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Straight from the writer’s mouth: good email copy is important, but it needs to land in the inbox to have any value at all.
Triggered Outbound is, by nature, lower in volume than traditional cold email, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in relevance. That, however, doesn’t mean you’re automatically in the clear with any volume of outreach – you need to set up and monitor your email deliverability from the get-go.
We’ve seen Triggered Outbound campaigns that hit all the right notes: perfect timing based on prospects’ behavior, spot-on messaging, hyper-relevant to the prospect. But if they don’t show up in the primary inbox, none of that matters.
After all, your best-case scenario doesn’t begin with a “Marked as spam” label.
Deliverability isn't a background detail – it’s the difference between conversations that convert and campaigns that underperform. A few things to keep in mind when moving into Triggered Outbound, especially if you keep your cold email running, too:
Your Domain Reputation
Every email you send is a vote of confidence (or concern) in the eyes of email providers. Gmail, Outlook, and the rest don’t care how thoughtful your copy is, or that you reached out when the person is clearly searching for a solution just like yours – they’re judging your sender behavior, engagement metrics, infrastructure, and yes, even your formatting.
A strong domain reputation means your message gets a fair shot. A weak one? You’re flagged before your prospect ever has a chance to meet you.
And here’s the kicker: it doesn’t take much to do damage. A few poorly targeted blasts, some broken links, or skipping warmup on a new domain, and suddenly, you’re invisible.
It’s important to remember that it’s much easier on your resources to do your domain justice from day one, instead of running rampant with your sends until the damage is done. Focus on infrastructure setup, warmup, and your monitoring efforts before you hit send.
What good senders do (that many people skip)
Trigger-based outreach works because it’s timely and relevant. But that only works if your infrastructure is built to actually deliver. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
1. Don’t let your list ruin your reputation
Yes, even one bad contact can trigger a bounce, and enough bounces tell providers that you’re careless.
Clean your lists. Verify addresses. Avoid recycled leads that haven’t engaged in years. Make it easy for people to opt out.
Don’t use personal accounts, and don’t email personal accounts – unless they specifically invite you to email them to their personal address. Respect Google’s policy – it’s there for a reason.
2. Warm up like it’s part of the job (because it is)
New domains need gradual ramp-ups. Even new tools or senders can trigger filters if volume jumps too fast. You may get carried away when the signals you’re tracking trigger a few possible campaigns, but you should still be mindful of keeping your reputation safe.
3. Set up your DNS records properly
SPF, DKIM, DMARC. If those acronyms don’t sound familiar, you’ve got a bit of homework to do. In the simplest possible terms, inbox providers use them to confirm your identity and decide whether to trust you.
4. Watch engagement like a hawk
Low reply rates can hurt your reputation over time. But consistent positive engagement (clicks, replies, even forwards) helps. That means targeting people who might actually care, and making sure your message gives them a reason to act – providers pay attention to that sort of back and forth.
If you have properly set up signal tracking to actually keep an eye on behavior that is relevant to your business, you’ll likely inspire responses and engagement.
But if your emails are getting through with nothing but crickets in response, chances are you might need to go back to the drawing board: rethink your signals or your copy before your deliverability takes a hit.
5. Test before you send
Deliverability tools can show you where your emails land across providers, what might trigger spam filters, and how your copy is performing. Use them. It’s much, much easier to prevent issues with the right setup and testing, than fix them later.
Why this matters even more with Triggered Outbound
When you’re sending high-volume cold campaigns, there’s some margin for error. A few bounces here and there, a generic message that hits Promotions – the numbers can still work out. But Triggered Outbound relies on precision.
You’re sending fewer emails, timed to specific actions, with the expectation that this one matters. That means every email that fails to land is a real opportunity lost, not just a stat in a spreadsheet.
But most of all, Triggered doesn’t work without trust. And inbox providers won’t trust your messages if your infrastructure’s messy or your behavior’s inconsistent.
Don’t burn your brand for a quick reply
The fastest way to tank your sender reputation? Trying to outpace the rules.
Buying scraped lists, dodging warmups, using the same templates across tens of accounts – these might get you a few more leads today (whether or not they’re good leads is an entirely different debate), but they’ll cost you dozens more tomorrow when your messages start landing where they shouldn’t.
Bottom line: if it doesn’t land, it doesn’t matter
You can build the most thoughtful sequence, time it perfectly with a prospect’s Series B announcement, reference their LinkedIn post, and include the ideal CTA. But if it never makes it to their inbox (let alone gets opened) it’s just wasted effort.
And if you’re using the same domains to send your cold emails and your Triggered messages, the wrong setup can have negative effects on both lines of your outbound. Still, the risk of damage spillover isn’t the primary reason we advise focusing on deliverability.
A strong deliverability foundation is the only chance your message has to land in front of your prospect at all. If you’re putting in the work to tailor your outreach to each prospect and their specific signal – make sure it lands in their inbox, for starters.
Our Revenue Director, Chrisley Ceme, is leading the Triggered Outbound program. Chrisley’s gone deep on this strategy and can walk you through:
- How Triggered Outbound fits with your outbound goals
- What triggers are available (and what’s possible within our platform)
- Pricing, onboarding, and getting started
Straight from the writer’s mouth: good email copy is important, but it needs to land in the inbox to have any value at all.
