Email Warm Up
Starting with new domains and IP
IP or Domain warming is the process of methodically adding email volume to a new IP address gradually over several days and weeks in order to establish a positive sending reputation with mailbox providers.
Mailbox providers view email from a new IP address or domain as suspicious until they establish a positive sending reputation. It takes 4-8 weeks to achieve maximum deliverability (depending on targeted volume and engagement). Warming could take longer if mailbox providers don’t perceive that the email is "wanted" by the recipient (i.e., recipient has signed up explicitly). Certain mailbox providers limit senders to thresholds - number of messages delivered per day - until they establish a reputation.
Bird recommends starting off with your best performing messages - those to highly engaged recipients. Focus warming your most engaged subscribers and then add in the older segments as you progress. Older segments should be added to the engaged segments in chunks of 15% of your existing volume as not to tip your reputation from good to bad. The goal during your the warm-up process is to send to subscribers who are least likely to complain and bounce. This would include those that have opted-in most recently and are consistent openers/clickers.
During the Warm-up phase the more consistent you are with volume, frequency, complaint and bounce levels, the faster you will establish a positive sending reputation. If you send infrequently - anything less than weekly - it will take more time to build a positive sender reputation.
