on shared infrastructure (like Mailchimp or HubSpot), someone else’s behavior can tank your reputation.
How to fix:
- Use Folderly’s recommendations, but double-check them. Sometimes automated fixes miss edge cases, especially if you have a custom setup.
- If you’re not technical: Pass Folderly’s findings to your IT or domain admin. Don’t just hope it’ll resolve itself.
- Don’t mix marketing and transactional emails on the same domain. This is a classic rookie mistake that Folderly often flags.
Step 5: Review Content and Engagement Analytics
Assuming your technical setup is clean, Folderly’s analytics will start surfacing content and engagement red flags.
What to look for:
- Subject line performance: Are certain words or phrases tanking your open rates?
- Spam trigger words: Folderly flags risky language, but don’t panic—context matters. “Free” isn’t always a killer if the rest of your email is legit.
- Link reputation: Are you linking to shady sites, broken URLs, or new domains? Folderly picks up on this.
- Email size and formatting issues: Too many images, dodgy formatting, or excessive HTML can get you filtered.
What works:
- A/B test subject lines and preview text. Folderly’s analytics let you compare performance across campaigns, not just guess.
- Keep it simple. Every “fancy” template or image increases your risk of getting flagged.
What doesn’t:
- Chasing every “spam word” on a list. If your email looks legit, one or two “risky” words won’t torpedo you.
- Over-using images or heavy HTML. Text-based emails with one or two links generally perform better for deliverability.
Step 6: Examine Sending Behavior
Folderly tracks your sending volume, timing, and patterns—stuff that most people ignore until there’s a problem.
What to check:
- Sudden spikes in volume. Did you just upload a list of 10,000 cold leads? That’ll trigger filters fast.
- Sending frequency. Too many emails in a short period (especially from a new domain or IP) looks spammy.
- Consistent sender name and address. Changing these often confuses filters and recipients alike.
What works:
- Warm up new domains or IPs gradually. Folderly can help schedule this, but you still need to be patient.
- Stick to a consistent volume and cadence. Erratic sending is a classic spammer move.
What doesn’t:
- “Blast and pray” tactics. If you’re relying on volume to get noticed, you’ll just get blocked faster.
Step 7: Take Action Based on Data (Not Guesswork)
Here’s where Folderly’s analytics really pay off—helping you pick the right fixes.
Triage your issues:
- Technical/authentication problems: Fix these first. No amount of content tweaking will help until your emails are properly authenticated.
- Deliverability/spam placement: Address list quality, sending patterns, and domain/IP reputation next.
- Content tweaks: Only after your emails are actually reaching the inbox should you start refining subject lines and copy.
Iterate, don’t overhaul:
- Change one thing at a time. If you fix five variables and your open rates jump, you won’t know what actually worked.
- Monitor Folderly’s analytics after each change. Don’t expect instant results—reputation takes time to rebuild.
What to Ignore (and What Not to Freak Out About)
- Minor dips in open rates: Everyone gets them. Look for sustained trends, not blips.
- Every “urgent” fix suggested by salesy blog posts: If Folderly’s analytics don’t flag it, it’s probably not your problem.
- Overly aggressive “deliverability hacks.” Most shortcuts hurt more than they help.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Troubleshooting low open rates isn’t about chasing the latest fad or obsessing over every minor detail. Folderly gives you the data you need—just remember to fix the basics first, act on what the analytics actually show, and resist the urge to overhaul everything at once. Most deliverability headaches boil down to technical setup, sender reputation, or sending behavior—not your subject line. Start there, make one change at a time, and keep it simple. The rest is just noise.