Is a dedicated IP address suitable for a small email database of 2k contacts sending 500 emails per week?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from SuperOffice answers question about dedicated IP address explains that if your sending is inconsistent it can be difficult to manage your IP reputation. It is best to choose a shared IP address.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares it is not enough volume to sustain the reputation for the dedicated IP and shared would be the best route here with that size.
Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog suggests that a dedicated IP is generally not recommended for low-volume senders (less than 50,000 emails/month) due to the difficulty in establishing a positive sender reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that for small companies using a dedicated IP address, that the rewards are not worth the effort. If you don't send enough email you won't have any rewards and that you are better off using a shared IP address.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum explains that dedicated IP is not required for a small list with small volume. Using a shared IP address would be better as it allows for you to benefit from the IP reputation of many other senders.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that a dedicated IP for 2k contacts is generally not recommended because it would be very difficult to warm up the IP address properly. You should make sure you are sending at least 50,000 emails a month.
Email marketer from StackExchange shares that a good sending reputation is important for deliverability. If you don't send enough email the IP address will never be warmed up. They recommend that you should be sending at least 50,000 emails per month.
Email marketer from Email on Acid answers question about dedicated IP address explains that if you don't send a high volume of email, you may not be able to build up a good reputation. It is recommended to send more than 50,000 emails per month.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that small senders often benefit more from using shared IPs where the IP's reputation is managed collectively by the email service provider. This removes the burden of maintaining IP reputation from the sender.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that dedicated IPs require a warm-up period and consistent sending to build a positive reputation. Sending only 500 emails a week to 2k contacts is too low to justify a dedicated IP and would be better suited to a shared IP pool.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that a dedicated IP requires consistent volume to build and maintain reputation, and for very low volumes like 500 emails per week to 2k contacts, the costs of maintaining a dedicated IP outweigh any potential benefits. Shared IPs are usually the better choice in this case.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost shares that low volume senders will not be able to maintain their IP reputation by sending a small amount of email volume. Therefore a dedicated IP address is not recommended.
Documentation from SendGrid Documentation emphasizes the importance of IP warmup for dedicated IPs, stating that consistent sending volume is necessary to build a positive reputation with ISPs. A very small list might not provide sufficient volume for effective warmup.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that a sudden increase in volume with a dedicated IP can damage your IP reputation. You should slowly increase your volume over time. Sending 500 emails per week is very low, therefore a dedicated IP address is not recommended.
Documentation from Amazon SES Documentation notes that dedicated IPs require consistent sending habits to maintain a good reputation. Inconsistent sending or low volume can negatively impact deliverability.