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Email deliverability is a crucial factor in the success of email marketing campaigns. If emails aren’t reaching subscribers’ inboxes, efforts may be in vain. Implementing an email warmup process can set you up to succeed. So let’s discuss how to warm up email.
What is email warmup?
It’s the process of creating a positive sending reputation for a new IP address or domain used for sending emails. When starting to send emails from a new account, email service providers (ESPs) like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook cannot know whether you’re a legitimate sender or a spammer. As a result, they may be more likely to mark emails as spam or block them entirely.
By warming up an email account, you can demonstrate to ESPs that you’re a trustworthy sender. And that increases the chances that people will even get those emails.
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How to warm up email – the specifics
Start with a small volume of emails: Don’t slam people with messages to begin. Start slowly.
Gradually increase the number of emails: Over a period of several weeks, slowly increase the number of emails you send each day. This helps establish a consistent sending pattern and avoids triggering spam filters.
Monitor your email performance metrics: Keep an eye on open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates to ensure they remain healthy. If you notice any dips in performance, adjust your strategy accordingly.
Implement email authentication protocols: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prove your identity and help prevent spoofing, which can damage your reputation.
Engage positively with your inbox: Have real conversations by sending and receiving emails from your account. This helps ISP algorithms understand that your messages are legitimate and business-related.
Find a way for people to mark messages as “not spam” and “favorite:” If emails do end up in the spam folder, mark them as “not spam.” Additionally, mark messages as “favorite” to show ISPs that emails are important and trusted by recipients.
Include links and generate replies: Incorporate links in your emails and ensure they are clicked, and the pages are scrolled through. Give them a reason to reply. That indicates to ISPs that your content is engaging and relevant.
Monitor blacklists: Regularly check if your IP address or domain has been listed on any major blacklist platforms. If it has, take immediate action to resolve the issue and prevent further damage to your reputation.
Wrap
Certainly, these can be done by teams on their own or they can use a dedicated email warmup service, which can simplify the process and provide additional benefits. These services automate many of the warmup tasks, such as engaging with your inbox, marking messages as “not spam” and “favorite,” and generating replies.
Moreover, email warmup services continuously monitor your inbox reputation and alert you to any potential issues, such as blacklisting. This allows you to take proactive measures to maintain a healthy sending reputation and ensure consistent email deliverability.
Email warmup is an essential process for anyone looking to improve their email deliverability and maintain a strong inbox reputation. By gradually increasing sending volume, engaging positively with the messages in the inbox, and monitoring performance metrics, you can demonstrate to ESPs that you’re a trustworthy sender. Utilizing an email warmup service can further streamline this process and provide ongoing support to keep your email campaigns running smoothly.