What’s a warmed-up IP and do I need one? Keep that IP warm and toasty for deliverability rates that won’t leave you cold. Think of it like hot chocolate for your email game.
In scientific terms, IP warming is the practice of gradually, ethically, and intentionally increasing the volume of email sent with a dedicated IP. IP warming is a snuggly term, albeit one with big-picture implications. When it comes to email, reputation is the be-all and end-all.
When an IP address is the new kid on the block it’s starting with a clean slate. Others might be curious about it but they’ll keep their distance until they get more information. When you warm up your new IP address, you are effectively establishing a reputation. You are developing good sending habits and establishing a stable, reliable routine. You are distinguishing yourself as a reputable business with a long-term, constructive approach to email etiquette and best practice. A warmed-up IP will have you looking capital L legitimate.
We do the legwork so you don’t have to do the guesswork!
When it comes to SMTP2GO we like it hot, so we keep all of our IPs warm, all of the time. Whether you use one of our high-reputation shared IPs or you use one of our dedicated IPs (for big-ticket senders, sending 100K+ emails per month) you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be receiving a pre-warmed IP.
What’s in it for me, you ask? Easy. In simple terms, we do the hard work of warming up an IP for you. We do the heavy lifting, if you will – establishing consistent sending habits, sending to a healthy mailing list, and fostering a relationship with ISPs. This can save you weeks or even months of planning and preparing and it makes your Mondays a little brighter.
What are the steps to achieving a warmed-up IP?
Sending to an updated, opt-in list. There is nothing ISPs loath more than unsolicited email blasts and sketchy marketing campaigns to unsuspecting recipients. This is a quick way to have your IP reputation, and that of your business, take an unceremonious nose dive.
Scheduling and consistency. When an individual or business warms up their IP they pay attention to scheduling. They don’t blast out emails every ten minutes to get their volume up. As with most things, quick fixes usually lead to long-term headaches. The less sporadic and unfocused your sends are, the better.
Dream big, but start small. When a “cold” IP starts sending ISPs perk up and take notice. Large volumes of emails all at once from a cold IP usually indicate spam or unethical business practices. Cold IPs are vulnerable to quarantining, throttling, and blocking. From a sender’s perspective, this can seem excessively cautious, but remember, it keeps everyone’s email safe in the long run.
Segment your way to success. A great way to start small, while not impacting your business, is to segment your mailing list and send batches of emails to the lists consistently. Instead of one mass campaign, break it up into ten cycles to ten mailing lists. This need not be long and drawn out – you can break up your sending over a few hours or a day. Pro tip: send to your most engaged recipients first!
And there it is folks, all tied up in a bow for you! If you don’t have the patience or time to warm up your own IP, we are happy to step in and do the dirty work. Just kidding – no dirty work here. We’re all about a clean, consistent, killer email game. Reach out to our award-winning support team and learn how we can get your email where it needs to go.
