Jakub Olexa, the founder and CEO of Mailkit and Omnivery, is a leading expert on Non-Human Interactions (NHI) in email marketing.
The full episode will be released in the coming month.
In the ever-evolving email marketing landscape, staying informed about the latest trends and challenges is crucial for success. One topic that has recently gained attention yet remains largely misunderstood is that of non-human interactions (NHI). Often mistaken for bot activity, these interactions can have significant implications for email marketers. This blog post delves into what NHIs are, why they matter, and how marketers can adapt to this emerging reality.
Every email platform has a dashboard that indicates email campaign metrics, including open and click rates obtained in each email campaign.
Many email marketers measure their success (or failure) by referring to engagement metrics -especially email open and click rates.
However, open and click data have become increasingly distorted over the years and may fool marketers into thinking that their email platform dashboard’s “good” open and click rates indicate that their email marketing program is in good shape. The data (Non-human interactions) is inflated with false data that is far from reflecting reality.
Is it a bot (or not)?
We are witnessing a fascinating phenomenon changing the game rules regarding engagement data in email marketing: Non-Human
Interactions (NHI) that generate non-human opens and clicks. It’s not the recipients who engage with the emails; it’s “a bot”.
The NHI phenomenon dramatically affects how marketers need to measure and examine the success of their campaigns in terms of engagement metric data.
The phenomenon also interrupts marketing automation flows triggered by opens and clicks.
Non-Human Interactions
Non-Human Interactions
Non-human interactions refer to email actions – such as opens or clicks – that appear to originate from a human recipient but are generated by automated systems. These systems include security scans, privacy protection tools, corporate firewalls, antivirus software, and anti-spam filters. While they mimic human behavior, their intent is not malicious. Instead, they aim to protect users by scanning emails for potential threats before they reach the inbox.
Q: What are non-human interactions (NHI) in email marketing?
A: Non-human interactions in email marketing refer to actions such as clicks or opens that appear to come from a human recipient but are performed by automated systems. These are often security scans or privacy protection systems, rather than malicious bots.
Q: Why is the term “non-human interactions” used instead of “bots”?
A: The term “non-human interactions” is used because these interactions are not necessarily negative or abusive, unlike the connotation often associated with “bots.” They are typically performed by systems for security or privacy purposes.
Q: Who coined the term “non-human interactions”?
A: The term was coined while developing a white paper at M3AAWG, a working group focused on messaging security and email abuse.
Q: How long have non-human interactions been a known phenomenon?
A: Non-human interactions have been around for about three years, and they have become increasingly visible. The topic was researched as far back as eight or nine years ago.
Q: What prompted the initial investigation into non-human interactions?
A: The investigation began when a small B2B customer noticed an unusually high open and click rate on their emails, which suggested non-human activity.
Q: What are some examples of systems causing non-human interactions?
A: Examples include security scans, corporate firewalls, antiviruses, and anti-spam systems that scan emails as they pass through corporate systems.
Q: Why is it important to understand non-human interactions in email marketing?
A: Understanding non-human interactions is crucial because they can affect email performance metrics, leading to misinterpretations of engagement levels and potentially impacting business decisions.
Q: What challenges are associated with detecting non-human interactions?
A: Detecting non-human interactions in real-time is challenging, especially in large datasets, because they can mimic human behavior but often show patterns that are not typical of human actions.
Q: What was the purpose of the white paper published by M3AAWG?
A: The white paper aimed to raise awareness of non-human interactions, highlighting them as both a technical and business problem in the email marketing industry.