Is a dedicated IP address suitable for low volume transactional emails, and how do open/click tracking and cold emailing affect deliverability?
Summary
What email marketers say13Marketer opinions
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign explains that the tracking domains you are using can influence deliverability. Making sure you use your own domain, and checking it is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms that an unknown reputation can definitely affect inbox placement.
Email marketer from Reddit explained that dedicated IPs are not just based on size of list, but also frequency and volume. If the business is sending such few transactional emails that it looks like suspicious activity, a shared IP is a better option.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that dedicated IPs are best suited for senders who maintain consistent sending volume (at least 50,000 emails per month) to build a positive reputation. Low volume senders may not generate enough sending history to establish a good reputation, potentially harming deliverability.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares cold email systems typically piggyback off of Gmail's shared IPs, so IP rep would be Google's. Domain rep would be iffy, and cold emailers typically send from domains set up just for that purpose, then discarded when they get bad reps.
Email marketer from GMass Blog explains that open and click tracking could affect deliverability based on the type of tracking used (pixel tracking vs. link wrapping) and the recipients security settings. Although generally safe, some older clients can cause issues and the reputation of the domains used is important.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains every single piece of structured data in an email (including URLs) gets assigned a reputation, and a bad reputation will impact deliverability. It’s not so much what that URL is used for, it’s more in what context is it used in.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that for very low volumes (like the 20 emails per day), a dedicated IP is likely overkill. The effort to maintain its reputation and keep it warm would be disproportionate to the benefit. A shared IP pool is often a better option in this scenario.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog shares that a dedicated IP is only necessary if you're sending a large volume of emails regularly. Otherwise, a shared IP is sufficient. For low-volume transactional emails, a dedicated IP may not be the best choice.
Marketer from Email Geeks mentions link-tracking might affect deliverability, but only if the tracking domain has a bad reputation.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog indicates that a low sender score can cause emails to be flagged as spam by recipient inboxes. They also discuss that a low sender score can be caused by cold emailing, which can cause deliverability issues.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that cold emails could be detrimental if your email list is poor. Poor list quality can cause many spam reports and a low reputation. If your sender reputation is low, your emails may be seen as spam.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains using a dedicated IP for such a low volume isn't recommended as there won't be enough volume to build a reputation. They recommend shared IPs should be sufficient for transactional emails.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks warns that low volume sending combined with cold emails will likely result in emails landing in the spam folder forever.
Expert from Email Geeks recommends switching back to a shared IP.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that sending emails to recipients who have not opted-in (cold emailing) can damage sender reputation and thus deliverability. He recommends permission-based marketing to improve deliverability and ROI.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that dedicated IP addresses need to maintain a consistent volume of mail to build a good reputation. Very low volume sending doesn't build a reputation and can sometimes look suspicious to filters. It's often better to use a shared IP pool if you don't have a high sending volume.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost Documentation indicates that consistent volume is crucial for building a positive IP reputation. Low sending volume on a dedicated IP makes it difficult to establish trust with ISPs, potentially leading to deliverability issues.
Documentation from Twilio SendGrid Documentation explains that sending a low volume of emails from a dedicated IP, especially during the initial warm-up period, is detrimental. They advise gradually increasing volume to build sender reputation with ISPs. Low volume won't allow you to establish a strong sending reputation.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help suggests maintaining consistent sending volumes to improve deliverability. While not directly addressing dedicated IPs, the principle applies: consistent volume helps build a positive reputation with Gmail's filters. Sporadic, low-volume sending can negatively impact your sender reputation.