Warm-up a new IP address
Warm-up a new IP address
1. Go into your data or segments tab in your email platform and create two new lists or segments. One with openers from the past 30 days, and one separate list or segment with openers from the past 60 days.
The selection criteria for the 30 day openers would be What someone has done > Opened email at least once > in the past 30 days. The selection criteria for the 60 day openers would be What someone has done > Opened email at least once > in the past 60 days. These will be the two lists you will be using to warm up your new IP address, as this represents your most engaged data. The better engaged your initial segments are, the better your IP’s repuatation will be. Many email platforms have an automated IP warm up option, check your platform’s documentation for further details. If your platform does have this functionality it’s recommended that you use it.
2. Download your 30-day openers list and open in Excel or another spreadsheet program.
Copy and paste the data from the first 200 contacts into a separate spreadsheet and save it as Day 1. Now copy and paste the next 400 contacts into another spreadsheet and save this as Day 2. Continue to double the number of contacts selected up to Day 7. Saving each file with its relevant name such as Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. You must slowly build up the number of emails you send. Starting with 200 on day 1, doubling that to 400 on day 2, 800 on day three, and so on. Do this for 7 days. Week 1 you will only be sending emails to the 30-day opener list, week 2 – 4 you will be using both the 60-day opener list and the 30-day openers list.
3. Create an engaging email campaign and clone it 7 times. Add one of your 30-day openers data files to each copy of the email in sequential order.
So day one you would send to your file of 200 contacts, day two you would send to your file of 400 contacts, on day 3 you would send to your file of 800, and so on. If you run out of data before you get to day 7, simply create a new email with different content, and send to the full 30 day openers list for the remaining days.
4. With your first week of warming complete, repeat this process for the 60-day openers data. Except, instead of doubling the size of the send each day, only add an extra 25% (roughly) to the send volume.
So for example, if on day 7 your send volume was 20000, your day 8 send volume would be 24000, day 9 would be 30000, and so on. You should also include the 30-day data in this send, once the send volume per day gets big enough to include this list.
5. After you have completed this process for week two, if you have more data left, continue to increase the send volume by 25% each day for the next 2 weeks.
It’s likely you will not have enough engaged data to continually add 25% per day. Once you run out, simply send your content to both lists, 60 & 30 day opener, for the next 2 weeks at least. It’s very important you do not send any emails to anyone who has not opened an email from you within the last 60 days. Poor open rates during the warm-up stage will damage your sender reputation.
6. After you have followed the above protocol for 4 weeks, you can now expand your send volume by including anybody who has opened an email in the past 90 days. Send to this list for the next two weeks.
If you notice a decrease in open rates when including the 90 day openers, remove them from the sends and only send to the 60 day openers for another week. You are aiming to achieve open rates of at least 15% minimum.
7. After 6 weeks your IP address should now be warmed up. You can now continue emailing your full database.
Below is a rough guide to sending volumes and schedules for the first 4 week period. Remember you are only targeting your most engaged data during this timeframe. After 4 weeks you may bring in the 90 day openers data and include this for two weeks. Week 1 Day 1 250 Day 2 500 Day 3 1,000 Day 4 2,000 Day 5 5,000 Day 6 10,000 Day 7 20,000 Week 2 Day 8 40,000 Day 9 50,000 Day 10 75,000 Day 11 100,000 Day 12 150,000 Day 13 200,000 Day 14 250,000 Week 3 Day 15 325,000 Day 16 400,000 Day 17 500,000 Day 18 600,000 Day 19 750,000 Day 20 1,000,000 Day 21 1,250,000 Week 4 Day 22 1,750,000 Day 23 2,000,000 Day 24 3,000,000 Day 25 4,250,000 Day 26 5,000,000 Day 27 6,000,000 Day 28 7,500,000 Day 29 10,000,000 Day 30 DONE Week 4 – 6 Include 90 day openers in your sends.