Technical Setup for Outbound Email Campaigns: A 2024 Guide
Hey there! Finn here. If you’re diving into the world of outbound email campaigns, the first thing you need is a solid technical setup. Trust me, getting this right will save you a lot of headaches down the road. Here’s a guide to setting up everything you need for a successful cold email campaign.
Buying Your Burner Domains
First things first, you need burner domains. If you’re serious about scaling, you’ll want to buy these from either GoDaddy or PorkBun. Google used to be the go-to, but since they sold their domains to Squarespace, it’s become a cold email nightmare.
Why GoDaddy? GoDaddy is currently my favorite because they offer a deal where you can add email users to your domains at a 60% discount. This is a huge win for your budget.
How Many Domains? Start with at least 10 burner domains. This setup will let you send 600-900 cold emails per day. If you have the capital and really want to scale, go for 30 domains. This will let you send 1,200-1,800 emails daily.
Domain Naming Tips:
Always use .com domains, even if your main website uses .io.
Avoid numbers or hyphens in your domain names.
Keep it simple: our company name is Charm, so we use domains like getcharm.com, trycharm.com, and runcharm.com.
Pro Tips:
Register your domains for multiple years to increase deliverability. This shows email providers you’re in it for the long haul and not just spamming.
Turn off privacy protection. It might seem counterintuitive, but showing your real contact information to WHOIS improves deliverability.
Creating Users
Once you’ve got your domains, it’s time to create email users. Here’s the step-by-step:
Buy your domains from GoDaddy or PorkBun.
Create users under each domain with an email provider. Avoid G-Suite—it’s full of restrictions now. Use Outlook through Microsoft 365 instead.
Why Outlook? Outlook is still reputable enough for good deliverability and has fewer restrictions on cold email. Plus, if you get your domains from GoDaddy, you can add Microsoft 365 email essentials for just $2 per user per month if you pay for 12 months upfront. That’s a steal compared to the usual $6 per user per month.
How Many Users? Create 2-3 users per domain. More users mean more emails, but it can hurt deliverability if you go overboard. Each user can send 25-30 cold emails per day. Here’s how to set up your users:
User #1: Finn@domain1.com
User #2: Finnw@domain1.com
User #3: Finn.m@domain1.com
Managing Users: Use Biscuit browser to manage all your users. Create a tab for each user so you can easily switch between them without constantly logging in and out.
Configuring Your Users and Domains
Now, it’s time to configure your users and domains properly.
DNS Records: Ensure the following three DNS records are configured correctly for each domain: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Use MXtoolbox to check if they’re set up properly.
Custom Tracking Domain: Add a custom tracking domain to each domain’s DNS records.
Forwarding Domains: Make sure each domain forwards to a landing page. A good landing page should include:
Bold Claim Headline
VSL
Offer Breakdown
Case Studies/Client Interviews
Calendar Link
Q&A Section
Profile Pictures: Each user should have a professional profile picture. If you don’t have any, use an AI headshot software to create them. This small step can increase reply rates by 2-3%.
Adding to Cold Email Software: Finally, add each user to your cold email sending software (Instantly or Smartlead) and activate the warm-up feature. Leave each user on warm-up for 14 days before starting to send cold emails.
Conclusion
Setting up your technical infrastructure for outbound email campaigns might seem daunting, but it’s crucial for your success. By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your emails reach the inbox and your campaigns run smoothly. Trust me, a solid setup is the foundation of any successful cold email strategy. So, get those domains, set up your users, and start scaling your outbound efforts with confidence!
