Summary
The consensus is that send time is less critical than other factors during IP warming. Experts and documentation alike emphasize gradual volume increases, consistent sending patterns, and focusing on engaged recipients. List quality, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and relevant content are highlighted as more impactful on reputation and deliverability than the specific time of day emails are sent. Some suggest considering sending off-peak to improve throughput, and others suggest aligning with when your audience expects to receive email, but overall, the emphasis is on building trust with ISPs through steady, engaged sending habits.
Key findings
- Volume Graduality: Gradually increasing email volume is crucial for establishing a positive sending reputation.
- Consistency Wins: Maintaining consistent sending patterns and frequency helps build trust with ISPs.
- Engagement is Key: Focusing on sending to engaged subscribers boosts sender reputation and deliverability.
- Authentication Matters: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) significantly improves deliverability.
- Time is Secondary: The specific time of day emails are sent is less critical than other factors.
Key considerations
- List Segmentation: Segment your email list and target only your most engaged users during the initial warmup.
- Audience Relevance: Ensure your content is relevant and valuable to your audience to improve engagement.
- Deliverability Monitoring: Closely monitor deliverability metrics like bounce rates and spam complaints.
- IP Diversity: If using multiple IPs, warm them up individually to prevent reputation dilution.
- Off-Peak Sending: Consider staggering send times to avoid peak sending periods and improve throughput.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
When warming up a new IP address, the consensus is that send time is less critical than consistency, engagement, and gradual volume increases. While some suggest aligning with typical subscriber send times, most experts emphasize starting with small volumes to engaged users, gradually increasing over time, and monitoring deliverability metrics. Segmenting lists and ensuring proper authentication are also vital.
Key opinions
- Send Time Irrelevant: Send time has little impact on reputation calculations as these are rolled into hourly or daily calculations.
- Consistency Matters: Establishing a consistent sending schedule is essential for IP warming.
- Gradual Increase: Gradually increasing sending volume over time is critical to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Engagement Focus: Sending to engaged subscribers first boosts sender reputation.
- Off-Peak Throughput: Sending emails off-peak times might help with throughput.
Key considerations
- Monitor Metrics: Pay attention to bounce rates, spam complaints, and engagement metrics to identify and address any issues.
- Segment Your List: Segment your list and only send to the most engaged users during the initial warmup phase.
- Authenticate Properly: Ensure proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability.
- Individual IP Warmup: If using multiple IPs, warm them up individually and consistently.
- Valuable Content: Focus on sending valuable content that recipients want to receive.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailgun Blog shares that during IP warming, send a small volume of emails to your most engaged users first. Gradually increase volume and frequency over time, monitoring deliverability metrics closely.
10 Aug 2023 - Mailgun Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum explains that it’s important to segment your list and only send to your most engaged users during the initial warmup phase. This helps to establish a positive sender reputation and avoid being flagged as spam.
28 May 2024 - Email Marketing Forum
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
Experts generally agree that factors beyond send time have a greater impact on IP warmup and reputation. List quality, engagement, and proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are highlighted as more critical. While Microsoft OLC's 24-hour clock reset might be a consideration, understanding your audience and sending relevant content are key.
Key opinions
- Authentication Matters Most: Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) has a greater impact than send time.
- Engagement is Key: Consistent engagement is crucial for building a positive sender reputation.
- List Quality: List quality is a significant factor affecting IP warmup and reputation.
- Relevance Matters: Sending relevant content to your audience during the warmup process is crucial.
Key considerations
- Microsoft OLC Reset: Consider the possibility of Microsoft OLC's 24-hour clock reset (possibly midnight Pacific Time).
- Understand Audience: Prioritize understanding your audience and sending relevant content.
- Engaged Recipients: Focus on sending to engaged recipients to establish a positive sender reputation.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise discusses the importance of understanding your audience and sending relevant content to them during the IP warmup process. They emphasize that consistent engagement is key to building a positive sender reputation, and send time is less critical than sending the right message to the right people.
15 Aug 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks agrees with Alex and shares about Microsoft OLC's 24 hour clock reset, guessing it's midnight pacific time.
26 Oct 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Email deliverability documentation consistently emphasizes that gradual IP warming is crucial for establishing a positive sending reputation with ISPs. This involves starting with a low email volume from a dedicated IP address and incrementally increasing it over time, focusing on consistent volume and frequency to avoid being flagged as spam. Sending to engaged recipients is also recommended.
Key findings
- Gradual Increase: Warming up IP addresses involves gradually increasing email volume.
- Positive Reputation: IP warming helps establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.
- Improves Deliverability: The process improves email deliverability.
- Low Initial Volume: Starting with very low sending volumes is recommended.
- Consistent Pattern: Establishing a consistent sending pattern is essential for legitimate recognition by ISPs.
Key considerations
- Engaged Recipients: Focus on sending to engaged recipients to build a good reputation.
- Consistent Frequency: Maintaining consistent sending frequency is crucial during the warming process.
- Monitor Deliverability: Regularly monitor deliverability rates to avoid spam filters.
Technical article
Documentation from AWS explains that warming up IP addresses involves gradually increasing the volume of email you send using a dedicated IP address. This process helps establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs and improves deliverability.
8 Sep 2024 - AWS Documentation
Technical article
Documentation from Google explains that when starting to send from a new IP address, it's crucial to gradually increase sending volume to avoid being flagged as spam. They recommend starting with very low volumes and incrementally increasing over time.
10 Jul 2024 - Google Postmaster Tools
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