- Shane Serra
- December 1, 2025
- 6:48 pm
- 0 comments
When you update your website but still see the old version, the culprit is usually browser cache. Your computer saves a “snapshot” of websites to load them faster, but this can cause outdated versions to appear even after changes go live
Email List Warm-Up Guide for Better Deliverability
Warming up your list and your sending reputation is critical before sending campaigns, drip sequences, or promos. This reduces spam flags, improves open rates, and protects your domain reputation.
Step 1 — Start With High-Engagement Contacts Only
- Pull a segment of: People who opened an email in the last 90–180 days OR customers/clients who have recently engaged with you OR contacts who you know will open.
These contacts help train inbox providers that your content is wanted.
👉 Send to 50–100 contacts max on Day 1.
Step 2 — Use a Subdomain for Sending
You’re already doing the right thing with: crm.shaneserra.com or mail.xpertzesolutions.com
A clean subdomain isolates your sending reputation from your main domain.
Make sure you have:
- SPF ✔️
- DKIM ✔️
- DMARC (p=none → p=quarantine later) ✔️
- Optional: BIMI (when ready)
Step 3 — Warm Up Slowly (7–14 Days)
Here’s a simple schedule:
Days 1–2
Send 50–100 emails to your most engaged list.
Days 3–5
Increase to 150–250 recipients per send.
Days 6–7
Increase to 300–500 recipients.
Days 8–14
Send to 500–1000 recipients.
Optional extension - If your list is large (5k–50k+), continue increasing by 500–1,000 per day.
Step 4 — Send “Safe” Content
- Warm-up emails MUST be:
- Text-based or simple HTML
- Zero: promotions, heavy images, unsubscribe complaints
- Personal, friendly, natural-sounding
Sample warm-up email you can use:
Subject: Quick check-in
Hey {{firstname}},
It’s been a while since I’ve sent an update, so just wanted to check in.
I’m sharing some tools and resources soon that I think will be genuinely helpful. If you want to keep receiving these, awesome — stay tuned. If not, no worries — you can unsubscribe anytime.
Talk soon,
Shane
Step 5 — Monitor Open Rates & Bounce Rates
Good signs:
Opens over 30%
Clicks over 2%
Bounces under 1%
Bad signs:
Bounces over 2%
Spam complaints over 0.1%
Sudden drop in opens
If something looks off → pause 24 hours before increasing volume.
Step 6 — Clean Your List Before Full Sends
Use a validator (ZeroBounce, NeverBounce, Dropcontact) to remove:
- Invalid emails
- Spam traps
- Toxic domains
- Catch-alls
This alone increases deliverability dramatically.
Step 7 — Warm Up Your Domain + IP Reputation
To build trust with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo:
- Always send at the same time each day
- Stick with consistent sending volume
- Avoid big volume jumps
- Maintain healthy engagement
Step 8 — Start Sending Normal Campaigns (After Warm-Up)
Once the warm-up phase shows strong inbox placement:
- Start with value emails
- Then gently introduce offers
- Then run full campaigns / drip funnels
Optional: Use an Automated Warm-Up Tool
If you want a “hands-off” method:
Tools:
- Warmup Inbox
- MailFlow
- Instantly.ai warm-up
- Mailreach
These tools open, reply, star, unspam your emails automatically.
