Email list warming in Flodesk explained

Inbox providers decide whether your emails land in the inbox based on your sending habits, not your subject line or content, and warming your list is how you build (or rebuild) the habits that earn their trust.

Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook don't grade your emails on your subject line or your content. They grade you on your habits.

Every time you send, inbox providers watch what your subscribers do: who opens, who clicks, and who ignores your email completely. That pattern becomes your sender reputation, and your sender reputation is what determines whether your next email lands in the inbox or the spam folder.

Warming is sending your email to a small group of your most engaged subscribers first, instead of your entire list all at once. Because these subscribers are already engaged, they open and click, which signals to inbox providers that your content is wanted.

You then send that same email to your next group of engaged subscribers, increasing your volume gradually over time. Each round proves your content is wanted before you scale up, which is the entire goal: inbox providers don't like surprises, and a sudden spike in volume, especially after months of inactivity, looks suspicious no matter how good your subject line is. Warming builds trust in small, provable steps instead.

Warming builds a good sender reputation if you're new to email, and it can also repair a damaged one if you've been sending for a while.

Warm your list if any of the following are true:

• You've moved to a new email platform

• You've authenticated a new sending domain

• It's been more than eight weeks since your last email

• You're not getting the results you want from your emails

If any of these apply to you, warming isn't optional. It's the foundation everything else in your email marketing is built on, so plan ahead and prioritize it.

The warming process has four steps:

Archive or set aside subscribers who haven't been engaging with your emails, so your most engaged subscribers are the ones sending signals to inbox providers.

Each segment starts at 50 subscribers, no matter how large your list is, and grows gradually from there. Every subscriber belongs to only one segment. Starting at 50 can feel small if you have a large list, but the process moves quickly.

This email should never ask subscribers to confirm they want to stay on your list. It should be something they're genuinely excited to open and click. Since every warming segment has unique subscribers, you only need to write this email once. You'll duplicate it and send the same email to each segment over time.

Space your warming emails at least 48 hours apart, so you have time to see how each one performs before sending the next.

Yes. Warming takes time, but it's the single best thing you can do for your email success. It builds your sender reputation and helps your emails land where you want them: the inbox.

What determines whether my email lands in the inbox or spam?
Your sender reputation, which inbox providers build from how your subscribers engage with your past emails, not your subject line or content.

When should I warm my email list?
If you've switched email platforms, authenticated a new sending domain, gone more than eight weeks without sending, or aren't getting the results you want.

How many subscribers are in each warming segment?
Each segment starts at 50 and grows gradually. No subscriber appears in more than one segment.

How often should warming emails go out?
No less than 48 hours apart, so you can see how each send performs before scaling up.