REBEL ONE DIGITAL MARKETING AUTOMATION SYSTEM NOW LIVE... CLICK REBEL ONE BELOW TO LEARN MORE
REBEL ONE
Digital Marketing Automation System
Training Manual
Why Warm-Up Matters
Warming up a new email domain is like building a credit score. You don’t walk into a bank on day one and ask for a huge loan if you don't have any previous credit— you start small, make consistent payments, and prove over time that you can be trusted.
Send too may email too soon, and inbox providers treat you like someone maxing out a brand-new credit card — risky and not worth trusting.
Warm-up = slow, steady, consistent sends to your most engaged contacts first, then expanding over time.
When you do it right, in 6–8 weeks (longer for bigger lists) you’ll have a sender reputation strong enough to “borrow” more inbox space whenever you need it — without getting rejected.
If you skip the warm-up, inbox providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo see a sudden spike in email volume from a domain they don’t recognize. That’s a red flag. They’ll start filtering your messages into spam or promotions tabs — sometimes without your customers ever seeing them — and recovering from that bad reputation can take months.
This is also why we send bulk email from a dedicated email URL instead of your main business address. It keeps your regular day-to-day emails safe and gives us full control over building a strong sender reputation just for marketing.
Email Warm-Up Training
Plan Ahead: Work Smarter, Not Harder
One of the biggest mistakes operators make with email is winging it. You sit down the morning you want to send something, you’ve got 50 other fires to put out, and the email either doesn’t get written… or it gets rushed.
The "Smarter" method is to plan ahead and batch your content — just like we recommend with the Social Media Planner in Rebel One — You already know the power of sitting down once a week (or once a month if you’re feeling ambitious) to schedule all your social posts. Email works the same way — whether you’re in the warm-up stage or already running at full speed.
Here’s how you can keep it simple:
One time-block per week: Plan your social media posts and your upcoming emails in one sitting.
Two smaller blocks: If one big block feels overwhelming, split it into two — one for social content, one for emails.
Monthly batch option: For the super-organized, knock out 4–5 weeks of content in one go so you’re set for the month.
Batching isn’t just for warm-up — it’s a long-term habit that will save you hours every month, keep your marketing consistent, and free up your brain so you can focus on running the restaurant.
And don’t forget — you don’t have to do all of this alone.
You can use AI tools like ChatGPT to help brainstorm content ideas, write drafts, and even polish your wording so it’s faster and easier to produce great content every week.
When you combine batching with a consistent schedule, you take the pressure off your day-to-day and keep your marketing running like a machine — during warm-up and for the long haul.
The 8-Week Email Warm-Up Playbook
(From cold list to full-speed sending without landing in spam)
Assumptions:
Most of you will probably have an email list that is under 2,000 contacts, but we’ve included notes for those of you working with bigger lists up to about 10,000.
When it comes to photos, don’t overthink it — a solid menu shot or a quick cell phone pic will do the job. You don’t need a professional shoot to make this work.
For offers, we stick to an 8:1 ratio: eight value-driven messages for every one direct sales push. This ties into the “Jab, Jab, Jab, Hook” approach from Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. Think of it like this — a jab is giving value: something useful, interesting, or entertaining with no strings attached. The hook is when you make your ask, whether it’s a special offer, an event, or a call to action. By leading with value multiple times before asking for the sale, you build trust and keep your audience engaged so they’re more likely to say “yes” when it’s time for the hook.
The 8-week plan isn’t just about getting your email domain warmed up — it’s about building habits that keep your audience engaged for the long haul.
By starting slow, sending consistent value, and gradually increasing your frequency, you’ll earn both trust from inbox providers and loyalty from your customers.
Follow it step-by-step, track your results, and by the end of the warm-up you’ll have an email channel you can use confidently to drive sales whenever you need it.
Special Notes for Larger Lists (2,000–10,000)
If your list is on the larger side, give yourself more time to warm up — add 1–2 extra weeks at each stage before increasing your send frequency.
Break large sends into smaller batches spaced 4–8 hours apart, and in the early weeks, keep content extra clean with fewer images and more text.
Final Notes & Next Steps
As you work through the plan, keep your content mix balanced:
Jab content (value-driven): menu sneak peeks, chef notes, staff introductions, behind-the-scenes shots, seasonal ingredient stories, customer shoutouts, local event tie-ins, recipe tips, or “how it’s made” prep photos.
Punch content (direct calls-to-action): limited-time weekday specials, “today only” features, event invitations, or small perks like a free coffee with breakfast or dessert with an entrée.
Remember — you don’t get six-pack abs in one workout, and you don’t build a bulletproof email list in one week. Every step in this warm-up plan is there for a reason. Skip ahead and you risk losing inbox trust, which can take months to earn back. Stick to the plan, send when scheduled, and focus on giving more than you ask.
Make batching content part of your routine, and you’ll have a marketing engine running in the background while you focus on your guests. Follow this process for 8 weeks (or longer for bigger lists), and you’ll have a fully warmed, trustworthy email channel you can use anytime without fear of the spam folder.
