Summary
Sending a COVID-19 email to a large, unengaged list is strongly discouraged by experts and marketers due to potential harm to deliverability, IP reputation, and overall sender reputation. The best practice is often to avoid sending the email entirely. If sending is unavoidable, prioritize providing valuable, factual, and personalized information, segmenting the list by engagement, re-engaging inactive subscribers first, and questioning the necessity of reaching out to everyone. Implement proper authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintain a clean email list by removing invalid addresses, gradually warm up IP addresses, set expectations with subscribers, and monitor email metrics closely. Documenting decisions and advice is also recommended. Adhering to email provider guidelines (Google, Microsoft) and building a positive sender reputation are essential for preserving deliverability.
Key findings
- Avoid Sending: Experts generally advise against sending to unengaged lists due to significant deliverability risks.
- Value and Relevance: If sending is necessary, prioritize providing valuable, factual, and personalized information relevant to the recipient.
- Segmentation: Segmenting the list by engagement level is critical to minimize negative impact on deliverability.
- List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean email list by removing invalid addresses is essential to reduce bounce rates and protect sender reputation.
- Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols is crucial for verifying email authenticity and improving trust with ISPs.
- Sender Reputation: Building and monitoring a positive sender reputation is crucial for ensuring emails reach their intended recipients.
- Document: Document decisions and seek confirmation in writing from superiors.
Key considerations
- Necessity of Sending: Thoroughly evaluate the necessity of sending the email and explore alternative communication channels.
- Data Privacy and Consent: Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and obtain explicit consent before sending emails.
- Engagement Strategy: Develop a long-term strategy for re-engaging inactive subscribers and maintaining a healthy email list.
- Warming Strategy: Slowly warm up IP addresses to build reputation if sending is deemed absolutely necessary.
- Transparency and Expectations: Set clear expectations with subscribers regarding the purpose and frequency of emails.
- Email Provider Guidelines: Adhere to the guidelines and best practices of major email providers (Google, Microsoft, etc.).
- Testing: A/B test different parts of your email to maximise engagement.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Sending a COVID-19 email to a large, unengaged list requires careful planning to preserve deliverability. Experts recommend against it due to potential damage to IP and domain reputation. If sending is necessary, strategies include segmenting and throttling sends, warming up IP addresses, setting expectations with subscribers, personalizing content, A/B testing, providing value, validating the email list, and closely monitoring email metrics. Documenting advice and having a clear communication strategy are also important.
Key opinions
- Deliverability Risk: Sending to unengaged lists can severely harm deliverability and sender reputation.
- Segmentation Importance: Segmenting lists and focusing on re-engagement campaigns is crucial.
- IP Warm-up: Gradually warming up IP addresses minimizes deliverability impact.
- Value Proposition: Providing genuine value and relevant information increases engagement and reduces spam complaints.
- Validation Necessity: Validating the email list will help improve deliverability, reduce bounce rates and improve your email marketing ROI.
- Documentation: Documenting advice ensures clear accountability for decisions.
Key considerations
- Necessity of the Email: Question whether sending to the entire list is truly necessary. Explore alternative communication methods.
- List Hygiene: Prioritize cleaning the email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
- Transparency: Be transparent with subscribers about the purpose and frequency of COVID-19-related emails.
- Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for email authentication.
- Monitoring Metrics: Closely monitor open rates, click-through rates, and spam complaints to identify and address deliverability issues.
- A/B Testing: A/B Testing your emails will show what resonates best with your audience.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that if you must send to a large, unengaged list, gradually warm up your IP address by slowly increasing the volume of emails you send over time. This helps build a positive sender reputation with ISPs.
6 Mar 2025 - Reddit
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that if the sender has a dedicated IP address and follows up on the request, sending the email may be possible, but cautions about potential issues with contacting opt-outs and inactive recipients, leading to spam complaints, bounces, and filtering problems. Recommends segmenting/throttling the send.
