What actually happens when your emails suddenly stop landing in the inbox?

In this episode of Email After Hours, Guy Hanson and Danielle Gallant sit down with Tara Natanson, Manager of ISP Relations at Constant Contact. They pull back the curtain on one of the least understood—but most important—areas of email deliverability: Internet service provider (ISP) relations.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience working directly with mailbox providers, Tara outlines the realities of working with Gmail, Yahoo, and Microsoft, the right way to approach delisting requests, and why humility and accountability matter more than most marketers realize. Tara also shares practical guidance on authentication, postmaster tools, list hygiene, and adapting to a future where open rates and traditional feedback signals continue to disappear.

If you’ve ever wondered what mailbox providers actually expect from senders, or why reputation is so difficult to rebuild once it’s damaged, this episode is for you.

What you’ll learn:

Why legitimate senders still end up on blocklists and how to avoid it
How insecure signup forms and poor bounce management damage reputation
What mailbox providers expect before responding to delivery issues
How to approach Gmail, Yahoo, and Microsoft without hurting your chances of resolution
How to think about sender reputation as something easy to lose and difficult to rebuild

…and more!

About Tara Natanson

Tara Natanson is the Manager of ISP Relations at Constant Contact, where she has spent more than two decades helping businesses improve deliverability, maintain sender reputation, and navigate the evolving email ecosystem.

Throughout her career, Tara has worked closely with mailbox providers, authored industry best practices and white papers, and helped shape authentication and compliance standards across the email industry. Known for her practical expertise and collaborative approach, she brings a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on how mailbox providers and senders work together to keep email trusted and effective.

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Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Intro
[00:01:43] The Story Behind ISP Relations
[00:03:28] A Day In The Life of an ISP Relations Manager
[00:05:13] How Industry Relationships Have Evolved
[00:06:49] Helping Small Senders Solve Deliverability Issues
[00:11:21] How To Engage Mailbox Providers
[00:15:03] Why Legitimate Senders Get Blocklisted
[00:20:26] Authentication, Lost Signals, And The Future Of Deliverability

Episode Resources:

Tara Natanson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-natanson/
Constant Contact Website: http://www.constantcontact.com/