Email sending volume relates to not only the number of emails you send in a given time period, but the consistency in which you’re sending them while domain warming. Do you send 30 emails per month? Or per week? How many do you send per day? All relevant questions to ask!
But the most important thing to remember is to:
Prioritize consistency with email sending volume
A 1-way ticket to the spam folder. That’s not where you want to be.
The question then remains: how does an email marketer ensure sends get into the inbox? Focus on these four factors:
#1: Consider “email deliverability”
Do you even know if your emails are actually getting delivered? Believe it or not, some things can get in the way of that while domain warming. Things like:
- Not having a DKIM
- Not having an SPF
- Not having a DMARC
- Email volume fluctuation
- The use of free domains
- Abuse and complaints
- No unsubscribe options included
- And even a lack of engagement
You, thankfully, can keep an eye on email deliverability via the email service provider (ESP) you’re using. Be as vigilant as possible. Checkmark that entire list you see above:
You don’t have a DKIM? Get one. No DMARC? Get one. Are you using a free domain? Stop.
Are you including an option for your users to unsubscribe? Please do so.
#2: What is your “sender score”?
Think of this as a “credit score”! No joke. It operates very much the same way. In fact, you can say your email marketing provider is like one of the credit bureaus. So do your due diligence and consistently check on what your “sender score” is. It’s typically rated from 0 to 100.
So how do you get a sender score of 100? That’s easy (in writing, anyway):
- Send more consistency in smaller volumes
- Segment your data religiously
- Send in batches (if you have a lot of emails to send)
You don’t want to dump those emails in the hopes they’ll land in some 1K inboxes. Strategically send them in smaller batches; but do it consistently, and to the right lists for better engagement.
#3: Know what the “Internet Protocol” (IP) is
Your IP address plays a big role on whether your emails will land in the inbox, too. Users and their ESPs recognize them a mile away. Especially if those users visit those IPs regularly.
Case in point, if you shop at Abercrombie & Fitch regularly, chances are good you’ll recognize the IP in an email without blinking. Hence there will be more of a likelihood that you’ll open the email. And likewise, your ESP will notice you opening it. And, therefore, will be “warmed up” into allowing those emails through.
So how do you ensure your IP’s known? Again, keep your sending volume consistent. Send to the same number of users every week or month. Keep sending them quality emails with great value and information.
In two or three months, you’ll begin noticing those users recognizing your brand more and more. They’ll open more of those emails, and the ESPs will be getting more warmed up to the point where you’ll never see a spam folder.
#4 Watch out for complaints (but don’t obsess over them)
Yes, users will complain about the emails they’re getting in their inboxes. But understand this: the haters will always be there. ESPs recognize that. So getting a 4% or 5% complaint rate isn’t going to break you.
Do observe, too, that the higher your volume gets, the less likely your complaint rate will go up. Hence don’t be gun shy when it comes to ramping up.
Take a coffee shop, for example: if 20 people a day show up buying their cappuccinos, and the barista you just hired has a 20% complaint rate (adding up to four unhappy customers), that rate isn’t going up if on one day your coffee shop gets 40 guests! The expectation is the number of unhappy customers will double to eight.
But…. Your complaint rate will still stay the same: 20%.
What you should be looking for are drastic changes to that complaint rate. If it generally stays the same, you’re good. Simply weed out the bad ones, focus on the good ones, and the complaint rate in general will always stay the same.
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