You’ve just been assigned to generate new leads through cold emails. It’s tempting to think, “If I send more emails, I’ll surely get more responses. After all, there are 4.26 billion emails out there!” But hold that thought. This strategy could be setting you up for failure rather than success.
It’s normal to think that sending out a barrage of cold emails seems good. But it can do more harm than good. If you flood too many inboxes, you will likely trigger spam filters. This will ruin your “sender reputation” and destroy your deliverability.
So, what’s the right balance? How can you send enough emails to make an impact without crossing the line into spam territory? Below, we’ll show you the sweet spot on how many cold emails to send daily.
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How Many Cold Emails to Send Per Day to Avoid Spam Filter
Suppose you’re managing a new inbox and sending emails. In this case, it’s a good idea to start by sending around 10-20 cold emails daily. This approach is critical to steering clear of any penalties from spam filters.
However, you can increase your volume if you work with an established inbox (with a good sender reputation) and send emails. Depending on your Email Service Provider’s (ESP) policies, you can send over 100 emails daily.
For example, with Gmail, you can send up to 500 emails daily to different recipients. And there’s a bonus if you’ve maintained a good reputation, marked by open solid rates and not being flagged as spam. In such cases, Gmail trusts your emails more, improving their chances of landing in your prospects’ primary inboxes.
Should your organization opt for Google Workspace, your daily email limit gets a significant boost, allowing up to 2000 emails. This includes 1500 for multi-send emails and 500 if you’re on a trial account.
Switching to Microsoft Office 365, the daily cap is set at 10,000 recipients for all its plans. Office 365 uses mechanisms like DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) to ensure your emails are authentic and reach the right inbox.
Read: Unlocking the Secrets of Cold Email Lead Generation: A Comprehensive Guide
2 Ways to Determine How Many Cold Emails to Send Per Day
1. Understanding Your Target Industry
Each industry has its unique reaction to cold emails, and it boils down to two main reasons:
- Reason 1) The everyday habits of the people working in that industry
- Reason 2) The way they prefer to communicate professionally
In simpler terms, some industries are bombarded with emails daily and are accustomed to this form of communication, while others might find emails intrusive and prefer different channels.
For instance, in some industries, like tech, decision-makers are used to receiving 100s of cold emails daily. Email providers know this and generally allow more cold emails to reach their inboxes, as it’s something they want.
Alternatively, industries like salons, barbers, etc., get fewer cold emails daily. Again, email providers know this and reduce the number of cold emails that reach their inboxes because it’s something they don’t want.
If you’re unsure whether your target industry wants a low or high frequency of cold emails, think about the following:
- Identify Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): If you still need to pinpoint your ICP, think of a specific company that needs what you offer. This ensures a product-customer fit. You can use resources like Crunchbase to get a better understanding of this.
- Industry’s Email Reception: After, see whether your target industry is typically open to receiving cold emails. You can send more emails if they usually like receiving cold emails.
- Focus on Buyer Personas: Who are you trying to reach? Understanding their roles can help you assess if they will read and respond to cold emails. For instance, a decision-maker might be more responsive than someone in a technical role..
Duration of Your Cold Emailing Experience
The best way to understand this is by splitting it into two categories: new email address and old email address. Old email addresses are typically those that email providers trust.
New Email Addresses
No existing email history supports your credibility when starting with a new email address and inbox. As a result, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) might assign you a low sender reputation score. This increases the likelihood of your emails being caught by spam filters.
Sending many emails in this state often leads to them being marked as spam, damaging your reputation and affecting how your emails are delivered. The best approach is to begin modestly, sending only 10-20 targeted cold emails daily. This can help you avoid triggering spam filters, thus ensuring better email deliverability.
Additionally, enhancing your cold emails with personal touches, including the prospect’s company name, can increase your open rates by 22%. These efforts help build a positive relationship with your email service provider (ESP), demonstrating the value of your emails and establishing a good sender reputation.
Older Email Address
Alternatively, with an older email address, you’re likely to have an established sender reputation. This allows you the flexibility to send up to 100 cold emails daily without significant risk of ending up in the spam folder.
However, if your sender’s reputation is still low despite having an older address, it’s essential to take corrective measures:
- Identify and contact your ISP, mainly if you use different email providers for cold emailing.
- Communicate with the administrator and present your situation.
- Temporarily halt any high-volume email automation.
- Focus on enhancing your sender reputation by creating more engaging emails, and then gradually increase the volume of your emails.
If these steps don’t yield results or you’re pressed for time, consider getting a new email address to start fresh.
Is It Possible to Send Thousands of Emails at Once?
The answer is both yes and no. If you’re using a standard email service provider (ESP) like Gmail, expect to simultaneously send out a manageable volume of emails like 50, 100, or 2000.
However, changing your email-sending habits from 20 to 2000 emails in a short span, like a week, could be flagged as spam. Because such a sudden increase will raise red flags with your ESP, there’s a high chance your cold emails will end up in the spam folder.
However, other ESPs do offer higher limits. But, as you can imagine, they do cost more. For instance, Microsoft Office 365 has a limit of 10,000 for all its plans, which is more than enough for most businesses.
Still, when using an ESP offering higher limits, you must focus on your sender’s reputation. A poor reputation will just put you straight into the spam folder, no matter how much you pay your ESP.
How to Avoid the Spam Folder When Sending Cold Emails
As an email marketer, the spam folder is somewhere you don’t want to be. Here are some quick and actionable steps to lower these chances:
Segment Your Prospect List
Sending the same email to every prospect on your list is a fast track to getting blocked. Instead, segment your prospects based on shared characteristics like interests, pain points, industries, or locations.
Tailoring your messages to these segments increases engagement and reduces the likelihood of recipients marking your emails as spam. If you’re using a CRM, ensure it has up-to-date information, collects data relevant to your desired segments, and allows for effective tagging and segmentation.
Cut Inactive Emails
A high rate of unopened emails or email bounces can harm your reputation, prompting mail servers to direct your future emails to the spam folder. To combat this, identify unengaged prospects, understand bounce reasons, try re-engagement emails, and remove these contacts from your list if unsuccessful.
Personalize Your Email
When you’re sending many emails, remember the importance of making each one personal. Include details like the recipient’s name and references to their company or industry. The more you tailor your email to align with your prospect’s specific interests, needs, or situations, the less likely it is to be perceived as spam.
Use a Cold Email Tool
A quality cold email tool can send large volumes of personalized emails. When choosing a tool, consider deliverability rates, personalization features, automation capabilities, and ease of use. An email tool is great because it delivers emails in drips, only some at a time. This lowers your chances of ending up in the spam folders. Alongside this, you’ll get more insights into your email metrics, which helps you understand what is and isn’t wrong with your emails.
Do Email Marketing the Right Way
As you see, figuring out how many cold emails to send daily is complex. It requires a customized approach, heavily dependent on factors such as your target audience, the capabilities and limitations of your Email Service Provider (ESP), and the specific content of your emails.
Undoubtedly, mastering these elements can be a daunting task, especially for those relatively new to email marketing. This complexity is precisely why professional guidance can be invaluable.
At MailBox Labs, we specialize in providing tailor-made monthly email packages designed to cater to brands of all sizes. Our goal is to help you optimize your email marketing strategy effectively. To see how we can help, book a complimentary 30-minute consultation with us today.