Email Marketing: Dedicated IP Address Vs Shared IP Address

The SimplyCast Blog has an interesting article explaining how to decide whether to use a dedicated IP address to send your email or a shared IP address.

Dedicated IP Addresses

“A dedicated IP address is one that is used only by you or your company to send the emails from.”

• Since the IP address doesn’t change, the history and reputation of the IP belongs to the customer using it.
• It’s very easy for you to track what is sent.
• It provides scalability for people who are sending large amounts of email.

Shared IP Addresses

“A shared IP address is when you are sharing the same IP with other companies or senders.”

• The IP address reputation is created by all your IP neighbours who are sending from that same IP.
• If someone on your shared IP starts spamming people, the IP may be blacklisted.
• Price is one of the biggest benefits to using a shared or pooled IP. Beyond the normal sending charges, there is often no additional cost associated with a shared IP.

SimplyCast comes to the conclusion that, if you can afford it, using a dedicated IP is the best choice.