How to Improve Your IP Reputation
One of the most important things for any email address is the IP reputation.
It can make or break your emails arriving at your prospect’s inboxes.
In this article, we’ll go over what an IP reputation is, why it’s so critical, how it is calculated and how to improve it when needed.
Let’s dive in!
It can make or break your emails arriving at your prospect’s inboxes.
In this article, we’ll go over what an IP reputation is, why it’s so critical, how it is calculated and how to improve it when needed.
Let’s dive in!
What Is IP Reputation?
Let’s start with the basics – what is an IP address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique number that serves to identify the network your computer is connected to. Similar to passport or ID or house numbers, IP addresses serve that same purpose on the internet to establish credibility.
And that credibility is known as IP reputation.
IP reputation measures the quality of an IP address – its history and its location – to determine the legitimacy of its associated requests.
Requests that, for salespeople, are particularly focused on communicating with others via email. Which is why a positive IP reputation is so important.
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique number that serves to identify the network your computer is connected to. Similar to passport or ID or house numbers, IP addresses serve that same purpose on the internet to establish credibility.
And that credibility is known as IP reputation.
IP reputation measures the quality of an IP address – its history and its location – to determine the legitimacy of its associated requests.
Requests that, for salespeople, are particularly focused on communicating with others via email. Which is why a positive IP reputation is so important.
Why Is IP Reputation Important?
Poor IP reputation means that your messages will end up in spam, or simply be non-delivered to your prospects or targeting list.
After all, your IP reputation is essentially a measurement of the trustworthiness your IP address inspires in ISPs (internet service providers) and email services. If you get flagged or filtered for spam too often, other services and domains will begin to recognize this as well, and eventually, all of your emails will end up undelivered.
This is why you always want to follow best practices when it comes to cold emailing.
Not only to have a higher likelihood of obtaining a response from your prospect but also to avoid running into any technical issues or obstacles, such as your IP reputation suffering.
After all, the way an IP reputation is calculated is very aware of how email works.
After all, your IP reputation is essentially a measurement of the trustworthiness your IP address inspires in ISPs (internet service providers) and email services. If you get flagged or filtered for spam too often, other services and domains will begin to recognize this as well, and eventually, all of your emails will end up undelivered.
This is why you always want to follow best practices when it comes to cold emailing.
Not only to have a higher likelihood of obtaining a response from your prospect but also to avoid running into any technical issues or obstacles, such as your IP reputation suffering.
After all, the way an IP reputation is calculated is very aware of how email works.
How is Your IP Reputation Estimated?
IP reputation is estimated in a variety of ways, but below are some key points to consider that you can have a direct impact on:
The most important thing to remember about this is that you want your IP reputation to be positive and clean. No negative experiences such as malware or spam should be attached to it.
To maintain this, you require clear and relevant messaging in your email copy, appealing subject lines, a domain with a good sender reputation, and a highly researched and targeted prospect list.
Also, ensure that your additional materials are top quality.
Any white papers, blogs, or landing pages that are associated with that IP address will also be scrutinized and studied, so you want to make sure that those are up to standard as well. And that the actions associated with the IP address are also considered to be harmless.
We’ve gone over how to avoid spam errors in the past in this blog, and the importance of domain reputation when starting fresh. As we’ll soon see, many of the fixes are similar.
But what’s important to note is that there are many contributing factors to the calculation of your IP reputation. This means you can’t take anything for granted, and you should constantly be on the lookout for ways to improve it.
To maintain this, you require clear and relevant messaging in your email copy, appealing subject lines, a domain with a good sender reputation, and a highly researched and targeted prospect list.
Also, ensure that your additional materials are top quality.
Any white papers, blogs, or landing pages that are associated with that IP address will also be scrutinized and studied, so you want to make sure that those are up to standard as well. And that the actions associated with the IP address are also considered to be harmless.
We’ve gone over how to avoid spam errors in the past in this blog, and the importance of domain reputation when starting fresh. As we’ll soon see, many of the fixes are similar.
But what’s important to note is that there are many contributing factors to the calculation of your IP reputation. This means you can’t take anything for granted, and you should constantly be on the lookout for ways to improve it.
How to Improve IP Reputation. 6 Steps
Having learned about the importance of IP reputation and how it is calculated by a myriad of factors, how do we start to improve it?
Many salespeople will consider this to be beyond their expertise, but this is not the case.
