How do you wake up a "dead" email list without going to spam?
By ignoring your instinct to send to everyone at once and following a strict, mathematical doubling schedule.
This week, Mastermind member Joshua faced a common problem: He had a list of 7,000+ contacts but was moving to a brand new SMTP account. If he had sent an email to all 7,000 at once, the spam filters (especially Gmail and Yahoo) would have crushed his sender reputation instantly. He would have been blacklisted before he even started.
Chad and G laid out a specific Re-Engagement Protocol that every Titanium user must follow when switching mailers or reviving a list.
The "Doubling" Schedule
You must treat a new SMTP account like a cold muscle—you have to warm it up before you lift heavy weights.
Day 1: Import and send to only 100 of your most active contacts.
Day 2: If deliverability is good, send to 200 contacts.
Day 3: Send to 400.
Day 4: Send to 800.
You continue doubling until you reach your full list size. If you see a spike in spam complaints or bounces, you stop, wait, and send only to your most engaged openers to repair the reputation before scaling up again.
Your Report Card: Google Postmaster Tools
You cannot fly blind. You absolutely MUST register your sending domain with Google Postmaster Tools. This is free, and it is the only way to see exactly what Google thinks of your domain reputation.
If your domain reputation drops from "High" to "Medium" or "Low," you pause the warm-up. You cannot "guess" your way through deliverability.
The "Peer" Boost
To help with this, Letterman has introduced Peer Stats. You can now see which subscribers are "Peers" (fellow Titanium users) versus "Real" subscribers.
The Strategy: Use the Publication Directory to find and subscribe to other members' newsletters. Open their emails. Click their links. If we all act as "Good Citizens" for each other, we signal to Gmail that these emails are valuable, helping everyone's domain reputation rise faster.
Action Item: If you are sitting on a list, start your warm-up today. 100 contacts. Go.
