When it comes to warming your IP for email sends in China we need to be reasonable, some things are just a lot more work to accomplish but doesn't mean that it's not worth it.
This article talks about additional steps required for IP warming in China, but for a full custom IP warming plan and execution, please get in contact.
Firstly if the foundation has not been set up properly then it can feel like you are banging your head against the wall to just try and increase your deliverability (and in turn your engagement) by a fraction with the standard methods we all use, so what I say for this is don't be afraid to start again, it is far easier to establish a good IP reputation from the beginning than it is to try and repair an IP that has been battered by email service providers as SPAM.
So if you are new to email marketing or you are moving your emails to a new system then take a look at some of these steps below for the building blocks to a great foundation.
1. Clear out the bad data
Many companies I have worked with, in Asia have huge subscriber lists full of bad data that they are reluctant to remove from their emailing list even though the subscribers are most likely not seeing their emails and are just damaging their IP reputation, and if we think that these people aren't even seeing your emails then we need to weigh up the pros and cons of having them in the list at all. Now, this is not to say we remove these people completely but we need to understand how they engage, and if that is SMS or WeChat then that might just be that.
Before you migrate your data over to the new IP give these subscribers one last chance with the best reactivation type campaign you have and if you get no love back cut them off! (from email at least)
The fresher the list the best chance you have to get through to the China audience.
2. Multiple IPs for China
If you have the opportunity always try and split out your China based subscribers from all others with multiple IPs, At minimum 2 IPs, 1 for China based subscribers and 1 for everyone else.
If you have the luxury you could also take it one step further by getting multiple IPs for your China based subscribers. Having multiple IP means you are able to round robin your IP meaning you aren't just blasting one IP the whole time and having it slowly degrade due to the inevitable SPAM traps set by China ISPs.
3. Keep email blasts low and slow
Be prepared for this to take time as you will not have the send volume and freedom as you would with your standard email campaigns.
It is recommended that you don't send more than 4,000 per hour per IP, this can be set up with throttling in your system, if you don't have this setting then its worth looking at microsegmentation and making sure any of your segments are below 4000 so you can use this to your advantage and really target your customers!
If you do this well and your IP reputation is solid then you can get up to 70,000 per day.
4. Content for IP warming
So you have a great plan, but what is the best content to send? We make the mistake that the content isn't as important as the plan but this is sometimes the first message that many of your subscribers would have ever received regardless if you have been sending emails for a long time.
If you have been sending email in the past then look into your data and determine what are the best subject lines as that is your first impression, additionally, if you have the resources prior to moving to a new IP then do some A/B testing on the subject lines you have found to be engaging, this will always be the best way to capture the most appealing subject line. But if you are brand new to it all then below are some resources for subject line creation. When doing IP warming I always if I can go to an intrigue SL like We got you a gift, open now to find out! or Summers hottest trend inside! and if you add personalization then you can have a winning formula.
Many marketers might disagree with the "tricky" subject lines and content but the reality of IP warming is you need that first open and click like you need water in the desert and especially in China so put your best foot forward for this type of content.
Another one is gamification which is HUGE in the emailing game or really any type of interaction with your subscriber is the best for your content in the IP warming phase.
5. Sign up to Feedback Loops
Not all email service providers have this service available, but it is always a good idea to subscribe to them, with SFMC you are automatically signed up to most of the major ones but you can also request for QQ to be added as well, which will support your push for better deliverability.
So what is a Feedback Loop?
When a recipient has decided to click “This is Spam” on your email, it is considered a “complaint.” Some mailbox providers allow visibility for when this happens by allowing the sender to sign up for a feedback loop. Feedback loops, or FBLs, allow senders to receive messages back from members who complained. The mailbox provider forwards the message complained about back to the sender at a designated email address that has been set up, primarily so that the sender can suppress this user in their database. See the diagram below:
Some resources on Feedback loops :
For China:
QQ Feedback Loop: http://openmail.qq.com/
For Salesforce Marketing Cloud https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=000247051&language=en_US&type=1
For Others:
For Many of the https://www.m3aawg.org/fbl-resources
ReturnPath Universal Feedback Loop https://fbl.returnpath.net/?_ga=2.22328251.1058044822.1552444983-1550256005.1552444983
If you have any questions please reach out to us here at Eleven Digital marketing@11-digital.com