Contents:
1. The Role of IP Address
2. What does a shared IP mean?
3. Issues with Shared IP Addresses
4. Recruitly's Solutions for Email Deliverability
5. Why do you need a dedicated IP?
6. Benefits of a Dedicated IP Address
7. How to Avoid Spam or Blocked Email Issues
8. How to Request a Dedicated IP in Recruitly
1. The Role of IP Addresses:
IP addresses play a critical role in sending marketing emails, such as newsletters, campaign promotions, or updates. When an email is sent from an IP address linked to the sender, it determines the reputation and deliverability of the email. Emails are delivered based on the reputation of the IP address used, which is why managing this reputation is essential for any marketing campaign.
By default, when you start using Recruitly’s email services, everyone is placed on a shared IP address. A shared IP means that multiple users or businesses send their marketing emails from the same IP address. While this setup is convenient and cost-effective for smaller users or those sending lower volumes of emails, it comes with certain risks and limitations.
2. What Does a Shared IP Mean?
Since all clients of Recruitly use the same shared IP, the reputation of that IP is determined by the collective behavior of all users. Every email sent, whether well-crafted or flagged as spam, impacts the reputation of the shared IP. If one or more users follow poor sending practices, such as sending to outdated or non-opt-in lists, or triggering spam filters, the shared IP's reputation can be damaged, leading to lower deliverability rates for all users on that IP.
2.1: Shared IP Rotation:
To mitigate the long-term effects of shared IP degradation, Recruitly rotates the shared IP every 6 months. Over time, as email campaigns accumulate on a shared IP, the reputation may decline due to various factors, including spam complaints, bounces, and unsubscribes, even if most users are adhering to best practices. By rotating to a new shared IP periodically, we aim to reset the reputation and improve deliverability across all accounts.
2.2: Current Status: New Shared IPs Warming Up
We have already purchased 4 new Shared IP addresses, and our team is in the process of warming them up. IP warming is crucial because starting to send a high volume of emails from a new IP address without gradually building a positive reputation could lead to immediate blocking or blacklisting by email providers. By 10th October, all Recruitly clients will be using one of these new Shared IP addresses. This rotation helps ensure that your emails will benefit from a clean IP with a neutral-to-positive reputation, reducing the risk of deliverability issues caused by the old IP's degraded status.
3. Issues with the shared IP Addresses:
Reputation Sharing: Since the IP is shared among various users, the reputation of the IP is influenced by the behavior of all senders using that IP. If one sender on the shared IP has poor email practices (such as sending spammy or low-quality content), it can negatively affect the overall reputation of the IP. As a result, your emails could be flagged as spam, even if your sending practices are legitimate.
Lower Deliverability: Email service providers (ESPs) and inboxes like Gmail, Outlook, etc., use IP reputation to determine whether emails will reach the inbox or be sent to the spam/junk folder. With a shared IP, the deliverability of your emails depends not only on your actions but also on the actions of others using the same IP. If the shared IP has a poor reputation, your emails are more likely to experience lower inbox placement.
Volume Restrictions: Shared IPs are often suited for users sending low to moderate volumes of emails. If you send large volumes of marketing emails, using a shared IP can result in slower email delivery or higher bounce rates, especially during busy periods.
Inconsistent Performance: Because the deliverability depends on the weakest sender on a shared IP, performance can fluctuate. One day your emails may have excellent inbox placement, and another day they might be flagged due to the activities of other senders on the IP.
4. Recruitly's Solutions to enhance Email Deliverability:
Recruitly offers tailored solutions to ensure your marketing emails have the best chance of reaching your recipients’ inboxes:
Dedicated IP as an Add-on: For users sending large volumes of marketing emails, Recruitly offers a dedicated IP service, available as a paid add-on. This allows businesses to build and maintain a strong sender reputation.
IP Warming Support: Recruitly helps you with the IP warming process to gradually establish a positive reputation for your new IP address.
Live Support: The support team is available for assistance via live chat to help set up dedicated IPs or resolve any email deliverability issues.
5. Why Do You Need a Dedicated IP?
A Dedicated IP Address is important for users who send a large volume of marketing emails and want full control over the reputation of the IP address. Here’s why a dedicated IP is beneficial:
Control Over Reputation: With a dedicated IP, only your emails are sent from this IP, allowing you to manage its reputation. In contrast, with a shared IP, other users’ email activities can affect your IP’s reputation.
Improved Deliverability: Since your email sending reputation solely affects the IP, it is easier to ensure that emails reach recipients' inboxes without being flagged as spam.
High Volumes: If you're sending a significant number of emails, a dedicated IP supports higher email volumes without a negative impact on email deliverability.
Inbox Placement: Emails sent from a dedicated IP are more likely to be placed in recipients' inboxes, whereas shared IPs with a poor reputation can often lead to emails being marked as spam.
6. Benefits of a Dedicated IP Address:
A Dedicated IP address provides significant advantages when sending marketing emails through Recruitly:
Higher Reputation: With a dedicated IP, you have full control over the reputation of your emails, which helps build a strong sender score over time.
Better Inbox Placement: Emails from a dedicated IP are more likely to reach the primary inbox of recipients, rather than being filtered into spam or junk folders.
Support for High Volumes: A dedicated IP allows for the sending of large volumes of emails without compromising deliverability.
Consistent Delivery: Since the IP reputation is controlled by your actions, consistent good practices lead to reliable delivery
Shared IP | Dedicated IP |
Free service | Add on (paid per month) |
Poor reputation | High reputation |
Poor Inbox placements | Better Inbox placement |
Low volumes only | High volumes supported |
Delivery is only as good as the weakest sender | Delivery depends on your own reputation |
7. How to Avoid Spam or Blocked Email Issues?
One of the most common reasons marketing emails get blocked or marked as spam is due to the poor reputation of the sender's IP address. Here’s how using a dedicated IP in Recruitly can help prevent these issues:
Sender Reputation: By using a dedicated IP, you isolate your sender reputation, meaning the actions of other users won’t affect you. This is critical because mailbox providers (such as Gmail and Outlook) block or spam-mark emails based on the IP reputation.
IP Warming: When you start using a new dedicated IP, it’s important to gradually increase the number of emails you send. This process, known as IP warming, helps establish your IP's reputation as a reliable sender.
8. How to Request a Dedicated IP in Recruitly?
Requesting a dedicated IP through Recruitly is a simple process:
Step 1: Contact Recruitly’s support team via live chat
Step 2: Request the allocation of a dedicated IP address.
Step 3: Once activated, the IP address will take up to 30 days to fully warm up and will be reflected on your marketing module dashboard
Step 4: After warming up, all your marketing emails will start using the new dedicated IP address.
Conclusion:
Having a dedicated IP address for your marketing emails can significantly improve your email deliverability and sender reputation. By maintaining control over your IP, avoiding issues caused by shared IP addresses, and following best practices for email sending, you can ensure that your emails consistently reach your audience's inbox. If you send a large volume of emails or face deliverability challenges, consider upgrading to a dedicated IP and leverage Recruitly’s email marketing solutions for optimal performance.