Cleanliness & Monitoring: Ensuring Deliverability Through Best Practices

Risks of Purchased Lists

1. Purchased email lists pose inherent risks to deliverability.
2. Lists often include names and emails of prospects who haven't opted-in, leading to negative interactions.
3. Spam traps within purchased lists can trigger various consequences, from temporary blocks to domain blacklisting.

What You Can Do:

1. Build your own lists or use reputable list hygiene providers.
2. Verify data before trusting purchased lists to ensure validity and avoid reputation threats.

New Domain Address Warming

Introducing a new domain is like starting a car in winter; it requires a gradual warming process.

• Warming up a new domain establishes identity, gains trust, and positively impacts the sender's reputation and deliverability.
• ISPs scrutinize new domains with suspicion, making the warming process crucial for success.

What You Can Do:

1. Collaborate with your IT team for a successful warming strategy.
2. Review domain factors with your IT team, including age, sending history, and DKIM usage.
3. Use a domain older than six months for better spam filter perception.
4. Avoid using domains with a historically poor reputation.
5. Utilize subdomains for DKIM signing to maintain a better reputation.
6. Ramp up your new domain in a two-step process: Slowly increase email volume and actively monitor engagement.

Ramping Up Email Sends

1. The warming process spans approximately 30 days, adjusting based on volume, frequency, and prospect list quality.
2. Start with smaller volumes, target an engaged segment, and gradually increase the volume.
3. Double send volume every three or four days until reaching the regular email send rate.

Monitoring Campaigns

1. Beyond volume, consider the content and engagement of your emails during the warming process.
2. High engagement improves credibility with ISPs.
3. Don't be alarmed if initial emails land in spam; it's natural for a new domain.
4. Some providers test by delivering to spam folders to gauge legitimacy.

What You Can Do:

1. Monitor engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and reply rates.
2. Adjust content and strategies based on engagement to enhance sender credibility.

In conclusion, maintaining cleanliness in your email practices and closely monitoring the warming process for new domains are vital steps toward ensuring successful email deliverability. By following these best practices, you can build a positive sender reputation and establish trust with both ISPs and your audience.