Summary
Warming up a new subdomain and domain after switching in Salesforce Marketing Cloud requires a comprehensive strategy. Experts, marketers, and documentation all agree on the importance of a gradual process, starting with your most engaged subscribers to build a positive sender reputation. Focus on warming up IPs, domains, and their combination. Monitoring engagement and deliverability metrics is key, along with using tools like Google Postmaster Tools for insights. Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and assess current sending practices. Subdomain reputation influences the overall domain, requiring careful management. Setting expectations with subscribers and actively monitoring blocklists are also critical. Ultimately, the goal is to slowly build trust with ISPs, indicating that your emails are wanted and valuable.
Key findings
- Gradual Warmup is Essential: All sources emphasize gradually increasing email volume to build a positive reputation and avoid being flagged as spam.
- Engaged Subscribers First: Starting with the most engaged subscribers is critical for initial positive signals.
- Monitor Key Metrics: Monitoring engagement (opens, clicks) and deliverability (bounce rates, spam complaints) is vital for identifying and addressing issues.
- Subdomain Reputation Matters: Understanding that subdomains have their own reputation which impacts the overall domain reputation is crucial.
- Authentication is Key: Properly configured email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are necessary for deliverability.
Key considerations
- Warm IP, Domain and Combination: You need to warm up the IP address, the Domain, and the combination of this IP sending this domain.
- Tool Usage: Utilize tools like Google Postmaster Tools and inbox placement tests to monitor deliverability.
- Assess Sending Practices: Before warming up, assess and improve current sending practices to enhance deliverability.
- Communicate with Subscribers: Notify subscribers about the domain switch to manage expectations and reduce spam complaints.
- Monitor Blocklists & Feedback Loops: Actively monitor blocklists and feedback loops to quickly address any potential issues.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
When warming up a new subdomain and domain after switching domains in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, email marketers recommend prioritizing sending to your most engaged subscribers first, gradually increasing email volume, and closely monitoring engagement metrics and deliverability metrics like open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints. Using inbox placement tests to assess deliverability and setting expectations with subscribers by notifying them about the domain switch are also beneficial. Additionally, maintaining consistent sending volume, and configuring email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for improving sender reputation and ensuring better deliverability.
Key opinions
- Engaged Subscribers First: Begin warming up the new subdomain and domain by sending emails to your most engaged subscribers to establish a positive reputation.
- Gradual Volume Increase: Slowly increase the volume of emails sent over time to avoid being flagged as spam and build a solid sender reputation.
- Engagement Metrics: Focus on monitoring engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates to gauge how recipients are interacting with your emails.
- Deliverability Metrics: Track deliverability metrics such as bounce rates, spam complaints, and inbox placement to identify and address any issues promptly.
- Consistent Volume: Maintain a consistent sending volume during the warmup period to establish a predictable sending pattern and signal legitimacy to email providers.
- Email Authentication: Ensure that email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured to improve sender reputation and email deliverability.
Key considerations
- Targeted Approach: Start with a small, targeted group of recipients and gradually increase the volume over several weeks for better results.
- Inbox Placement Tests: Utilize inbox placement tests to assess deliverability and gain insights into how emails are being received by different email providers.
- Subscriber Notification: Set expectations with subscribers by notifying them about the domain switch to reduce confusion and potential spam complaints.
- Segmentation: Segment your email list and gradually expand sending volume to less engaged segments as engagement increases.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Neil Patel emphasizes the importance of gradually increasing email volume during the warmup process. Starting with a small batch of highly engaged subscribers and slowly scaling up helps build a positive sender reputation and avoid being flagged as spam.
6 Jun 2023 - Neil Patel
Marketer view
Email marketer from Constant Contact suggests to ensure that you have properly configured email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve your sender reputation and increase the likelihood of your emails being delivered to the inbox.
11 Aug 2024 - Constant Contact
What the experts say
6 expert opinions
Experts emphasize that warming up a new subdomain and domain involves understanding that each subdomain has its own reputation that influences the overall domain reputation. A gradual warmup strategy is crucial, starting small with the most engaged users and increasing volume based on positive engagement signals. It's also recommended to warm IPs, domains, and the combination of domain and IP. Additionally, assessing current sending practices, monitoring blocklists, and utilizing feedback loops are important for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.
Key opinions
- Subdomain Reputation: Each subdomain has its own reputation, which affects the overall domain reputation.
- Gradual Warmup: A gradual warmup is crucial, starting small and increasing volume based on positive engagement.
- Warm IP, Domain, & Combination: It's necessary to warm IPs, domains, and the specific combination of domain and IP.
- Engagement Signals: Increase email volume based on positive signals such as opens and click-through rates.
Key considerations
- Revert to Old Domain: Consider going back to the old domain temporarily before starting the warmup plan.
- Monitor Blocklists: Actively monitor blocklists and feedback loops to identify and address deliverability issues promptly.
- Assess Sending Practices: Take time to assess current sending practices and identify areas for improvement to increase deliverability.
- Build Reputation Slowly: The goal is to slowly build a reputation with ISPs by ensuring emails are wanted and recipients engage with them, which takes time.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise recommends an IP warmup strategy of starting small and increasing volume based on positive signals, such as opens and click-throughs. He also highlights the importance of monitoring blocklists and feedback loops.
24 Jun 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that each subdomain has its own reputation and the domain also has a reputation which is influenced by both mail authenticated directly by the domain AND the reputation of all subdomains. Subdomain reputation flows up to the domain, and domain reputation can also bleed down into the subdomains.
16 Sep 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email deliverability documentation emphasizes the need for a gradual domain warmup process to establish a positive sender reputation with email providers. This involves gradually increasing email volume from a new subdomain, avoiding sending too many emails too quickly. While subdomains inherit some reputation from the main domain, building a separate positive reputation is crucial. Monitoring deliverability metrics and domain reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools is also essential for tracking and addressing potential issues.
Key findings
- Gradual Warmup: Gradually increase email volume from a new domain or subdomain to establish a positive sender reputation.
- Reputation Matters: Domain warming helps ensure emails are delivered to the inbox rather than marked as spam.
- Subdomain Reputation: Subdomains need separate positive reputations, even though they inherit some reputation from the main domain.
Key considerations
- Small, Engaged Segment: Start with a small, highly engaged segment of your audience when introducing a new subdomain.
- Monitor Deliverability: Closely monitor deliverability metrics during the warmup phase and adjust sending volume accordingly.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Use Google Postmaster Tools to track deliverability and identify any potential issues.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains the importance of monitoring your domain reputation in Google Postmaster Tools to track deliverability and identify any potential issues. This allows you to proactively address any problems and maintain a positive sending reputation.
1 Sep 2021 - Google
Technical article
Documentation from Mailjet advises that subdomains inherit some reputation from the main domain, but it's still crucial to establish a separate positive reputation for the subdomain. They suggest monitoring deliverability metrics closely during the warmup phase and adjusting sending volume accordingly.
2 Mar 2022 - Mailjet
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