Summary
When starting to email a large list with no engagement history, a comprehensive strategy is essential. Prioritize obtaining explicit consent through double opt-in or in-game prompts to minimize complaints. Segment the list based on available data (location, last played date, registration date) to send relevant emails. Implement list hygiene practices, including suppressing unengaged users and creating sunset policies, to maintain a healthy sender reputation. Warm up your IP address gradually, monitoring deliverability and reputation closely. Ensure proper email authentication with SPF and DKIM. Craft compelling initial email content with clear calls to action, and consider A/B testing to optimize engagement. Utilize feedback loops like JMRP to identify and remove spam reporters. Ultimately, delivering valuable, relevant content is crucial for building long-term engagement.
Key findings
- Obtain Consent: Double opt-in and in-game prompts reduce complaints and improve deliverability.
- Segment Your List: Segmentation improves relevance and engagement.
- Practice List Hygiene: Suppression of unengaged users and sunset policies protect sender reputation.
- Warm Up Your IP: Gradual IP warming is crucial for deliverability.
- Authenticate Your Emails: SPF and DKIM authentication are essential.
- Create Engaging Content: Compelling content and clear calls to action drive engagement.
- Monitor Feedback Loops: JMRP helps identify and remove spam reporters.
Key considerations
- Legal Compliance: Ensure compliance with email marketing regulations and obtain explicit consent.
- Data Privacy: Handle user data responsibly and transparently.
- Sender Reputation Management: Proactively monitor and manage your sender reputation to maintain high deliverability.
- Content Strategy: Develop a content strategy that provides value and encourages interaction.
- Continuous Optimization: Continuously monitor, analyze, and optimize your email campaigns for better results.
- Relevance and Personalization: Always Strive to deliver the most relevent and personalized content to increase engagement.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
When starting to email a large list with no engagement history, experts recommend a multi-faceted approach focused on building sender reputation and ensuring relevance. This includes list cleaning and segmentation to remove inactive subscribers and target content effectively. Warming up the list with small batches, sending re-engagement campaigns, and A/B testing are crucial steps. Additionally, obtaining explicit consent through double opt-in methods and providing preference centers can improve engagement and reduce spam complaints. Delivering valuable, relevant content and initiating with simple welcome emails can also increase subscriber interaction.
Key opinions
- List Hygiene: Cleaning the list by removing inactive subscribers improves sender reputation and deliverability.
- Segmentation: Segmenting the audience based on available data helps in sending more relevant emails.
- Warming Up: Warming up the list by sending emails in small batches builds a good sender reputation.
- Re-engagement: Sending a re-engagement campaign identifies interested users and allows removal of disengaged ones.
- A/B Testing: A/B testing subject lines and content optimizes engagement.
- Explicit Consent: Double opt-in helps in managing complaints and improves deliverability.
- Preference Centers: Preference centers provide control to subscribers and reduce unsubscribes and spam complaints.
- Valuable Content: Delivering relevant and engaging content increases subscriber interaction.
- Initial Approach: Sending a simple welcome or confirm subscription email can gauge initial interest.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Maintaining a good sender reputation is critical for successful email deliverability.
- Relevance: Ensure content is relevant to the subscribers' interests to drive engagement.
- Consent: Obtain explicit consent to minimize complaints and comply with regulations.
- Engagement Metrics: Monitor engagement metrics to adjust strategies and optimize campaigns.
- Sunset Policies: Consider implementing a sunset policy to automatically remove unengaged users, thus maintaining a healthy and responsive email list.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Quora user recommends A/B testing different subject lines and content in your initial emails to see what resonates best with your audience. This can help improve engagement rates.
4 May 2022 - Quora
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailchimp explains that segmenting your audience based on available data (location, purchase history, etc.) allows you to send more relevant emails, increasing the likelihood of engagement and reducing the risk of being marked as spam.
10 Aug 2024 - Mailchimp
What the experts say
6 expert opinions
Experts recommend a comprehensive approach when initiating email campaigns to large lists with no engagement history. This includes obtaining consent through opt-in messages and in-game prompts, segmenting users based on available data like last played date and registration date, and suppressing inactive players to maintain a healthy list. IP warming is crucial to build sender reputation, and the initial email content should be enticing to drive engagement. Utilizing tools like Kickbox's sendex score can help identify signup order in the absence of a signup date.
Key opinions
- Opt-in is key: Sending an opt-in message to gain consent before emailing improves deliverability and engagement.
- Segmentation matters: Segmenting based on 'last played' or 'date of registration' allows for more targeted campaigns.
- Suppression is crucial: Suppressing unengaged users protects sender reputation and improves deliverability.
- IP Warming: Gradually warming up the IP address builds sender reputation with ISPs.
- Content is king: Enticing content and clear calls to action drive initial engagement.
- Data Insights: Using data like Kickbox's sendex score can provide insights into signup order.
Key considerations
- Obtaining Consent: Implementing methods to get user consent, such as opt-in emails and in-game prompts, before sending marketing emails is critical for compliance and engagement.
- Data Quality: Ensure data accuracy and use available data points to segment users effectively.
- Sender Reputation: Continuously monitor and manage sender reputation to ensure high deliverability rates.
- Engagement Strategy: Craft compelling email content that encourages interaction, driving long-term engagement and loyalty.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean and suppress inactive users to maintain a healthy and responsive email list.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that the initial email content and offers need to be enticing to drive engagement. A clear call to action and relevant offers can increase the likelihood of subscribers interacting with your email. If you provide real value in the mail, the customers will be more inclined to purchase from you and look forward to your subsequent emails.
29 Jan 2025 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource emphasizes the importance of suppressing unengaged users. Continued mailing to unengaged users hurts your sender reputation and deliverability. Focus on engaged users and consider sending a win-back campaign to try to re-engage those who have become inactive.
7 Jan 2025 - Spamresource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
When starting to email a large list with no engagement history, documentation emphasizes the importance of email authentication (SPF, DKIM), monitoring sender reputation, and keeping spam rates low. Utilizing feedback loops like Microsoft's JMRP helps in list cleaning by identifying recipients who mark emails as junk. IP warming is crucial for establishing a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Obtaining explicit consent, ideally through a confirmation step, is also highly recommended.
Key findings
- Authentication: SPF and DKIM authentication are essential for bulk email senders.
- Sender Reputation: Monitoring sender reputation is critical for email deliverability.
- Feedback Loops: Using feedback loops like JMRP helps identify and remove spam reporters.
- IP Warming: Gradually warming up IP addresses builds positive sending reputation.
- Explicit Consent: Obtaining explicit consent is recommended for sending emails.
Key considerations
- Technical Setup: Properly configure SPF and DKIM records to authenticate emails and avoid being flagged as spam.
- Monitoring: Regularly monitor sender reputation metrics and spam complaint rates to identify and address issues promptly.
- List Management: Implement feedback loops and list hygiene practices to remove disengaged or problematic recipients.
- Gradual Ramp-Up: Warm up new IP addresses gradually to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.
- Compliance: Ensure compliance with email marketing regulations and best practices, including obtaining explicit consent from recipients.
Technical article
Documentation from M3AAWG (Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group) recommends sending emails based on explicit consent. If you don't have explicit consent, consider implementing a confirmation step to ensure recipients want to receive your emails.
11 Aug 2024 - M3AAWG
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains the importance of IP warming. Start with small volumes and gradually increase the amount of email you send over time to build a positive sending reputation with ISPs.
5 May 2022 - SparkPost
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