Marketing Cloud – IP Warming

IP warming is the process of gradually increasing the number of emails sent from a new or existing IP address to build trust with providers. The goal is to establish and build a good reputation (IP and domain) as a legitimate email sender and improve or create successful deliverability.

During the Marketing Cloud on-boarding process, Inntopia works with you to ensure your sending IP address is adequately and successfully warmed and functioning prior to go-live.

When run in tandem, the following two approaches help to establish a good sending reputation:

  1. Set up a few email marketing automations where a low, but targeted, email volume is organically taking place each day.
  2. Create an IP warming campaign for your email subscriber database that involves creating an email that contains evergreen content that is also compelling to your customers, driving them to engage in both opening and clicking.

Tip: Start by sending to smaller groups of customers, beginning with your most engaged customers, and increasing slowly over time as the IP is warmed and email engagement begins taking place.

Inntopia will assist with warming your IP address using the following standards:

  • Strategize and Execute – Using your available customer data and starting small, Inntopia will set up a series of daily queries with your most engaged customers.
  • Monitor Sends – Inntopia will monitor and increase the amount of sends each day until your IP, domain reputation, and deliverability is successfully warm and functional.
  • Manage Proactive Reports – Inntopia will provide proactive reporting to ensure the warming process is tracking well.
  • Adjust as Needed – Inntopia will adjust the warming plan as needed, including tailoring the volume up/down based on performance of the daily queries.

Provide the following information to Inntopia:

  • HTML email templates for the for the IP warming campaign
  • HTML email templates for automated messages
  • Compelling subject lines
  • Segmented email engagement lists –
    • From your current ESP, pull and provide a list of your most engaged customers with high open and click rates.
    • If you can access it from a POS system, pull and provide a list of target emails that have recent transactions.

To get the most out of your IP warming process, Inntopia recommends the following guidelines when creating your warming emails:

  • To drive the open rate, include a catchy and compelling subject line.
  • To drive the click rate and increase overall engagement, include a call-to-action button or link in the body of the email.
  • To maximize the email “shelf life” for sending over a period of time (4-6 weeks), avoid events or sales that have an upcoming deadline.
  • To maximize engagement, include content that is appealing to just about everyone in your database (no suppressions or exclusions).
  • As the new IP becomes more active, make sure email content is distinct and different from any other messaging that may be sent from your existing and retiring ESP.
  • Allow four to six weeks to sufficiently warm a new IP address and build domain reputation.
  • To ensure emails are delivered to customers’ in-boxes as desired upon go-live, Inntopia recommends beginning the IP warming process as early in the on-boarding process as possible.

Note: Delays in setting up initial email templates for IP warming can impact the ability to send communications upon go-live.