Having a solid grasp of how email works is necessary to succeed as a salesperson in B2B business in the twenty-first century, and it is a lot easier than it seems at first!
We have a handy checklist available to test your email deliverability anytime, and here are six steps to improve your IP reputation so that your emails can get through to your prospects:
Many salespeople will consider this to be beyond their expertise, but this is not the case.
Having a solid grasp of how email works is necessary to succeed as a salesperson in B2B business in the twenty-first century, and it is a lot easier than it seems at first!
We have a handy checklist available to test your email deliverability anytime, and here are six steps to improve your IP reputation so that your emails can get through to your prospects:
Phishing and fake advertising
Phishing emails are spammers impersonating a real person or business, attempting to convince their target that they have a valuable, legitimate offer for them.
Their main goal is to obtain personal details, such as usernames, passwords, bank details, and so on.
Of course, by the time this kind of information is being asked for, the person may have already been clued in.
But the beginning of these attempts is very similar to cold emailing, which may initially make it difficult for salespeople to stand out as different and legitimate.
Their main goal is to obtain personal details, such as usernames, passwords, bank details, and so on.
Of course, by the time this kind of information is being asked for, the person may have already been clued in.
But the beginning of these attempts is very similar to cold emailing, which may initially make it difficult for salespeople to stand out as different and legitimate.
Baiting and hoaxes
Similar to the above, in that the spammer is passing themselves off as legitimate, it is concerning for anyone using email marketing to reach out to potential customers.
Spammers will convince those on the receiving end that they have won a reward or are eligible for an exclusive offer they must claim, and that it is time-sensitive. Otherwise, they miss out.
With this, they are able to obtain the personal data of those who fall for their trick.
Spammers will convince those on the receiving end that they have won a reward or are eligible for an exclusive offer they must claim, and that it is time-sensitive. Otherwise, they miss out.
With this, they are able to obtain the personal data of those who fall for their trick.
Malicious content
The final option is the link or attachment that has a virus, malware, or ransomware hidden – the infamous Trojan Horse.
Once the link has been clicked on or the attachment opened, the receiver’s computer has fallen prey to the spammer, and who knows what may have been leaked.
Once the link has been clicked on or the attachment opened, the receiver’s computer has fallen prey to the spammer, and who knows what may have been leaked.
How to Prevent Being Flagged as Spam
Salespeople and marketers are not looking to obtain personal data or infect their prospect's computer’s with a virus.
Our main goal is to offer actual value to prospects that fit our Ideal Customer Persona, and see if they may be interested in having a meeting to discuss it further.
But because our techniques are similar to those of ill-intentioned spammers, it is worth it to go through a checklist.
After all, these ISP spam filters are just trying to protect their users.
Our main goal is to offer actual value to prospects that fit our Ideal Customer Persona, and see if they may be interested in having a meeting to discuss it further.
But because our techniques are similar to those of ill-intentioned spammers, it is worth it to go through a checklist.
After all, these ISP spam filters are just trying to protect their users.
Check your deliverability for any tips
Tools such as GlockApps make it easy for you to check the status of your email deliverability.
They tell you if you’re hitting spam more than before, or more for certain email servers than others. If you might want to rework your email, or what your sender reputation is. Sometimes, they even provide suggestions for how to improve it.
A good rule of thumb is to always warm up your new email domain with a tool such as Warm.
One way to avoid having the spam label attached to your domain is to create email chains of responses. Your domain and address appear to be legitimate a lot faster.
Using this tool is also a good idea if you have been doing a lot of cold email outreach with few responses. The tool generates responses and keeps your sender reputation and deliverability high.
As a bonus, having a high sender reputation generally equates to having a positive IP reputation.
They tell you if you’re hitting spam more than before, or more for certain email servers than others. If you might want to rework your email, or what your sender reputation is. Sometimes, they even provide suggestions for how to improve it.
A good rule of thumb is to always warm up your new email domain with a tool such as Warm.
One way to avoid having the spam label attached to your domain is to create email chains of responses. Your domain and address appear to be legitimate a lot faster.
Using this tool is also a good idea if you have been doing a lot of cold email outreach with few responses. The tool generates responses and keeps your sender reputation and deliverability high.
As a bonus, having a high sender reputation generally equates to having a positive IP reputation.
Make sure your DNS settings are set up correctly
You need to have your Domain Name System (DNS) systems set up for the domain and address that you’re using. The email deliverability test done previously will let you know if anything is wrong.
