Is using an internal audience to artificially inflate engagement during IP warming a good practice?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog explains that while the idea of using internal audiences seems helpful, artificial data doesn't translate into a sustainable, real-world positive impact on sender reputation.
Email marketer from Quora user Jane Doe responds that manipulating engagement metrics with an internal audience is a risky strategy. It might provide a short-term boost, but it can lead to long-term deliverability issues as ISPs become aware of the artificial activity.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog responds that artificial engagement will lead to innacurate data. Build your reputation with real engagement.
Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailMarketingPro shares that using an internal audience to inflate engagement can backfire. ISPs are getting smarter at identifying these tactics, and it's better to focus on building a list of engaged subscribers organically.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that artificially inflating engagement metrics can lead to inaccurate data, making it difficult to assess the true performance of your campaigns and identify areas for improvement. It is more beneficial to focus on organically building your sender reputation.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum user John Smith explains that while the idea of using internal audiences seems helpful, the artificial data doesn't translate into a sustainable, real-world positive impact on sender reputation.
Email marketer from Email Geeks recalls that Yahoo sued companies offering services to artificially inflate engagement and won.
Email marketer from SparkPost Documentation suggests that using an internal audience for IP warming may provide an initial boost, but the long-term effects can be detrimental. It’s crucial to gain genuine engagement from real subscribers to improve deliverability sustainably.
Email marketer from SendGrid Blog explains that artificially inflating engagement metrics will lead to skewed results, and it's better to warm up your IP address gradually with real subscribers who genuinely want to receive your emails. This builds a healthy sender reputation.
Email marketer from Email Geeks advises against doing what spammers do, and instead focusing on proper IP warming and sending engaging content.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog shares that, while the premise seems helpful, artificially inflating your engagement can damage your sender reputation in the long run.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that many spammers use similar tactics and that Google has access to the data and understands these methods.
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins explains that this practice, while potentially effective in the short term, is unsustainable. Inbox providers frown upon this and the effects are temporary.
Expert from Spam Resource responds that artificially inflating engagement metrics with internal audiences is not a good practice. It's seen as a deceptive tactic that can harm your long-term sender reputation as ISPs are very good at detecting it.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that encouraging employees to sign up to see external mail is acceptable, but gaming spam filters is not recommended.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from RFC Editor about best practices for email deliverability emphasizes the importance of building a genuine sender reputation through consistent and valuable email content, rather than resorting to artificial engagement tactics during IP warming.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that consistent and genuine engagement is a key factor in establishing a positive sender reputation. Artificially inflating engagement metrics can be easily detected and may lead to penalization, negatively impacting deliverability.
Documentation from Microsoft SNDS (Smart Network Data Services) warns that artificial traffic patterns, including inflated engagement, can be identified as suspicious activity. This can negatively impact sender reputation and result in emails being filtered as spam.