What strategies should I consider when warming up a new IP address for batch email sending?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from GlockApps Blog highlights that it's important to actively monitor key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints during the IP warm-up process. These metrics provide valuable insights into your sending reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog suggests avoiding spam traps during IP warmup. Implement strict list hygiene practices, remove inactive subscribers, and use a double opt-in process to ensure you're only sending to engaged recipients.
Email marketer from Email Geeks asks about the previous unsuccessful warmup attempt. She suggests staggering audiences and sending daily to ensure users don't receive more than 3 emails per week. She also asks if recipients are expecting and want to receive the emails and if they can opt out.
Email marketer from SendGrid Blog advises on starting with a very small number of emails (e.g., 50-100) and gradually increasing the volume each day or week. Consistency is key, and they recommend monitoring your sender reputation closely.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that a gradual IP warm-up is essential, starting with small volumes and gradually increasing over time. Focus on sending to your most engaged subscribers initially to build a positive sender reputation.
Email marketer from SparkPost Blog emphasizes the importance of consistent sending habits during the IP warm-up phase. They suggest sending emails at the same time each day to build a predictable sending pattern.
Email marketer from Customer.io Blog shares that you should test the placement of your email with different email providers. It is crucial to test your emails to see if they land in the inbox, spam, or promotions tab. Services like Mail-Tester can help with this.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares the importance of reading logs, especially routing logs, bounce messages, and the number of attempts, before increasing email volume during IP warm-up. They emphasize that if emails are struggling to be delivered, it may not be the right time to increase volume.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum advises on focusing on high-quality content during the IP warm-up process. Ensure your emails are relevant, engaging, and provide value to your subscribers to encourage positive interactions.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog explains the importance of warming up the IP address before engaging in bulk email sending. He advises starting by sending emails to a smaller audience of highly engaged contacts and then incrementally increasing the sending volume over time.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests segmenting your email list based on engagement levels. Start by sending to your most active subscribers and gradually introduce less engaged segments as your IP reputation improves.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from SpamResource explains that it is very important to gradually increase volume when establishing your IP, or new mail stream. Start with a small volume and then throttle up slowly, making sure your infrastructure can handle the traffic.
Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes that the basics must be in place before warming up an IP. Ensure that you have valid reverse DNS and working forward DNS, valid HELO, and that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set up correctly.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from DMARC.org explains the purpose and implementation of DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) policy. DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM to provide a more robust framework for email authentication and reporting.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools outlines the importance of following email authentication best practices (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to establish trust with mailbox providers. Proper authentication helps ensure your emails are delivered to the inbox.
Documentation from RFC Standards details the technical specifications for implementing SPF (Sender Policy Framework). SPF helps prevent email spoofing by allowing domain owners to specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on their behalf.
Documentation from Microsoft Docs covers the importance of maintaining a good sender reputation. They emphasize that factors such as spam complaints, bounce rates, and email authentication can impact your ability to reach the inbox.