Choosing between Shared vs Dedicated IP for Email Marketing

In email marketing, one crucial decision that can significantly impact your email campaign’s success is whether to use a shared or dedicated IP address. This choice affects your email deliverability. Let’s delve into the pros and cons of each option to help you make an informed decision.

Shared IP Drawbacks

A shared IP address is exactly what it sounds like – an IP address used by multiple domains. While this option is often more cost-effective, it comes with inherent risks. The biggest concern is the “one bad apple” scenario. If one user on the shared IP engages in spammy practices, it affects all users on that IP.

Email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, ProtonMail, etc are strict with protecting their users from spam and may decide to blacklist an entire IP address based on the actions of a single domain. This means that even if you follow the best email marketing standards, you could suffer from the poor choices of others sharing your IP.

Dedicated IP

On the other hand, a dedicated IP address offers you complete control over your domain reputation. You’re the sole user of the IP, which means your email deliverability is entirely dependent on your own actions. This protects you from the malicious actions of others.

Dedicated IP Small Drawback

While dedicated IP offers numerous benefits, there is one small drawback to consider. If you’re using a new dedicated IP address that hasn’t been used for sending emails before, you’ll need to go through a “warm-up” period. This process involves gradually increasing your email volume to establish a positive reputation with email providers. While this process requires some patience, it’s a small price to pay for the long-term benefits of a dedicated IP.