How to warm up an email list after only sending a welcome series?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Klaviyo shares you should segment your most engaged subscribers, those that have opened or clicked an email in the past 30-90 days and send to them first.
Email marketer from Customer.io explains that a warm-up schedule typically lasts 4-8 weeks, gradually scaling from a few hundred emails per day to your standard sending volume.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains warming up an email list involves sending emails in small batches, gradually increasing the volume over time. This demonstrates to ISPs that you're a legitimate sender and helps improve your sender reputation.
Email marketer from EmailToolTester shares it's better to start with smaller numbers of emails (500-1,000) and increase your volumes slowly. Also set a daily sending limit and use authentication protocols.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that you should start with the most engaged customers on a subset to see how it goes. Send the announcement over a few days. Include a message explaining the lack of emails since sign-up.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares the key element is to send emails gradually and consistently. Send to your most engaged audience first.
Email marketer from Warrior Forum explains to focus on delivering value to subscribers and avoid sending generic or irrelevant content. Personalize your messages and tailor them to the individual interests of each subscriber.
Email marketer from Zoho recommends that email warm-up refers to the process of gradually increasing the volume of emails sent from a new IP address. The process ensures that ISPs don't identify you as a spammer.
Email marketer from Reddit answers warming up an email list after a long period of inactivity requires you to clean your list by removing inactive subscribers, start by sending to highly engaged users, and use personalized content to drive engagement.
Email marketer from HubSpot answers IP warming is the process of gradually increasing the volume of email sent from a new IP address or domain to build a positive reputation with ISPs. It involves starting with a small number of emails and gradually increasing the volume over time.
Email marketer from Sender.net shares it's important to segment your list and begin by sending to your most engaged subscribers first. This helps ensure that your initial sends have high open and click rates, which signals to ISPs that your emails are wanted.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests to start with those engaged on the welcome email (opened or clicked), then actives on the game, then the others.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource answers that you should begin warming your new IP address with transactional and subscription/prompted mail. Also make sure to authenticate from the start with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains the importance of a slow and steady approach to IP warm up. This means starting with a small volume of emails and gradually increasing it over time. It is also important to monitor the reputation of your IP address to ensure that it is not being blacklisted.
Expert from Email Geeks shares to start with the most recently engaged and work backwards. Tie it to people who are playing the game.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that machine learning filters don’t like change and have seen spammers trickle mail out over weeks or months and then send a giant send. She also questions what the normal daily / weekly send volumes are and the type of infrastructure used.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from MessageBird (formerly SparkPost) answers starting slow and ramping up gradually is the best way to build a sending reputation. Begin with your most engaged users. Keep a close eye on your deliverability metrics, and pause your sends immediately if you see a spike in bounces or complaints.
Documentation from Twilio SendGrid answers IP warm up involves gradually increasing your sending volume over a period of time to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Start by sending to small segments of your most engaged users, and gradually increase the number of recipients and frequency of sends.
Documentation from Google explains to start with a small volume of emails and gradually increase it over time. Monitor your sending reputation in Postmaster Tools and adjust your sending schedule accordingly.
Documentation from MailerQ answers to start with engaged users to prove trustworthiness to ISPs, and use a ramp up model to not exceed daily limits. Focus on a steady increase in volume with good email content and engagement.