How to warm up an old email list that hasn't been used in a while?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests checking into which domains you are sending from and that you should not use the corporate domain for sending to your lists
Email marketer from Reddit recommends gradually increasing the volume of emails sent to your list over time. Start with a small batch and gradually increase the number of emails sent each day to avoid triggering spam filters.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign emphasizes the importance of monitoring key engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates during the warm-up process. Use this data to adjust your strategy and optimize your campaigns.
Email marketer from Sendinblue recommends creating a re-engagement campaign that offers subscribers a reason to stay subscribed, such as exclusive content, discounts, or updates. Make it easy for them to unsubscribe if they're no longer interested.
Email marketer from Mailchimp suggests using an email verification service to remove invalid or inactive email addresses before sending. This will improve your sender reputation and reduce bounce rates.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum advises removing unengaged subscribers from your list. Focus on the subscribers that have engaged recently.
Email marketer from Neil Patel recommends segmenting your list based on the last time subscribers engaged. Send targeted re-engagement campaigns to these segments, offering incentives to re-subscribe or update their preferences.
Email marketer from Litmus advises setting clear expectations in the first few emails. Remind subscribers why they are receiving the email and give them an easy way to unsubscribe or update their preferences.
Email marketer from Gmass explains checking the email list for spam traps is critical. If the email enters a spam trap it will be immediately flagged and blacklisted.
Email marketer from Hubspot recommends setting up a welcome series to new subscribers, ensure they are legitimate and that they are actively engaging with the emails that are sent. This will have a positive effect with future sending
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares that attrition rates on email addresses over time are high, with approximately 30% of addresses becoming invalid within a year.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests using a service like Kickbox to clean the email list. They also recommend including a clear reminder in the initial emails about how the recipient provided their email address, along with an easily accessible opt-out link, to encourage unsubscribes rather than spam complaints.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the definition of 'old' depends on the list collection. A list collected 6 months ago and never mailed to is 'old'. A list mailed to daily is never old.
Expert from Spam Resource shares that a 'warm-up' is best done to addresses who have said 'yes' recently. Old lists have a high rate of undeliverable addresses, and turning those into bounces is bad for your sending reputation. As it gets older, attrition from people who change addresses becomes a significant number.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that suppressing the old addresses and focus on those known to be deliverable. Mailing old addresses is dangerous, as you are mailing people who didn't ask for mail. You need to mail to people who have asked for mail.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft stresses the importance of monitoring your sender reputation and IP address for blacklisting. Use tools like Microsoft SNDS (Smart Network Data Services) to track your reputation and resolve any issues.
Documentation from RFC outlines the importance of adhering to SMTP standards (RFC 5321) to ensure proper email formatting and delivery. This includes using valid headers, HELO/EHLO greetings, and message formatting.
Documentation from Google advises bulk senders to authenticate their email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This helps prove that you are who you say you are and improves deliverability to Gmail inboxes.
Documentation from GlockApps advocates for running deliverability tests prior to warming up the list to see if there are immediate issues with the list or the sender. These tests help identify potential issues before they impact your sender reputation.
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that checking if your IP address or domain is on any major blacklists is important before beginning a warm-up campaign. Blacklisting can severely impact deliverability and sender reputation.