Most people track the wrong metrics. Health scores. Open rates. Dashboards that look reassuring. None of that actually tells you if your cold email is working. There’s only one deliverability question that matters: Where did the email land? • Primary inbox • Promotions • Spam That’s it. That’s the game. How I Actually Judge Deliverability I don’t guess. I test inbox placement. The simplest way to do this is by sending emails to seed accounts and checking where they land. Here’s how to read the results: Inbox (Primary) You’re good. This is where replies come from. Promotions Not ideal. Usually a copy issue. Spam System problem. Infrastructure, domains, or sending behavior needs fixing. If you don’t know where your emails are landing, you’re flying blind. Here's the real takeaway 👇 Instantly lets you run daily automated inbox placement tests with one click. It shows you exactly where your emails are landing - inbox, promotions, or spam. No guessing. No false confidence. It’s free, takes under a minute to set up, and gives you more signal than most “health scores” ever will. Once you track placement, deliverability becomes obvious, not mysterious. If you want the step-by-step setup for inbox placement testing, comment “Placement”, and I’ll send it over.

What niche are you targeting with cold email right now? Or if you’re still deciding, say “exploring”.

Campaigns fail because people jump straight into sending emails. Don’t do that. Follow this simple order 👇 1️⃣ Setup If this is wrong, nothing else matters. ✔ Clean domains ✔ Proper DNS (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) ✔ Inbox warm-up always running (warm up for at least 2 weeks before starting outreach) ✔ Low daily sends per inbox 2️⃣ Targeting Who You Email Matters More Than What You Say. Great copy won’t fix bad targeting. ✔ Clear ICP (industry, size, role) ✔ One pain point per campaign ✔ Verified, clean leads only 3️⃣ Messaging Simple > Clever Short emails win. ✔ 2-3 sentences max ✔ One clear problem ✔ One clear CTA No pitch decks. No paragraphs. Just start a conversation. Golden Rule: If setup is weak → emails land in spam If targeting is weak → no replies If messaging is weak → no meetings Fix in this order. Always. Question: Which part do you struggle with most right now - Setup, Targeting, or Messaging? Drop 1 / 2 / 3 in the comments 👇