How do I start emailing a large list with no engagement history?

Summary

When starting to email a large list with no engagement history, a comprehensive strategy is essential. Prioritize obtaining explicit consent through double opt-in or in-game prompts to minimize complaints. Segment the list based on available data (location, last played date, registration date) to send relevant emails. Implement list hygiene practices, including suppressing unengaged users and creating sunset policies, to maintain a healthy sender reputation. Warm up your IP address gradually, monitoring deliverability and reputation closely. Ensure proper email authentication with SPF and DKIM. Craft compelling initial email content with clear calls to action, and consider A/B testing to optimize engagement. Utilize feedback loops like JMRP to identify and remove spam reporters. Ultimately, delivering valuable, relevant content is crucial for building long-term engagement.

Key findings

  • Obtain Consent: Double opt-in and in-game prompts reduce complaints and improve deliverability.
  • Segment Your List: Segmentation improves relevance and engagement.
  • Practice List Hygiene: Suppression of unengaged users and sunset policies protect sender reputation.
  • Warm Up Your IP: Gradual IP warming is crucial for deliverability.
  • Authenticate Your Emails: SPF and DKIM authentication are essential.
  • Create Engaging Content: Compelling content and clear calls to action drive engagement.
  • Monitor Feedback Loops: JMRP helps identify and remove spam reporters.

Key considerations

  • Legal Compliance: Ensure compliance with email marketing regulations and obtain explicit consent.
  • Data Privacy: Handle user data responsibly and transparently.
  • Sender Reputation Management: Proactively monitor and manage your sender reputation to maintain high deliverability.
  • Content Strategy: Develop a content strategy that provides value and encourages interaction.
  • Continuous Optimization: Continuously monitor, analyze, and optimize your email campaigns for better results.
  • Relevance and Personalization: Always Strive to deliver the most relevent and personalized content to increase engagement.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

When starting to email a large list with no engagement history, experts recommend a multi-faceted approach focused on building sender reputation and ensuring relevance. This includes list cleaning and segmentation to remove inactive subscribers and target content effectively. Warming up the list with small batches, sending re-engagement campaigns, and A/B testing are crucial steps. Additionally, obtaining explicit consent through double opt-in methods and providing preference centers can improve engagement and reduce spam complaints. Delivering valuable, relevant content and initiating with simple welcome emails can also increase subscriber interaction.

Key opinions

  • List Hygiene: Cleaning the list by removing inactive subscribers improves sender reputation and deliverability.
  • Segmentation: Segmenting the audience based on available data helps in sending more relevant emails.
  • Warming Up: Warming up the list by sending emails in small batches builds a good sender reputation.
  • Re-engagement: Sending a re-engagement campaign identifies interested users and allows removal of disengaged ones.
  • A/B Testing: A/B testing subject lines and content optimizes engagement.
  • Explicit Consent: Double opt-in helps in managing complaints and improves deliverability.
  • Preference Centers: Preference centers provide control to subscribers and reduce unsubscribes and spam complaints.
  • Valuable Content: Delivering relevant and engaging content increases subscriber interaction.
  • Initial Approach: Sending a simple welcome or confirm subscription email can gauge initial interest.

Key considerations

  • Sender Reputation: Maintaining a good sender reputation is critical for successful email deliverability.
  • Relevance: Ensure content is relevant to the subscribers' interests to drive engagement.
  • Consent: Obtain explicit consent to minimize complaints and comply with regulations.
  • Engagement Metrics: Monitor engagement metrics to adjust strategies and optimize campaigns.
  • Sunset Policies: Consider implementing a sunset policy to automatically remove unengaged users, thus maintaining a healthy and responsive email list.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Quora user recommends A/B testing different subject lines and content in your initial emails to see what resonates best with your audience. This can help improve engagement rates.

November 2024 - Quora
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailchimp explains that segmenting your audience based on available data (location, purchase history, etc.) allows you to send more relevant emails, increasing the likelihood of engagement and reducing the risk of being marked as spam.

December 2022 - Mailchimp
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid suggests implementing a sunset policy to remove unengaged users after a certain period. This focuses your efforts on engaged users and protects your sender reputation

March 2024 - Email On Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that giving people more control over the emails they receive is a great way to avoid unsubscribes and spam complaints. Provide a preference center where subscribers can choose what types of emails they want to receive and how often.

July 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow states that sending a simple 'welcome back' or 'confirm subscription' email is a good starting point. Gauge initial interest before sending promotional content.

March 2024 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel shares the advice to warm up the list by sending emails in small batches to engaged users first before emailing the whole list. This helps build a good sender reputation.

December 2024 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that because users "aren't expecting to hear from you" complaints are going to be a big issue, and a double opt in would help with this.

December 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that before emailing the whole list send a re-engagement campaign to see who is still interested in your content, then remove disengaged users.

September 2022 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot explains that provide valuable content that is relevant to your audience's interests. If your emails are informative and engaging, subscribers will be more likely to open and interact with them.

June 2023 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit user explains that cleaning your list is crucial. Remove inactive subscribers and those who haven't engaged in a long time. This will improve your sender reputation and deliverability.