Triggered Outbound is, by nature, lower in volume than traditional cold email, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in relevance. That, however, doesn’t mean you’re automatically in the clear with any volume of outreach – you need to set up and monitor your email deliverability from the get-go.
We’ve seen Triggered Outbound campaigns that hit all the right notes: perfect timing based on prospects’ behavior, spot-on messaging, hyper-relevant to the prospect. But if they don’t show up in the primary inbox, none of that matters.
After all, your best-case scenario doesn’t begin with a “Marked as spam” label.
Deliverability isn't a background detail – it’s the difference between conversations that convert and campaigns that underperform. A few things to keep in mind when moving into Triggered Outbound, especially if you keep your cold email running, too:
Your Domain Reputation
Every email you send is a vote of confidence (or concern) in the eyes of email providers. Gmail, Outlook, and the rest don’t care how thoughtful your copy is, or that you reached out when the person is clearly searching for a solution just like yours – they’re judging your sender behavior, engagement metrics, infrastructure, and yes, even your formatting.
A strong domain reputation means your message gets a fair shot. A weak one? You’re flagged before your prospect ever has a chance to meet you.
And here’s the kicker: it doesn’t take much to do damage. A few poorly targeted blasts, some broken links, or skipping warmup on a new domain, and suddenly, you’re invisible.
It’s important to remember that it’s much easier on your resources to do your domain justice from day one, instead of running rampant with your sends until the damage is done. Focus on infrastructure setup, warmup, and your monitoring efforts before you hit send.
What good senders do (that many people skip)
Trigger-based outreach works because it’s timely and relevant. But that only works if your infrastructure is built to actually deliver. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
1. Don’t let your list ruin your reputation
Yes, even one bad contact can trigger a bounce, and enough bounces tell providers that you’re careless.
Clean your lists. Verify addresses. Avoid recycled leads that haven’t engaged in years. Make it easy for people to opt out.
Don’t use personal accounts, and don’t email personal accounts – unless they specifically invite you to email them to their personal address. Respect Google’s policy – it’s there for a reason.
2. Warm up like it’s part of the job (because it is)
New domains need gradual ramp-ups. Even new tools or senders can trigger filters if volume jumps too fast. You may get carried away when the signals you’re tracking trigger a few possible campaigns, but you should still be mindful of keeping your reputation safe.
3. Set up your DNS records properly
SPF, DKIM, DMARC. If those acronyms don’t sound familiar, you’ve got a bit of homework to do. In the simplest possible terms, inbox providers use them to confirm your identity and decide whether to trust you.
4. Watch engagement like a hawk
Low reply rates can hurt your reputation over time. But consistent positive engagement (clicks, replies, even forwards) helps. That means targeting people who might actually care, and making sure your message gives them a reason to act – providers pay attention to that sort of back and forth.
If you have properly set up signal tracking to actually keep an eye on behavior that is relevant to your business, you’ll likely inspire responses and engagement.
But if your emails are getting through with nothing but crickets in response, chances are you might need to go back to the drawing board: rethink your signals or your copy before your deliverability takes a hit.
5. Test before you send
Deliverability tools can show you where your emails land across providers, what might trigger spam filters, and how your copy is performing. Use them. It’s much, much easier to prevent issues with the right setup and testing, than fix them later.
Why this matters even more with Triggered Outbound
When you’re sending high-volume cold campaigns, there’s some margin for error. A few bounces here and there, a generic message that hits Promotions – the numbers can still work out. But Triggered Outbound relies on precision.
You’re sending fewer emails, timed to specific actions, with the expectation that this one matters. That means every email that fails to land is a real opportunity lost, not just a stat in a spreadsheet.
But most of all, Triggered doesn’t work without trust. And inbox providers won’t trust your messages if your infrastructure’s messy or your behavior’s inconsistent.
Don’t burn your brand for a quick reply
The fastest way to tank your sender reputation? Trying to outpace the rules.
Buying scraped lists, dodging warmups, using the same templates across tens of accounts – these might get you a few more leads today (whether or not they’re good leads is an entirely different debate), but they’ll cost you dozens more tomorrow when your messages start landing where they shouldn’t.
Bottom line: if it doesn’t land, it doesn’t matter
You can build the most thoughtful sequence, time it perfectly with a prospect’s Series B announcement, reference their LinkedIn post, and include the ideal CTA. But if it never makes it to their inbox (let alone gets opened) it’s just wasted effort.
And if you’re using the same domains to send your cold emails and your Triggered messages, the wrong setup can have negative effects on both lines of your outbound. Still, the risk of damage spillover isn’t the primary reason we advise focusing on deliverability.
A strong deliverability foundation is the only chance your message has to land in front of your prospect at all. If you’re putting in the work to tailor your outreach to each prospect and their specific signal – make sure it lands in their inbox, for starters.
Our Revenue Director, Chrisley Ceme, is leading the Triggered Outbound program.Chrisley’s gone deep on this strategy and can walk you through:
- How Triggered Outbound fits with your outbound goals
- What triggers are available (and what’s possible within our platform)
- Pricing, onboarding, and getting started
