With your domain authenticated and your sending foundations in place, it's time to start building a positive sender reputation. This 4-week warm-up plan is designed for HealthdeskAI users who want their Email Blasts to consistently reach inboxes, not spam folders.
The goal is simple:
- Start small
- Grow gradually
- Keep engagement high
Email providers (like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo) monitor early sending behavior closely. By sending gradually and maintaining strong engagement, you'll build trust and improve deliverability long-term.
The Two Core Tactics
- Send to distinct segments. Each audience group should be unique, don't resend to the same contacts multiple times during the warm-up phase.
- Build on your progress. As you add new segments each week, keep sending to your earlier, high-engagement audiences. This maintains consistent engagement as your volume increases.
Week 1: Establish Early Engagement
Your first sends matter most. Start with your most active or recently engaged contacts, people who are most likely to open and click. If you're new to HealthdeskAI, start with recent opt-ins or long-term loyal clients.
Audience: ~5–10% of your total list (most engaged) Goal: Build a strong initial engagement baseline.
Campaign ideas:
- A welcome or re-introduction message
- An exclusive offer or early access announcement
- A personal "we're glad you're here" email
Actions in HealthdeskAI:
- Go to Blasts > New Email Blast.
- Select a small, engaged segment (~5% of your total contacts).
- Send your first campaign.
- Monitor open rates, click rates, and bounces daily.
What to monitor:
- Open rate: 30%+
- Click rate: 1%+
- Bounces/unsubscribes/complaints: <1%
If engagement looks strong, move on to the next phase. If not, pause and review your subject line, content, or targeting.
Week 2: Gradually Expand Your Reach
If Week 1 performed well, begin scaling carefully. Add slightly larger but still engaged segments, clients who interacted with you in the past 60–90 days.
Audience: Add ~10–15% of your list Total send volume: ~25–30%
Campaign ideas:
- New service or class announcements
- Seasonal offers or event invitations
- Educational content or success stories
Actions in HealthdeskAI:
- Create a new Email Blast with a new 10–15% segment.
- Continue sending to your Week 1 segment as well.
- Watch engagement daily for consistency.
Week 3: Build Momentum
By Week 3, your sender reputation should be stabilizing. Continue scaling while maintaining strong engagement.
Audience: Add another ~20–30% of your list Total send volume: ~65–70%
Campaign ideas:
- Progress updates or member spotlights
- How-to guides or behind-the-scenes insights
- Product or service highlights
Actions in HealthdeskAI:
- Send to two new 20% segments across multiple campaigns.
- Keep re-engaging your best-performing earlier audiences.
- Continue daily deliverability checks.
Week 4: Reach Full Volume
You've built a healthy sender reputation, now it's time to reach your full list, including less active contacts. Continue focusing on value and relevance.
Audience: Final ~30% of your list Total send volume: ~75–100% (depending on overlap)
Campaign ideas:
- Re-engagement offers
- Seasonal or "best of" campaigns
- Customer appreciation messages
Actions in HealthdeskAI:
- Send to remaining segments over several days.
- Mix in your engaged audiences to keep open rates strong.
- Keep monitoring bounce and complaint rates daily.
Performance benchmarks:
- Open rate: 30%+
- Click rate: 1%+
- Complaints: <0.5%
If deliverability drops, slow your sends and reintroduce segments in smaller batches.
After the Warm-Up: Maintain Strong Deliverability
Warming up your domain is just the beginning. Consistent performance keeps your emails in the inbox.
- Monitor performance regularly. Review open, click, and bounce rates after every send.
- Keep your list clean. Remove or re-engage inactive contacts periodically.
- Send relevant content. Personalize messages by audience type or engagement level.
- Automatic unsubscribe protection. HealthdeskAI automatically includes a clear unsubscribe link in every Email Blast and ensures unsubscribed contacts are excluded from future sends, no action required.
By following this plan, your HealthdeskAI Email Blasts will build a strong sender reputation and continue landing in inboxes where they belong.