Scale is key when you’re running creator-marketing campaigns for your indie game. But if you’re handling outreach yourself (i.e., without an agency), that usually means emailing creators completely cold – does that make it spam?

Done properly, cold emailing is not spam. Your goal is to land in a creator’s primary inbox with something they actually might want, and avoid the Gmail’s “Promotions” tab – or worse, the spam folder.

That means targeted research on creators rather than downloading lists and mass bcc emailing.

Use the lightweight checklist below to keep your deliverability high and your sender reputation healthy.

1. Use a Dedicated Sending Domain

• Never risk your main business domain.
  Example: instead of studio-name.com, send from studio-name-creators.com or getgamename.com.
• If a cold-email campaign accidentally damages the reputation of this domain, your core business email will remain safe.
• One domain is usually enough if you’re sending a few hundred mails a day; consider multiple domains only when your volume scales into the thousands.

2. Warm Up New Inboxes

Mailbox providers hate sudden spikes. Ease them in:

1. Start with 50–100 emails per day, spread throughout the day. Launchpad sets this for you via the Send Window.
2. Gradually raise the cap over several days/weeks. This bit you’ll have to do manually.
3. Need more volume right now? Add another inbox instead of cranking one higher overnight.

Remember: Launchpad’s Campaigns should send over days/weeks, there’s no “big blast” button here!

3. Run a Spam & Deliverability Check

Before pressing Send:

• Use a free checker such as Mailmeteor’s Spam Checker (or any similar tool).
• Aim for a “green” score—remove excess images, trim link counts, and avoid spam-trigger words.

4. Monitor Your Sender Reputation

• Sign up for Google Postmaster Tools (and any Microsoft/Yahoo equivalents).
• Review reputation, spam rate, and feedback loops weekly.
• If reputation dips, pause high-volume sends and investigate.

Quick Tips

• Personalise whenever possible — use first name or channel name with the {{ first_name }} tag.
• Keep the message short, clear, and friendly.
• One clear call-to-action beats three vague asks.

Further Reading

• Gmail sender guidelines
• Outlook.com high volume sender requirements

Happy (responsible) emailing!