Tired of cold results from your email marketing campaigns? Then it might be time to warm up your email. In this guide, we’ll explore what an email warmup is, why it’s important, and how you can do it yourself, or enlist the help of professional email warmup solutions.
What is an email warmup?
Email warmup refers to the process of building your email reputation with email service providers (ESPs) and mailbox systems. The process is followed by sending emails to small groups, slow managing email volumes, and engaging with your subscribers to make sure they receive your messages. This is in contrast to using a cold domain that hasn’t been established with ESP and sending a large volume of email right away.
The process is done to ensure that ESPs recognize your domain as legitimate, identify your messages as intended, and send them to your inbox instead of your spam folder. ISPs look at a variety of factors when evaluating an email domain’s deliverability, including the quality of the email content and the reputation of the domains that send those messages.
Why should I care about email warmups?
This is a key practice if you plan to use your domain for marketing purposes. Today’s ESPs and web hosts actively seek to block unwanted content, such as promotional messages and spam. If your domain isn’t recognized as legitimate or if you send too many emails at once, they won’t reach your inbox and your efforts will be wasted.
Cold domains are also more likely to be blacklisted, which can seriously damage your reputation as a sender and make future email delivery difficult or impossible. An email warmup helps you avoid this scenario by slowly building your reputation and engaging with your subscribers to ensure they are happy with the messages they receive.
How to warm up your email list
Unfortunately, warming up your email isn’t as simple as throwing a blanket over your server or setting it next to a cozy fire. The process is very methodical and requires both planning and patience to make it work effectively. Read the following sections for an overview of what goes into building an email list.
Setting up your domain to heat
The first step in the email warmup is to set up your domain with your email provider and set it up correctly. This includes setting up SPF and DKIM records, as well as adding an unsubscribe link to your messages. You should also verify that your messages follow the guidelines set forth in the CAN-SPAM Act. This way, you’ll make sure that your first few messages get through and serve as a foundation on which you can gradually increase the number of emails you send.
Email List Segmentation
Once your domain is set to heat up, the next step is to segment your list. This refers to breaking the entire list into smaller, more manageable parts that can be sent out in a controlled manner. Depending on the size of your list, you may need to segment your list multiple times to send messages to the entire list without overloading your ISP or mailbox.
starting a conversation
The next step in the warm-up process is to communicate with your subscribers for the first time. This is where you will begin to build relationships and trust with your recipients. Use your first message as an opportunity to introduce yourself and the type of content you will send. Be sure to structure your email in a way that is non-intrusive and friendly, while giving users the option to opt-in or opt-out of receiving future communications.
Remember, the key here is to start small. While the ideal amount may depend on the type of email you’re sending and who your recipients are, a safe rule of thumb is to start with no more than a few messages per day. It’s best to write these messages by hand and choose recipients you know will open up and communicate with them.
Gradually increase the amount of shipment
Once you’ve established a base of subscribers who have opened your messages, you can start gradually increasing the number of emails you send. This step is one of the most important parts of the email warm-up and should be done carefully. Start by increasing your shipping volume by no more than 10-20% per day until you reach your desired volume. This will ensure that your messages reach the inbox and are not marked as spam.
Maintain your reputation
It is important to know that the email warm-up process can take several months. You will need to commit to maintaining these practices to see results. This means submitting relevant and engaging content, monitoring your open rates, and adjusting your strategies if necessary.
Sounds like a lot of work? Try email warming services
Many outbound marketers need more time, or patience, to plan and execute an email warm-up strategy. And that’s okay!
In most cases, it’s best to use a dedicated email warmup tool to automate this process. You just need to connect your email account to the warming service and watch your sender reputation grow. Today, the corresponding services provide a comprehensive solution that includes the following:
- Setting up your domain with an email provider
- Segmentation and sending of your email in a controlled way
- Monitor open rates, engagement, and deliverability
Are you ready to start? Growbots offers a comprehensive email warm-up service that can have you up and running in no time.
Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education