How do you warm up a subdomain for email sending?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests gradually changing out the domain while still using all the IPs, focusing on warming the domain rather than the IPs. No need to gradually use the IPs, just gradually use the domain.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares their experience that root domain rep does not seem to carry to subdomain variations, as Google gives a different rep treatment for each sub even if they're on the same root.
Email marketer from SendGrid.com advises a gradual ramp-up, suggesting starting with your most engaged users. Monitor deliverability using tools like Google Postmaster Tools. Focus on content relevance and personalization to avoid spam complaints. Maintain consistent sending habits.
Email marketer from Mailgun.com recommends starting with low volumes and gradually increasing the sending volume over time. It's crucial to monitor your sender reputation and engagement metrics (opens, clicks) to ensure positive signals are being sent to mailbox providers. This involves sending to engaged users first and segmenting your lists.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that focusing on sending to engaged subscribers (those who have recently opened or clicked) is key when warming a subdomain. Monitor bounce rates and adjust sending volume accordingly. Avoid sending to old or unengaged lists during the warm-up phase.
Email marketer from GlockApps.com shares some general advice is to ensure all of your DNS records are setup correctly and that you are monitoring them. Also ensure your email content has a good text to image ration to avoid being flagged as spam.
Email marketer from SparkPost.com recommends starting with a small subset of your most engaged subscribers and gradually increasing volume. Pay close attention to bounce rates and feedback loops to react quickly to any negative signals. They emphasize the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
Marketer from Email Geeks mentions that it depends on the methods the receiver uses. Some treat SLDs differently than ThLDs or treat them independently. Having independent reputation doesn't mean the IP reputation isn't also important when evaluating the domain reputation, etc.
Marketer from Email Geeks advises picking a mail stream, keeping the existing DKIM signing config and doing a test on x% of traffic to determine the next course, emphasizing the importance of individual mail stream quality and recipient mailbox provider breakdown.
Marketer from Email Geeks says that while Google may provide a unique reputation score for each sub-domain, the reputation of the parent and sibling domains is still a factor in deliverability. He suggests introducing the subdomain as an additional DKIM signature to start building its reputation without being too disruptive.
Email marketer from Gmass.co explains to ensure that you're set up with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC and that you are gradually increasing your volume to warm up the IP address. Do not start with mass sends that are not targeted as they will likely end up straight in the junk folder.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests segmenting your email list based on engagement levels. Start with sending to the most active subscribers and gradually include less engaged users as your reputation improves. Check your IP/domain reputation regularly using reputation monitoring services.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource emphasizes that sending to a clean, engaged list is crucial during subdomain warm-up. He suggests using a double opt-in process to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested and actively managing bounces and unsubscribes to maintain list hygiene. This helps avoid spam traps and protects sender reputation.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that subdomain reputation can be separate from the main domain. She recommends carefully monitoring deliverability metrics and segmenting sending based on engagement to ensure a smooth warm-up and protect overall domain reputation. Ensuring proper authentication like SPF and DKIM is crucial.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft.com details that warming up a domain/subdomain involves gradually increasing sending volumes. Maintaining low complaint rates and adhering to best practices for email authentication and list management are crucial for building and maintaining a positive reputation.
Documentation from RFC-Editor.org explains the setup of SPF records and importance of having a correctly formatted SPF record to assist with authentication. It is important to have your SPF setup correctly to ensure reputation.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that establishing a good sender reputation involves consistently authenticating your emails (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), sending wanted mail, and avoiding sudden spikes in email volume. They provide tools to monitor your reputation over time.