Do I need to warm up a new domain for a small email list?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from GlockApps recommends that even with a small list, you should gradually increase your sending volume. Start by sending to highly engaged users and closely monitor your deliverability to catch any issues early.
Email marketer from Litmus suggests that domain warmup is essential, even with smaller lists. Always authenticate and start with lower volumes. Watch engagement and bounce rates, adjusting based on the data.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that if you're sending to a small list (e.g., under 500 subscribers), warming up your domain might not be as critical as when sending to larger lists. However, it's always a good practice to gradually increase your sending volume to establish a positive sender reputation.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that they warmed up a new domain for a small list and saw a noticeable improvement in deliverability. They recommend starting with transactional emails to engaged subscribers and gradually increasing the volume.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that even with a small list, warming up your domain is recommended. Start by sending to your most engaged subscribers first and gradually add more contacts over time. This will help build trust with ISPs and improve deliverability.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum explains that while a full-scale warm-up might not be necessary for a very small list, sending a small batch of personalized emails to your most engaged subscribers first can help establish a positive reputation.
Email marketer from Email Geeks recommends sending a whitelisting campaign to contacts, notifying them of the new From address/domain, asking them to add it to their Address Books or Contact Lists to set expectations and give crowdsourced whitelisting.
Email marketer from StackOverflow answers that even with smaller lists, a domain warmup is critical to protect your sending reputation. Gradually ramp up volume, focus on engaged subscribers, and monitor results carefully.
Email marketer from Quora suggests that regardless of list size, establishing a domain reputation is important. Even with a small list, start slow and monitor your deliverability closely to identify and address any issues early on.
Email marketer from Mailchimp responds that while they emphasize IP warm-up more broadly, the principles apply to domain warm-up too. For small lists, focus on sending high-quality, engaging content to avoid spam complaints and maintain a good sender reputation.
What the experts say8Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that unless the domain is less than 30 days old, sending to 100 people won't require warming at all.
Expert from Spamresource explains that domain warmup is recommended even for a smaller list to build a reputation.
Expert from Email Geeks states that they start warmup with 2000 - 5000 emails per domain and that 100 emails per week is well under any need for warmup.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that real warmup involves ramping up your volume at an appropriate rate from your real ESP to your real customers with real content and the volume of 100 emails per week is to low to be of concern.
Expert from Email Geeks advises to make sure the domain has an MX record and a website, even if that website is a redirect to the actual website.
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that if it's hundreds of people it's not going to require a 'warming service', but when it's thousands, you need to look at warming.
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that even with a smaller list, a gradual ramp-up is essential to prove you are a responsible sender. A sudden jump in volume, even to a small list, from a new domain can trigger filters. Start with your most engaged subscribers and monitor results.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that warmup is for large lists, when you're sending tens of thousands of emails, implying that using a warmup service for smaller lists may be unnecessary and ineffective.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from RFC-Editor explains that gradually increasing the sending volume from a new domain is a best practice for SMTP. This helps establish trust with receiving mail servers, even if you're only sending to a small list initially.
Documentation from AWS responds that for all new sending domains (even for low volumes), monitoring closely and building a good reputation is key for deliverability success, following the same practices as a warm up.
Documentation from Microsoft responds that while focused on IP and server reputation, it suggests the same principles of warming apply to domains. Even for small email lists, build a good reputation and follow practices for optimal sending and to avoid spam filters.
Documentation from SparkPost (now MessageBird) explains that while focused on IPs, the advice for warming is equally valid for domains, and starting slow and building reputation is key.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that even if you're sending to a small list, adhering to best practices for bulk sending, like authenticating your domain and avoiding sudden spikes in sending volume, is crucial for deliverability. Google states that gradually increasing sending volume over time helps establish a positive sending reputation.