Myth 1: More Frequent Emails Improve Deliverability
It's a common misconception that sending emails more frequently will improve your sender reputation and deliverability. In reality, many Email Service Providers (ESPs) flag accounts that send a high volume of emails from a new domain, which can negatively impact your deliverability.
Actionable takeaway: Limit the number of emails you send daily and gradually increase the volume to allow ESPs to gauge user engagement with your content. Most ESPs flag accounts sending over 50 cold emails/day from a new domain. Start with 10-15 emails/day and build up.
Myth 2: A Single Warm-Up Email Is Enough
Many marketers believe that sending a single "warm-up" email from a new domain is sufficient to establish a strong sender reputation. However, this approach is not enough to build trust with ESPs and ISPs (Internet Service Providers).
Actionable takeaway: Gradually increase the volume of emails to your newly acquired domain over time. We recommend sending 10-15 emails for the first two weeks, followed by 20-30 emails for the next two weeks. This steady increase in volume signals consistent engagement, improving your sender reputation.
Myth 3: All Engagement Is Created Equal
While user engagement—such as opens, replies, and forwards—helps boost your sender reputation, some types of engagement are more important than others. For instance, ESPs prioritize replies over opens and clicks as a trust signal.
Actionable takeaway: Encourage recipients to reply to your emails. These responses signal to ESPs that your communications are desired, valued, and engaging. Include thoughtful, open-ended questions in your content and consider using interactive elements like polls to stimulate conversation.
Myth 4: Warming Up Inactive Domains
Some marketers try to revive dormant domains by warming them up with low-volume email campaigns. However, reviving an older domain is often more difficult than starting with a new one due to domain registrar and ESP tracking.
Actionable takeaway: When possible, leverage a new domain for your campaigns to make the most of the "honeymoon period" that typically extends from 30 to 60 days from the moment you start sending. This period gives you the opportunity to build a robust foundation of engaged subscribers before ESPs and ISPs impose stricter monitoring.
Myth 5: Buying Lists Is a Legitimate Growth Strategy
Purchased lists are often comprised of unverified, inactive, or irrelevant email addresses, which can harm your sender reputation. These lists often reduce engagement rates and lead to high spam complaint and unsubscribe rates.
Actionable takeaway: Avoid purchasing, renting, or scraping email lists. Build your list organically through blog subscriptions, newsletter signups, or targeted campaigns. Use double opt-in procedures to ensure subscribers are willing and interested in your content. Tools like FiresideSender can help you warm up your new in-house lists for improved deliverability.
Myth 6: Warming Up Consumer and Business Domains Requires the Same Approach
Some email marketers assume that warming up consumer and business domains requires the same strategy, but differences between these domains can impact your approach. For instance, business domains often tolerate higher email volumes than consumer domains.
Actionable takeaway: Adjust your strategy based on the target domain. Start with a lower email volume for business domains and gradually increase the frequency as you see engagement. For consumer domains, you can start with a higher volume and scale down if engagement is low.
Myth 7: Engagement Metrics Don't Impact Sender Reputation
Ignoring engagement metrics can severely harm your sender reputation. ESPs and ISPs analyze engagement data to determine if your content is legitimate and valuable. Low engagement signatures a weak sender reputation, which can lead to lower inbox placement rates.
Actionable takeaway: Monitor engagement metrics like open rates, click rates, reply rates, and unsubscribe rates. Strive for a 15% open rate, 5% reply rate, and a 0.5% spam complaint for optimal deliverability. Continuously optimize your content and target audience to improve overall engagement.
Myth 8: ESPs Are the Only Factor Impacting Deliverability
ESPs aren't the only entities that influence your deliverability. Internet service providers, spam filters, and firewalls can also prevent your emails from reaching the inbox. Factors like sender reputation, email content, and user engagement play a role as well.
Actionable takeaway: Focus on improving your sender reputation by warming up your domain, building high-quality lists, and monitoring engagement metrics. Maintain a clean list, opt for double opt-in methods, and remove inactive or disengaged users from your lists to ensure you reach your target audience effectively.