If you’ve ever opened a brand-new email sending account and sent a flood of messages right away, you may have noticed something strange. Many of those emails never make the inbox; they land in spam.

Why? Because inbox providers don’t trust new senders who appear out of nowhere.

That’s where “warming up” comes in. Warming up a new "from" address is the process of slowly building trust with inbox providers so your emails earn their place in the inbox.

It’s not about tricks — it’s about reputation. And reputation is the foundation of deliverability.

Many people believe email deliverability is automatic. They think: If I set up an account and hit send, my emails should just work.

Others take the “big blast” approach. They buy a new domain, upload a giant list, and start sending thousands of messages.

The result? Red flags everywhere. Inbox providers assume the sender is spammy, and the domain’s reputation suffers before it ever had a chance to grow.

Warming up is about showing inbox providers you’re safe and reliable. Instead of blasting, you start small. You send a handful of emails each day. You increase volume gradually. You give mailbox providers time to notice that people open, click, and respond.

Each positive interaction is like a deposit in a trust account. Over time, that trust account grows — and so does your inbox placement.

If you’re managing email for small businesses, warming up is one of the most valuable services you can offer.

Most business owners don’t know about it. They think poor deliverability means their software is broken. But in reality, their sender reputation was never built in the first place.

When you guide them through warm-up, you become the person who protects their domain. That makes you more than just a writer — it makes you an advisor.

Think about real-life trust. If a stranger shows up at your door asking for $1,000, you shut the door. But if a friend you’ve known for years asks for help, you listen.

Mailbox providers act the same way. A new sender making sudden big requests (thousands of emails) looks suspicious. But a sender who shows up consistently, in small amounts, looks trustworthy.

Trust is built over time, not in one blast.

You don’t need to get overly technical, but here are the basics:

• Start Small: Send only a few emails a day from a new account.

• Increase Gradually: Add volume each week, not all at once.

• Send to Engaged People First: Warm up with people who are likely to open, click, or reply.

• Mix in Personal Sends: Direct one-to-one emails help establish credibility.

• Be Consistent: Don’t send 50 emails one day and zero the next. Show steady patterns.

This consistency signals to inbox providers: This sender behaves like a real human, not a spammer.

• Business A: Launches a new domain and sends 10,000 emails on Day 1. Spam complaints skyrocket. Deliverability plummets. Even their best leads stop seeing emails.

• Business B: Launches a new domain and sends 50 emails the first week. Then 100 the next. Slowly grows while monitoring open rates. Within a month, inbox placement is strong.

Who earns more in the long run? Business B. Slow, steady trust always wins.

I believe in long-term trust over short-term wins. Warming up is exactly that: patience, consistency, and empathy for how inbox providers — and readers — build relationships.

Quick blasts may feel exciting, but they damage trust. Slow, steady connection builds foundations that last. And that’s what side hustlers like you can bring to your clients.

Warming up a new sending email address isn’t a technical chore. It’s an act of trust-building.

When you take the time to warm up, you show inbox providers you’re reliable. You show readers you’re consistent. And you set the stage for every future email to be delivered, opened, and acted on.

So the next time you send your emails from a new domain or email address, resist the urge to send big. Start small. Build trust. Warm it up.

Because in email — just like in life — trust built slowly lasts the longest