In particular, if your SPF, DKIM, or DMARC are missing.
These will wreak havoc on your sender reputation and deliverability if not set up correctly. And, of course, this will then have consequences for your IP reputation.
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) authentication ensures that the domains receiving your emails trust them and do not send them to spam or reject them.
Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) verifies that the sender is accountable for the content. It does this by reading a signature in all outgoing or incoming emails. The signature should be simple and to the point: avoid unnecessary links or images, but it should be there.
With Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC), prospects’ domains are given information about the email they are receiving. This provides an additional level of security and trust in your email and domain.
Having any of these missing can lead to a lack of trust in the domain and, in your IP reputation.
In particular, if your SPF, DKIM, or DMARC are missing.
These will wreak havoc on your sender reputation and deliverability if not set up correctly. And, of course, this will then have consequences for your IP reputation.
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) authentication ensures that the domains receiving your emails trust them and do not send them to spam or reject them.
Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) verifies that the sender is accountable for the content. It does this by reading a signature in all outgoing or incoming emails. The signature should be simple and to the point: avoid unnecessary links or images, but it should be there.
With Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC), prospects’ domains are given information about the email they are receiving. This provides an additional level of security and trust in your email and domain.
Having any of these missing can lead to a lack of trust in the domain and, in your IP reputation.
Have more than one email domain or address
Sometimes, an email domain takes longer to recover or to get started.
It’s a good idea to have an additional domain or address on hand from the beginning to help build a positive reputation. And to bring it back as needed.
You can use it as a backup if the first domain starts having deliverability issues, and you can also use it to improve credibility by sending emails back and forth to create conversations.
By using both, you can build your reputation positively once again.
It’s a good idea to have an additional domain or address on hand from the beginning to help build a positive reputation. And to bring it back as needed.
You can use it as a backup if the first domain starts having deliverability issues, and you can also use it to improve credibility by sending emails back and forth to create conversations.
By using both, you can build your reputation positively once again.
Know when to slow down
It’s not bad to slow down on sending.
Remember that certain domains do have a limit on how much you can send per day and that if you exceed that, you will start facing issues.
This is why having an additional address or domain to continue sending comes in handy!
You slow down with one but keep going with the other, which also helps maintain a similar volume for your IP reputation.
Remember that certain domains do have a limit on how much you can send per day and that if you exceed that, you will start facing issues.
This is why having an additional address or domain to continue sending comes in handy!
You slow down with one but keep going with the other, which also helps maintain a similar volume for your IP reputation.
Go over your wording for spam words
You always want to use a spam checker on your messaging.
It’s the worst thing in the world if what gets you is not technicalities, but your own words.
Take the time to use a spam-checking tool or go over a list of common spam words to know which ones to avoid when crafting your email copy.
Your IP reputation will thank you for it.
It’s the worst thing in the world if what gets you is not technicalities, but your own words.
Take the time to use a spam-checking tool or go over a list of common spam words to know which ones to avoid when crafting your email copy.
Your IP reputation will thank you for it.
Qualify your leads
Make sure that your lead lists are as clean and as accurate as possible by qualifying them.
When prospecting, make sure you’re doing your research and the target fits your market and ICP. Then make sure to personalize your message to them so that they are more likely to engage with your call to action.
Sending to inactive or incorrectly targeted folks will lower your engagement rate, and this will negatively affect your sender and IP reputation.
When prospecting, make sure you’re doing your research and the target fits your market and ICP. Then make sure to personalize your message to them so that they are more likely to engage with your call to action.
Sending to inactive or incorrectly targeted folks will lower your engagement rate, and this will negatively affect your sender and IP reputation.
Conclusion
Having a positive IP reputation is just as important as keeping your sender reputation high.
Without it, you can email prospects as much as you like, but chances are you will end up in spam and have to climb your way back to a positive reputation.
Use the tips above to fix it, and to keep it positive too!
And remember, a good idea to rely on a tool to help you keep your email domain warm and engaged.
Warm will soon be ready – why not join our launch list?
Without it, you can email prospects as much as you like, but chances are you will end up in spam and have to climb your way back to a positive reputation.
Use the tips above to fix it, and to keep it positive too!
And remember, a good idea to rely on a tool to help you keep your email domain warm and engaged.
Warm will soon be ready – why not join our launch list?
