How can I improve my primary domain reputation after sending cold outreach emails?

Summary

Improving domain reputation after cold outreach involves a multi-faceted approach. It begins with ceasing spam-like practices and focusing on engaging existing subscribers. Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial. Warming up your IP gradually, cleaning your email list, and segmenting based on engagement are vital. Actively monitor sender reputation through feedback loops and DMARC reports, addressing negative feedback promptly. Provider-specific strategies may be needed, like encouraging users to move emails from spam to inbox for Microsoft and Gmail. Regular deliverability tests and metric tracking help identify issues. Implement double opt-in for new subscribers and ensure you aren't accidentally blocking legitimate emails. Contacting filter companies might be necessary for some providers.

Key findings

  • Stop Spamming: Cease sending cold outreach mass emails perceived as spam.
  • Engage Subscribers: Focus on engaging existing subscribers who have previously interacted with your emails.
  • Email Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for proper email authentication.
  • IP Warming: Gradually warm up your IP address by slowly increasing sending volume.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
  • List Segmentation: Segment your email list based on engagement levels.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Actively monitor your sender reputation through feedback loops and DMARC reports.
  • Provider Specific Tactics: Employ provider-specific strategies, such as encouraging users to move emails from spam to inbox for certain providers.
  • Deliverability Tests: Conduct regular email deliverability tests.
  • Metric Tracking: Track key email metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates.
  • Double Opt-In: Implement double opt-in for new subscribers.
  • Avoid Blocking: Ensure you are not accidentally blocking legitimate emails.

Key considerations

  • Anti-Spam Compliance: Comply with anti-spam regulations and best practices.
  • Subscriber Value: Provide valuable content that encourages engagement from subscribers.
  • Volume Management: Carefully manage your sending volume to avoid triggering spam filters.
  • Content Quality: Ensure your email content is relevant and free of spam triggers.
  • Feedback Loop Utilization: Actively participate in feedback loops to identify and address spam complaints.
  • Prompt Issue Resolution: Address negative feedback promptly to prevent further damage to your reputation.
  • Configuration Review: Regularly review your email configuration to avoid blocking legitimate senders unintentionally.
  • Filter Knowledge: Stay informed about email filter practices and adapt strategies accordingly.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

Improving domain reputation after cold outreach involves several key strategies. Stop sending spam and focus on legitimate email practices. Engage existing subscribers to rebuild reputation. Warm up your IP gradually and maintain a clean email list by removing inactive addresses. Segment your list based on engagement, send important emails to engaged subscribers, and use a dedicated IP if sending large volumes. Check for blacklisting and take steps for removal if necessary. Conduct deliverability tests and monitor metrics like open rates and bounce rates. Implement double opt-in for subscriptions to reduce spam complaints.

Key opinions

  • Stop Sending Spam: Avoid sending cold outreach mass emails that are considered spam, as filters are smart and can link domains, impacting reputation negatively.
  • Engage Existing Subscribers: Re-engage subscribers who have previously interacted with your emails (clicks, replies, opens) to help rebuild your domain reputation.
  • IP Warming: Gradually increase your sending volume over time to warm up your IP address and establish yourself as a legitimate sender to ISPs.
  • List Cleaning: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive or invalid email addresses to reduce bounce rates and improve engagement metrics.
  • Segmentation: Segment your email list based on engagement levels and tailor your content accordingly to improve engagement and domain reputation.
  • Dedicated IP: Use a dedicated IP address if you send a large volume of emails to build your own reputation separate from shared senders.
  • Blacklist Check: Check if your domain is blacklisted and take necessary steps, such as contacting the blacklist provider, to get removed.
  • Deliverability Tests: Conduct regular deliverability tests to identify and troubleshoot potential issues related to email authentication, content, or infrastructure.
  • Metric Monitoring: Track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates to monitor the health of your email program and address deliverability issues.
  • Double Opt-In: Implement double opt-in for email subscriptions to ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails, reducing spam complaints.

Key considerations

  • Email Practices: Ensure your email practices align with anti-spam policies and best practices to avoid being flagged as spam.
  • Subscriber Engagement: Focus on providing valuable content that encourages subscriber engagement to maintain a positive domain reputation.
  • Volume Management: Carefully manage your sending volume, especially when starting with a new IP or domain, to avoid triggering spam filters.
  • Content Quality: Ensure your email content is relevant, personalized, and free of spam triggers to increase engagement and deliverability.
  • Feedback Loops: Utilize feedback loops from ISPs to identify and address spam complaints promptly.
  • Authentication Protocols: Make sure you implement SPF, DKIM and DMARC protocols.
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks states that 'cold outreach mass emails' equals spam, and filters are smart and can link domains. The only way to effectively stay out of the spam filter is to not send spam.

November 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus recommends conducting regular email deliverability tests to identify potential issues and ensure that your emails are reaching the inbox. These tests can help you troubleshoot problems with authentication, content, or infrastructure.

August 2021 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Warrior Forum advises tracking key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates to monitor the health of your email program. Declining metrics may indicate deliverability issues that need to be addressed.

January 2023 - Warrior Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailVendorSelection suggests checking if your domain is blacklisted. If you are blacklisted, they advise taking steps to get removed from the blacklist, such as contacting the blacklist provider and fixing the underlying issues that caused the listing.

