What the heck is Domain Warming?
Domain warming is the gradual process of establishing a positive reputation for a new domain by steadily increasing the volume of marketing emails sent from that domain, rather than starting to send large amounts of bulk emails
The email sending platforms such as Google and Microsoft prefer seeing gradual ramp-ups of new domains and will often blacklist brand new domains / sub-domains immediately if they start receiving bulk emails from them.
Why do you need to do it?
The primary goal of domain warming is to improve trust and email deliverability. Domain warming is important to help avoid spam filters and decrease bounce rate. New domains that do not go through a proper warming process that suddenly send a large volume of emails without a prior positive reputation are more likely to be flagged as spam. Sending a high volume of emails from a new domain without a warm-up can also lead to a higher bounce rate.
Establishing a positive reputation as a legitimate sender is an ongoing process. Consistent, positive sending practices like as using permission-based lists and providing valuable content, contribute to maintaining sender credibility over time.
How do I warm my domain?
There are a number of ways to warm your domain. A few best practices to remember as you get started are:
- Avoid spammy words like FREE, BUY, BONUS, CALL, CLICK, ACT NOW
- Provide valuable content
- Regularly clean your list (regularly remove inactive contacts who haven't Engaged in ~3-6 months)
- Use an Email Domain Warming Tool
What do I use to warm my domain?
There are lots of Email Domain Warming Tools available, here's a few that we've found via a Google Search.
- Warmup Inbox
- Warmy
- Warmbox
- TrulyInbox
- Mailwarm
- GMass
- QuickMail Auto-Warmer
- Folderly
- InboxWarm
- Lemwarm
The Tech Tribe has not vetted any of the vendors listed below, so you'll need to do your own due diligence when selecting a provider.
Before you get started, also read this important note about domains and when to use your primary vs. a subdomain in your marketing.