When launching a new Slate instance, one of the most crucial steps for ensuring high deliverability is IP warming. IP warming is the gradual process of building trust with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) by sending a small, increasing volume of emails over time. This process signals to ISPs that you’re a legitimate sender, helping your emails reach inboxes rather than spam folders. Neglecting IP warming can jeopardize your sender reputation, making it difficult to achieve effective communication with your prospective and current students.
How to Start Warming Your New Instance
A successful IP warming strategy starts with sending emails in small batches. Begin with your most engaged recipients, such as admitted students or others who have recently interacted with your institution. These individuals are more likely to open and engage with your emails, which helps establish a strong sender reputation from the outset. Gradually increase the volume of emails sent each day or week and the size of the recipient list. This warming should be done over the course of 2–4 weeks or longer, depending on your results.
It’s essential to have a well-structured plan to ensure consistency. If performance metrics like open rates or deliverability drop during the warming period, adjust your approach by slowing the volume increase or reevaluating your target audience.
Tracking Key Metrics
Throughout the IP warming process, closely monitor your performance metrics to identify potential issues and adjust your strategy. Here’s what to look for:
- Deliverability Rate: Aim for 96%-99%. A lower rate may indicate issues with your sender reputation or email content.
- Click Rate: Expect a click rate between 0.2%-0.4%. Engaging content with clear calls to action will help maintain this benchmark.
- Opt-Out and Spam Complaint Rates: Keep these rates at or below 0.2%. High complaints can harm your reputation, so ensure your recipients expect your emails.
- Bounce Rate: Aim for a bounce rate of 2.5%-3.5%. Monitor hard bounces closely and remove invalid email addresses from your list.
Different audience segments may yield varying results. For example, emails to prospective students may have slightly lower engagement than emails to admitted students, who are more likely to interact.
Maximizing Results and Maintaining Deliverability
Once you’ve successfully warmed your IP, it’s essential to maintain best practices for email deliverability. Additionally, protecting your email deliverability and sender reputation requires ongoing diligence. See our blog post, Email Deliverability and Sender Reputation in Slate to learn more.
Through our partnership with Technolutions, we can run email campaigns for institutions like you directly from your very own Carnegie Hosted Slate instance. By leveraging this partnership, institutions can ensure that IP warming best practices are integrated into their email-sending strategy from the very beginning.
For more specific insights on Slate deliverability statistics and data points, refer to Technolutions’ detailed knowledgebase article.
Final Thoughts
IP warming is a foundational step for ensuring the success of your email campaigns. By starting with small batches, targeting your most engaged audiences, and carefully tracking key metrics, you can build a robust sender reputation. Over time, these efforts will lead to higher deliverability, better engagement, and a stronger connection with your students. For institutions using Slate, leveraging expert tools and insights can make all the difference in achieving email success.
Our Slate Optimization team are experts in Slate email campaigns. If you’re looking for a partner to take your email campaigns to the next level, our Slate team is here to help. Reach out and start a conversation.