July 2022 - EmailVendorSelection.com
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailchimp Resources recommends using a dedicated IP address for sending emails, especially if you send a large volume of emails. This allows you to build your own reputation rather than sharing it with other senders. They also suggest monitoring your sender reputation using tools like Sender Score.

August 2021 - Mailchimp Resources
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog suggests warming up your IP address by gradually increasing your sending volume over time. This allows ISPs to learn that you're a legitimate sender. He also advises cleaning your email list regularly to remove inactive or invalid email addresses.

April 2023 - Neil Patel's Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot suggests using double opt-in for your email subscriptions to ensure that subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails. This reduces the likelihood of spam complaints and improves your sender reputation.

June 2021 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks recommends sending emails to people who have engaged with your emails in the past, suggesting that clicks, replies, and opens can help rebuild your reputation.

September 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit suggests segmenting your email list based on engagement levels. Send your most important emails to your most engaged subscribers, and tailor your content to different segments. This will improve your engagement metrics and boost your domain reputation.

October 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from GMass Blog explains to clean your email list by removing old/invalid email addresses. By focusing your cold outreach on valid addresses, it decreases the number of emails going to junk folders.

April 2022 - GMass Blog

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

Improving domain reputation after cold outreach involves understanding email filters, actively monitoring sender reputation, and ensuring you aren't inadvertently blocking legitimate emails. For Microsoft and Gmail, encouraging users to move emails from spam to inbox is effective. Other providers might require direct contact with their filter companies. Monitoring helps identify problems early and adjust sending practices, while avoiding unintentional blocking ensures you receive important feedback.

Key opinions

  • Filter Understanding: Improving domain reputation requires understanding the specific filters used by different email providers.
  • Engagement Boost: Encouraging users to move emails from spam to inbox improves reputation with Microsoft and Gmail.
  • Filter Company Contact: For providers other than Microsoft and Gmail, contacting the filter company may be necessary to reset reputation.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Actively monitoring sender reputation helps identify problems early.
  • Blocking Avoidance: Ensuring you aren't accidentally blocking legitimate emails is crucial for receiving important feedback.

Key considerations

  • Provider-Specific Strategies: Adapt your reputation improvement strategies based on the email provider's filtering mechanisms.
  • Proactive Monitoring: Implement systems for continuously monitoring sender reputation to detect issues promptly.
  • Configuration Review: Regularly review your email configuration to ensure you're not unintentionally blocking legitimate senders.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains the importance of making sure you aren't accidently blocking emails from entering your inbox. They give examples of how to make sure you aren't blocking emails from senders due to IP address or domain related configuration.

November 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of sender reputation monitoring. Actively monitoring your sender reputation helps you identify problems early, understand the impact of your sending practices, and take corrective actions before significant deliverability issues arise.

October 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains improving primary domain reputation involves understanding the filters involved. Getting users to move emails from spam to inbox works for Microsoft and Gmail. For other providers, contacting the filter company may be necessary to reset things, as their filters may not be engagement-driven like Google and Microsoft.

September 2021 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Improving domain reputation after cold outreach necessitates strong email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prove legitimacy and protect against spoofing. Utilizing feedback loops like the Junk Email Reporting Program (JMRP) aids in list hygiene and reducing spam complaints. Continuous monitoring of sending reputation via feedback loops and DMARC reports allows for proactive identification and resolution of authentication issues, preventing further damage and maintaining a positive reputation.

Key findings

  • Email Authentication: Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records is crucial for authenticating your email and proving you are a legitimate sender.
  • Feedback Loops: Using programs like JMRP provides feedback on spam complaints, enabling you to improve list hygiene and reduce future issues.
  • DMARC Implementation: Implementing DMARC protects your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks, positively impacting your domain reputation.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring your sending reputation through feedback loops from ISPs and email providers helps prevent further damage.
  • DMARC Report Review: Regularly reviewing DMARC reports helps identify and address authentication issues or domain abuse proactively.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Setup: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to ensure your emails are authenticated.
  • Feedback Loop Participation: Actively participate in feedback loop programs to identify and remove subscribers who report your emails as spam.
  • DMARC Policy: Define a DMARC policy to instruct receiving mail servers on how to handle messages that fail authentication checks.
  • Proactive Reputation Management: Implement systems to monitor your sending reputation and address any issues promptly.
  • Regular Audits: Conduct regular audits of your email program to identify and address potential authentication or deliverability problems.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help emphasizes the importance of authenticating your email. Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records is crucial for proving that you are a legitimate sender. Google also recommends keeping spam rates low by only sending to users who want to receive your emails.

August 2024 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Docs advises using the Junk Email Reporting Program (JMRP). This program allows feedback loops, where recipients reporting your emails as junk are flagged to you, allowing you to remove them from your list and reduce future spam complaints. They also highlight the importance of list hygiene.

April 2023 - Microsoft Docs
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains the importance of monitoring your sending reputation through feedback loops from ISPs and email providers. Addressing negative feedback promptly can help prevent further damage to your domain reputation.

October 2024 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from Dmarcian explains about the importance of regularly reviewing DMARC reports to identify and address any authentication issues or potential abuse of your domain. This proactive approach helps protect your brand and maintain a positive domain reputation.

February 2023 - Dmarcian
Technical article

Documentation from RFC-Editor explains the importance of implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) to protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks, which can negatively impact your domain reputation. DMARC allows you to specify how receiving mail servers should handle messages that fail SPF and DKIM checks.

June 2024 - RFC-Editor.org