April 2024 - Reddit

What the experts say
6Expert opinions

Experts recommend a comprehensive approach when initiating email campaigns to large lists with no engagement history. This includes obtaining consent through opt-in messages and in-game prompts, segmenting users based on available data like last played date and registration date, and suppressing inactive players to maintain a healthy list. IP warming is crucial to build sender reputation, and the initial email content should be enticing to drive engagement. Utilizing tools like Kickbox's sendex score can help identify signup order in the absence of a signup date.

Key opinions

  • Opt-in is key: Sending an opt-in message to gain consent before emailing improves deliverability and engagement.
  • Segmentation matters: Segmenting based on 'last played' or 'date of registration' allows for more targeted campaigns.
  • Suppression is crucial: Suppressing unengaged users protects sender reputation and improves deliverability.
  • IP Warming: Gradually warming up the IP address builds sender reputation with ISPs.
  • Content is king: Enticing content and clear calls to action drive initial engagement.
  • Data Insights: Using data like Kickbox's sendex score can provide insights into signup order.

Key considerations

  • Obtaining Consent: Implementing methods to get user consent, such as opt-in emails and in-game prompts, before sending marketing emails is critical for compliance and engagement.
  • Data Quality: Ensure data accuracy and use available data points to segment users effectively.
  • Sender Reputation: Continuously monitor and manage sender reputation to ensure high deliverability rates.
  • Engagement Strategy: Craft compelling email content that encourages interaction, driving long-term engagement and loyalty.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean and suppress inactive users to maintain a healthy and responsive email list.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that the initial email content and offers need to be enticing to drive engagement. A clear call to action and relevant offers can increase the likelihood of subscribers interacting with your email. If you provide real value in the mail, the customers will be more inclined to purchase from you and look forward to your subsequent emails.

April 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource emphasizes the importance of suppressing unengaged users. Continued mailing to unengaged users hurts your sender reputation and deliverability. Focus on engaged users and consider sending a win-back campaign to try to re-engage those who have become inactive.

March 2023 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests using the `sendex` score from Kickbox if there is no signup date. Additionally, check for a sequential number in the database that could indicate signup order.

May 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks recommends sending an Opt-in message to these users, asking for consent to send future mail. Explain the reason they got this message, and the benefits to getting more email in the future. Maybe send a short series to these people one, with a follow up to non-openers in a week. Segment users by 'last time played' and 'date of registration' and suppress long inactive players. Also, update the game registration to collect marketing permissions and consider a push notification to announce a new email program to users and ask them to consent with in game messaging.

February 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise advises warming up your IP address is essential when emailing a large list, especially one with unknown engagement. Start slowly with very low volumes and gradually increase over time. Monitor your deliverability and reputation closely during the warm-up process.

December 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests sending a pop-up or other communication through the game to get users to confirm they want email.

January 2023 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

When starting to email a large list with no engagement history, documentation emphasizes the importance of email authentication (SPF, DKIM), monitoring sender reputation, and keeping spam rates low. Utilizing feedback loops like Microsoft's JMRP helps in list cleaning by identifying recipients who mark emails as junk. IP warming is crucial for establishing a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Obtaining explicit consent, ideally through a confirmation step, is also highly recommended.

Key findings

  • Authentication: SPF and DKIM authentication are essential for bulk email senders.
  • Sender Reputation: Monitoring sender reputation is critical for email deliverability.
  • Feedback Loops: Using feedback loops like JMRP helps identify and remove spam reporters.
  • IP Warming: Gradually warming up IP addresses builds positive sending reputation.
  • Explicit Consent: Obtaining explicit consent is recommended for sending emails.

Key considerations

  • Technical Setup: Properly configure SPF and DKIM records to authenticate emails and avoid being flagged as spam.
  • Monitoring: Regularly monitor sender reputation metrics and spam complaint rates to identify and address issues promptly.
  • List Management: Implement feedback loops and list hygiene practices to remove disengaged or problematic recipients.
  • Gradual Ramp-Up: Warm up new IP addresses gradually to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.
  • Compliance: Ensure compliance with email marketing regulations and best practices, including obtaining explicit consent from recipients.
Technical article

Documentation from M3AAWG (Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group) recommends sending emails based on explicit consent. If you don't have explicit consent, consider implementing a confirmation step to ensure recipients want to receive your emails.

June 2024 - M3AAWG
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains the importance of IP warming. Start with small volumes and gradually increase the amount of email you send over time to build a positive sending reputation with ISPs.

January 2022 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from Google outlines that bulk email senders should authenticate their email with SPF and DKIM. Monitor your sender reputation and keep spam rates low.

September 2023 - Google
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft advises to use the Junk Email Reporting program (JMRP). JMRP allows recipients to report unwanted email as junk. The JMRP is helpful for senders to clean their email lists of any unwanted recipients.

August 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from RFC describes SPF and DKIM standards. These standards help receiving mail servers verify that the email was sent from a legitimate source. Implementing these is a key part of email deliverability.

January 2024 - RFC