{"id":9365,"date":"2020-09-10T12:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T10:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodpecker.co\/blog\/?p=9365"},"modified":"2025-01-21T10:16:42","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T09:16:42","slug":"how-to-set-up-a-domain-and-mailbox-for-cold-outreach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodpecker.co\/blog\/how-to-set-up-a-domain-and-mailbox-for-cold-outreach\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set up a Domain and Mailbox for Cold Outreach?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re getting ready to start sending cold emails<\/a>, the first thing you should do is set up a separate domain and mailbox that you\u2019ll use only for cold outreach. This is a necessary step mainly for your domain\u2019s safety reason, but also it allows you to handle the responses from prospects more effectively because they won\u2019t mix with other business emails you receive.<\/span><\/p>\n

So without further ado, here’s a nutshell guide on how to correctly set up a separate domain and mailbox for cold emailing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #1: Buy a new domain<\/span><\/h2>\n

You can buy a new domain from your current domain provider or choose a different one, such as Namecheap, Google Domains, GoDaddy, etc. It\u2019s up to you and doesn\u2019t matter from the cold emailing point of view. What matters, though, is your new domain\u2019s name.<\/span><\/p>\n

Choose a name similar to your business domain\u2019s one. This way your prospects won\u2019t be confused when you reach out to them. For example, pick a different domain extension. If your main domain name is <\/span>colliber.com<\/span><\/i>, use <\/span>colliber.co<\/span><\/i> or <\/span>colliber.io<\/span><\/i> for sending cold email campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n

If possible, you can buy a second-hand domain that\u2019s one year old or even older. Domain age matters to spam filters, which are very suspicious to fresh domains used for outreach. That\u2019s because spammers tend to use newly created domains for sending out spam.\u00a0 So in general, the older the domain, the better. But you should also pay attention to its <\/span>reputation<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your second-hand domain should have a good reputation to be safely used for outbound. What happens if a domain\u2019s reputation is bad? Spam filters block emails sent from such domains, land them in a spam folder, or even put the sender on a <\/span>blacklist<\/span><\/a>. So make sure you check a domain\u2019s reputation before you buy it. Use tools like <\/span>Talos<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>MX Toolbox<\/span><\/a> to get info on a domain\u2019s reputation and whether it\u2019s blacklisted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And what about using a free Gmail account for cold emailing? You can do that, but for the sake of your professional image, branding, and consistency I recommend you use a custom domain. I wrote more about the pros and cons of both in this article:<\/span><\/p>\n

Free Email or Custom Domain Email? Which One Is Better For Cold Emailing? >><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Step #2: Point a domain to your email hosting server<\/span><\/h2>\n

Once you bought a domain, you need to point it to the email server of your choice. If your domain and hosting come from the same provider you can usually connect them with a few clicks in the dashboard. If your domain is from a different provider than the hosting, for example, you registered your domain on GoDaddy, but you have the hosting server on HostGator, then you have to follow the steps below:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Go to your hosting\u2019s control panel and copy the nameservers. <\/span>Here\u2019s an example of how to do it in HostGator<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Log in to your domain provider\u2019s dashboard and go to your new domain\u2019s DNS settings. Paste the nameservers under the <\/span>custom nameservers <\/span><\/i>and click save.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Voil\u00e0! You\u2019re all set.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Step #3: Set up SPF and DKIM records<\/span><\/h2>\n

    SPF and DKIM are two security mechanisms that prevent scammers from sending forged emails on your behalf. Setting these two records up in the DNS of your domain will move you one step closer to ensuring that emails that come from your domain are successfully delivered to customer inboxes and your domain stays safe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s how to set up SPF for the most common domain hosts:<\/span><\/p>\n