How to improve IP warmup with AT&T and resolve low open rates?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Reddit suggests checking AT&T's specific requirements or guidelines for new senders. They share that AT&T might have unique filtering mechanisms or thresholds that differ from other major ISPs.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that a high number of "recipient does not exist" bounces could indicate a failure to import the suppression list from the old ESP.
Email marketer from EmailDeliverabilityForum.net suggests using postmaster loops. They share that they found by receiving feedback loops with AT&T has helped to improve deliverability.
Email marketer from SendGrid.com explains that IP warmup is a critical process for new IPs to establish a positive sending reputation. They share that consistently increasing sending volume, monitoring engagement metrics, and segmenting email lists are important steps to take.
Email marketer from Litmus emphasizes the importance of inbox placement testing to determine where emails are landing, whether it's the inbox, spam folder, or being blocked. They share that inbox placement testing provides insight on which emails are going to spam folders, and which are going to inboxes.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum advises validating subscriber lists to remove invalid or inactive email addresses, reducing bounce rates and improving deliverability. They share that using email validation services or tools can help maintain a clean and engaged list.
Email marketer from GMass highlights the necessity of starting with a low sending volume and gradually increasing it over time to establish a positive sending reputation. They share that starting with a small batch of highly engaged subscribers and gradually increasing the volume based on engagement metrics is a great way to warm up.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests engaging with subscribers. They share that engaging subscribers with valuable content can improve deliverability with AT&T.
Email marketer from Email on Acid recommends segmenting AT&T subscribers based on engagement levels to ensure that only engaged users receive emails during the initial warmup period. They share that this helps maintain a positive sender reputation and minimize deliverability issues.
Email marketer from Mailjet.com emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistent sending volume and cadence during IP warmup. They share that gradually increasing the number of emails sent daily or weekly helps mailbox providers learn the sender's habits and build trust.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that AT&T might use Yahoo's infrastructure. If Yahoo inboxing is good, AT&T inboxing is likely similar. She believes AT&T accepts mail, filters malicious content, and then passes it to Yahoo for inboxing.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that IP warming is more about avoiding blocks or temporary failures. As long as these aren't happening, you're on the right track. She suggests checking if the old and new ESPs report opens the same way and considering that it might not be a deliverability problem but a mail client issue.
Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes focusing on engagement metrics, especially with providers like AT&T. She shares that driving engagement through relevant content and incentivizing opens and clicks can significantly improve your sender reputation and deliverability rates.
Expert from Email Geeks indicates that since the bounces are mainly due to "recipient does not exist," it might not be a deliverability or even a warmup problem, despite using the same inboxing infrastructure as Yahoo, but a different MX infrastructure.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that warmup is mainly about the big mailbox providers rather than smaller broadband providers. It might not be necessary to focus specifically on warming up with smaller providers, as long as the rate is reasonable, as they don't have the same engagement-based filters.
Expert from Spam Resource explains the importance of avoiding blocklists and spam traps during IP warm-up. He shares that being listed on a major blocklist can significantly impact deliverability to AT&T and other ISPs, so monitoring your IP's reputation is critical.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from DMARC.org explains the importance of setting up and monitoring DMARC reports to identify and address any authentication issues. They share that DMARC provides insights into how email receivers handle messages from your domain.
Documentation from Google explains the necessity of using Google Postmaster Tools to monitor IP reputation and identify potential deliverability issues. They share that these tools provide insights into spam rates, IP reputation, and authentication status.
Documentation from RFC explains the importance of implementing proper email authentication protocols, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, to verify the sender's identity and improve deliverability rates. They share that these protocols help prevent spoofing and phishing attacks.
Documentation from AWS explains the necessity of monitoring sender reputation metrics, such as bounce rates and complaint rates, to identify and address any deliverability issues. They share that these metrics provide insights into the quality of your sending practices and subscriber engagement.