 We all know that your environment can affect what people think of you, even though your ideals and practices are completely opposite from those of the environment. For example, I could live in the slums and people may think that I lack education or don't have a promising career. But in reality, I’m intelligent and have a very secure path. So if I had the opportunity to build my reputation strictly based on what I do, not my surroundings, why wouldn’t I? And why wouldn’t you?
The same could be applied to your online marketing reputation. If you had the chance to build your own online reputation, why wouldn’t you? One way you could do this is by having a dedicated IP for your email marketing campaigns. By doing so, you wouldn’t have to worry about what the other senders are sending from the same IP. Your reputation would be strictly based on the relationship you choose to set with the ISPs.
And if you think that perhaps you currently don’t have the best practices, having a dedicated IP provides that extra pressure to improve your strategies, list, and creative. Because whether you are on a shared or dedicated IP, faulty practices will eventually turn around to bite you where it hurts. So if you’ve got something to motivate you, do it.
Here are some of the specific benefits of having a dedicated IP:
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Inboxing is based on the trust you’ve directly built with your ISP relationships
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Savvy email recipients will know that you take pride in your reputation and it will build stronger trust
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Informs you when your mailings have prompted a blacklist to be put up; if you clean up your list then you know the blacklist will get removed
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You know that your blocks/bounces are legitimately due to your own list, and cleaning them up can be easier than with a shared IP
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If you have deliverability discussions with your ESP or the ISP, it will be easier to find solutions for issues since it eliminates research on other senders
So I’m sure you want to know if it’s imperative for you to have a dedicated IP. Simply said… no. But can it prove beneficial and help you in the long run? Yes. Do you have the time to set it up correctly and cater to it like you should? This part depends on your availability. But if you take the correct initial steps, you may not have to give it as much attention in the future, and you’ll reap the benefits.
The choice is really up to you. Are you a sender who wants complete control of your destiny? Or do you want to leave it up to chance based on what your surrounding senders do?
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About the Author
Ghia Espino is an account manager at Lyris. She strategizes with clients to improve their online marketing performance and works as their Lyris advocate.
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