The Best Email Sending Platforms for Cold Outreach
Choosing the Right Email Sending Platform
Over the past year, we’ve used Smartlead and Instantly for sending cold emails. These platforms stand out because they don’t charge per inbox, allowing us to scale horizontally with ease.
If you’re deciding between them, here’s a simple way to differentiate:
Instantly is like an iPhone—intuitive, user-friendly, and packed with built-in features to get you started quickly.
Smartlead is like an Android—highly customizable, especially when leveraging its API capabilities.
Why Not MailChimp or Constant Contact?
Traditional email marketing platforms like MailChimp and Constant Contact use SMTPs to send emails. If they detect an increase in spam complaints, they throttle your sending volume and may even ban your account entirely.
Why Google and Outlook Are the Best Choices
Google Workspace has an official sending limit of 2,000 emails per day per inbox. Unlike marketing tools, Google and Outlook accounts authenticate via OAuth, which provides more flexibility for cold emailers.
Despite the risks, Google hasn’t shut down cold emailing, likely due to:
Profit Incentives – Cold emailers purchase multiple Google Workspace licenses, generating significant revenue.
Spam Filter Balance – Tightening spam filters too much would impact regular users, making email a less effective communication tool.
Setting Up for Cold Email Success
To ensure optimal performance, follow these best practices:
Use Separate Domains – Never send cold emails from your main domain. Spam complaints are inevitable, and using alternate domains protects your primary communication.
Set Up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC – These authentication protocols improve email deliverability.
Enable Custom Tracking – If you want to track open rates (we don’t, but custom tracking is still essential).
Use 2-3 Inboxes Per Domain – Keep your sending volume reasonable.
Limit to 25-30 Emails Per Inbox Per Day – This keeps sending behavior natural and reduces the risk of being flagged.
Maintain Extra Inboxes – Keep 50% extra inbox capacity in reserve to swap in case of issues.
Troubleshooting Declining Performance
If inbox performance drops, you can:
Run spam tests using MX Tools.
Check DNS records, email copy, and structure.
Swap inboxes, change copy, and pull a new list.
Ultimately, email performance fluctuates, and instead of over-analyzing, swapping inboxes and adjusting your approach is often the fastest solution.
Addressing Common Concerns
Some worry that using an alternate domain might make them look like spammers. In our experience, as long as the alternate domain forwards to your main website, most recipients won’t mind.
By following these steps, you can maximize your cold email deliverability and ensure long-term success.
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