Send Better Email
Giving SMTP a REST
Matthew Clemente
Isn't Email Dying?
- 2018: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? by ZDNet
- 2017: Is the death of email about to change the office for good? by Talk Business
- 2016: Everything must meet its maker, and for email, that time is nigh by The New York Times
- 2015: Email is Dead, Again by PC Magazine
- 2015: A World Where Email No longer Exists by TechCrunch
- 2014: The beginning of the end for email by Fortune
- 2012: Is Email Dead, Dying Or Neither? by Huffington Post
- 2011: Are we facing the death of email? by The Independent
- 2009: Why Email No Longer Rules by The Wall Street Journal
- 2009: 9 Reasons E-Mail IS Dead by PC Magazine
- 2007: The Death of E-Mail by Slate
- 2004: The Death of E-mail by PC Magazine
- 2002: The e-mail you know and love is about to vanish by Slate
The report of my
death has been grossly
exaggerated.
Nearly half of us can’t even use the bathroom without checking email... In sum, Americans are addicted to email.
Teens and younger Millennials told us that they have email addresses... because "It's a fact of everyday life"
Adestra Consumer Digital Usage & Behavior Study 2017
Adobe Digital Insights Email Survey 2016
Transactional Email APIs
Had we but world enough and time
Transactional
Marketing
Messages to groups of users that are not triggered by a specific action on their part. Examples include newsletters, invitations, announcements, and promotions.
Email triggered by a user action or an action they were the target of. Directed to individuals, not groups. Transactional emails are part of an interaction.
Transactional Emails
-
Account creation
-
Email verification
-
Password reset
-
Requested updates
-
Digests and reports
-
Receipts and invoices
-
Trial expiration
-
User invitation
-
Order confirmation
-
Comment notifications
Let's Send Some Email!
I'm sorry...
Best Practices: DNS
SPF: Sender Policy Framework
Best Practices: DNS
DKIM: DomainKeys Identified Mail
Let's Send Some Email
Fundamental Advantages
-
Easy integration
-
Logging
-
Reporting/analytics
-
Email templates
-
Improved deliverability
(of API-Based Email)
Example
SPF + DKIM... fail
Best Practices: DNS
DMARC: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance
Best Practices: DNS
DMARC Resources
You should set up a DMARC policy for your domain. You can send DMARC compliant emails from all the email providers discussed.
Email Is An Interface
Email is a fundamental,
inescapable point of interaction.
Interaction implies an interface.
Basecamp Comments
Use/Activity Summaries
Slack Magic Link
You can build a better email interface for your application.
Superpowered Magic Legos
Dynamic and Interactive
-
Ideal for containers
-
Inbound email parsing
-
Event Triggers
-
Webhooks
-
Extensibility
Inbound + API
Inbound + API
Event Trigger Webhook
Practical Applications
-
Invoice Bounce
-
Trial Expiration Open
-
Notification Syncing
-
Resource Popularity
-
Open Rate Feedback
-
Spam/Bounce/Block Monitor
So which is best?
?
Generalized Use Cases
Low Costs
+Marketing
High Deliverability
Startup friendly
Developer friendly
Price Is What You Pay
Value Is What You Get
Message Size
| Inbound Limit | Outbound Limit | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 MB | 10 MB | |
| 25 MB | 25 MB | |
| 35 MB | 10 MB | |
| 20 MB | 20 MB | |
| 20 MB | 30 MB |
Data Storage (days)
| Inbound Messages | Email Logs | |
|---|---|---|
| manual | manual | |
| 3 | 2 (free) / 30 (paid) | |
| 45 | 45 | |
| not stored | 10 day | |
| not stored | 3 (free) / 30 (paid) |
Webhooks
| Data Post Type | Basic Auth | |
|---|---|---|
| SNS | Yes | |
| Form | No | |
| JSON | Yes | |
| JSON | Yes | |
| Form | No |
Additional Features
| Scheduled Delivery | A/B Testing | |
|---|---|---|
| No | No | |
| Yes | No | |
| No | No | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Marketing Only |
Send Better Email
Giving SMTP a REST
Matthew Clemente
-
http://www.adestra.com/resources/downloadable-reports/2017-consumer-digital-behavior-and-usage-study
-
https://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2016/10/email-still-the-alpha-channel.html
-
https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Email-Statistics-Report-2013-2017-Executive-Summary.pdf
-
https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Email-Statistics-Report-2014-2018-Executive-Summary.pdf
-
https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Email-Statistics-Report-2015-2019-Executive-Summary.pdf
-
https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Email_Statistics_Report_2016-2020_Executive_Summary.pdf
-
https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Email-Statistics-Report-2017-2021-Executive-Summary.pdf
-
https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Email_Statistics_Report,_2018-2022_Executive_Summary.pdf
Sources of Data and Quotes for Growth of Email
Sources of Examples of Emails as an Interface
Send Better Email: Giving SMTP a REST
By mjclemente
Send Better Email: Giving SMTP a REST
Presentation for API City Conference 2018