2 Dec 2024 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
7 expert opinions
Sending a COVID-19 email to a large, unengaged list is generally discouraged due to potential harm to deliverability. Experts strongly advise against it, suggesting that the best approach is often to not send the email at all. If sending is unavoidable, prioritize providing valuable and factual information, segmenting the list by engagement, and questioning the necessity of reaching out to inactive users. Consider revalidating the email list and ensuring that recipients have agreed to receive communications. The underlying issue of having a large, unengaged list should also be addressed.
Key opinions
- Avoidance is Key: The strongest recommendation is often to avoid sending the email altogether.
- Value is Paramount: If sending is necessary, the email must provide significant value and relevant information to the recipient.
- Segmentation is Crucial: Segmenting the list by engagement level is essential to minimize deliverability impact.
- List Hygiene Matters: Revalidating the email list can improve deliverability and reduce the risk of bounces and spam complaints.
- Permission is Necessary: Ensure recipients have actively agreed to receive emails before sending.
- Address Underlying Problems: Having a large, unengaged list is a symptom of a broader issue that needs to be resolved.
Key considerations
- Justification for Sending: Clearly define the purpose of the email and why it's necessary to send it to the entire list.
- Engagement Level: Prioritize sending to the most engaged segments first and be prepared to stop if deliverability is negatively impacted.
- Message Relevance: Ensure the message is tailored to the recipient's interests and needs, avoiding generic or promotional content.
- Data Privacy: Comply with data privacy regulations and obtain explicit consent before sending emails.
- Long-Term Strategy: Develop a long-term strategy for re-engaging inactive subscribers and maintaining a healthy email list.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise answers that you should not send emails, unless you have already agreed to do so with your audience (Managing Expectations).
10 Sep 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests revalidating the entire list against a vendor like Kickbox as a precautionary measure, which could buy time and potentially make leadership more receptive to scaling back the target audience.
24 Aug 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Sending bulk emails, especially sensitive communications like COVID-19 related information, requires strict adherence to email deliverability best practices. Key among these are maintaining a clean email list by removing invalid addresses, authenticating your emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, keeping complaint rates low, and ensuring an easy unsubscribe process. Building and monitoring a positive sender reputation is also crucial for ensuring emails reach their intended recipients.
Key findings
- Authentication is Essential: Using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps verify email authenticity, improving trust with ISPs.
- List Hygiene Prevents Bounces: Cleaning email lists regularly reduces bounce rates, protecting sender reputation.
- Low Complaint Rates: Keeping complaint rates low is vital for maintaining good deliverability.
- Easy Unsubscribe: Providing an easy unsubscribe process reduces frustration and potential spam reports.
- Sender Reputation: Sender Reputation affects your email being delivered.
Key considerations
- Google's Guidelines: Adhere to Google's sender guidelines to ensure deliverability to Gmail users.
- Microsoft's Recommendations: Follow Microsoft's recommendations for maintaining a clean email list and preventing spam.
- SparkPost's Protocols: Implement authentication protocols as outlined by SparkPost for enhanced security.
- Spamhaus's Monitoring: Regularly monitor sender reputation as advised by Spamhaus to identify and address issues promptly.
- Volume: ISPs can have limits to the volume you send.
Technical article
Documentation from Google explains that when sending bulk emails, including COVID-19 related information, it's important to adhere to their sender guidelines. These include authenticating your email, keeping complaint rates low, and making it easy for recipients to unsubscribe to preserve deliverability.
3 Oct 2022 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains that use authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your email's authenticity. This helps ISPs trust your email and improves deliverability, especially when sending a COVID-19 email to a large, unengaged list.
23 Oct 2024 - SparkPost
Are COVID-19 related emails causing deliverability issues?
How can I safely message inactive email addresses without damaging my sender reputation?
How do I start emailing a large list with no engagement history?
How do you warm up a new dedicated sending domain for automated email flows with a welcome series?
How to send a privacy policy update to a large, unengaged email list without harming deliverability?
What are the best practices for sending a one-time email to a large list of inactive users?
