If you’re running marketing or sales ops at a B2B company, email is still the workhorse. But getting reliable delivery and automation at scale is a pain. Fancy dashboards and “AI” don’t matter much if your emails land in spam or take hours to set up. This guide breaks down exactly how Mailgun fits into a B2B go-to-market (GTM) playbook—warts and all.
Whether you’re a technical marketer, ops lead, or the “email person” by default, you’ll find what actually works, what doesn’t, and where Mailgun saves (or wastes) your time.
Quick Primer: What Is Mailgun, Really?
Mailgun is an email automation platform—think of it as the pipes that send, receive, and track your transactional and marketing emails. Instead of cobbling together your own SMTP server, you plug Mailgun into your product or CRM through their API or SMTP endpoints.
Here’s where it shines: - High-volume sending (think tens of thousands of emails/day) - Deliverability tools (spam testing, dedicated IPs) - Email parsing and validation - Programmatic setup—if you’ve got dev resources
But don’t expect: - Fancy drag-and-drop campaign builders (it’s not Mailchimp) - Built-in CRM or deep audience segmentation - A solution you “set and forget” (it needs oversight)
Where Mailgun Fits in a B2B GTM Stack
B2B teams use email differently than B2C. You’re probably: - Sending onboarding flows, product updates, or usage alerts - Running outbound sales sequences or nurture drips - Trying to keep emails out of spam, especially for cold outreach
If you’ve outgrown Gmail or your CRM’s built-in email, Mailgun gives you: - API access: Automate emails right from your app or scripts - Deliverability tools: Get actual stats on what lands and what bounces - Validation: Weed out bogus addresses before you hit “send”
Pro tip: If you’re mostly sending newsletters or one-off campaigns, you’re better off with a tool made for marketers, not developers.
Hands-On: Setting Up Mailgun for B2B Campaigns
Let’s get real: The docs make it sound like a breeze, but the first hour with Mailgun can be rough if you don’t live in the command line. Here’s what setup looks like for an ops or growth team:
1. Sign Up and Verify Your Domain
- Register for an account—no credit card for the trial.
- Add and verify your sending domain. This means:
- Updating DNS records (SPF, DKIM, MX)
- Waiting for propagation (sometimes an hour, sometimes more)
- Use their guides, but have a DNS-savvy person on standby.
Heads up: If you don’t set up DNS correctly, your emails will get flagged as spam. No way around this.
2. Get API Keys and Set Up Sending
- Grab your API (or SMTP) credentials.
- Plug them into your app, CRM, or automation tool.
- Test by sending a few emails to yourself—check inbox, spam, and promotions.
What trips people up: Some business CRMs or tools don’t have a direct Mailgun integration. You might need Zapier, custom code, or a developer’s help.
3. Warm Up Your Sending Reputation
Don’t blast your whole list on day one. Mailgun (and ISPs) watch for spammy behavior.
- Start with small batches
- Gradually ramp up volume over a few weeks
- Keep bounce and complaint rates low
Ignore this and you’ll get throttled or blacklisted.
4. Use Deliverability Tools
Mailgun offers: - Spam score reports - Dedicated IPs (for higher plans) - Detailed logs for bounces, opens, clicks
What matters: Use this data to scrub your list and tweak your content. If you keep seeing bounces or spam flags, fix it early.
Don’t bother: Chasing vanity metrics like “open rate” without context. Focus on whether your messages reach the right people and drive action.
5. Monitor, Iterate, and Stay Hands-On
Mailgun isn’t “set and forget.” You need to: - Monitor logs for failures or delivery issues - Rotate or warm up new IPs as you grow - Stay on top of list hygiene
Real talk: If you send low volumes or need deep analytics, Mailgun can feel like overkill. But for B2B teams sending lots of automated, transactional, or outbound emails, the control is worth it.
What Mailgun Does Well (and Where It Doesn’t)
The Good
- Rock-solid deliverability: If you do your part with DNS and sending best practices, your emails actually get through.
- Scalable: Handles huge send volumes without blinking.
- Transparent logs: You see what’s getting delivered, bounced, or blocked—and why.
- Flexible API: Devs can build custom automations and tracking.
The Not-So-Good
- Setup is technical: Non-technical teams will struggle without IT help.
- No built-in campaign or audience management: It’s not a full marketing suite.
- Support can be spotty: Fast response for outages, but slower for “how do I do X?” questions.
- Pricing ramps up: Cheap for low volume, but costs climb fast as you scale (especially if you add dedicated IPs or validation).
Watch Out For
- Deliverability is your job too: Mailgun gives tools, but you need to follow best practices—list hygiene, clear opt-ins, and no shady tactics.
- Limited analytics: There’s basic open/click tracking, but you’ll want to plug data into your own dashboard for real insights.
Common B2B Use Cases (With Caveats)
1. Transactional Emails:
Password resets, onboarding, notifications—Mailgun is built for this. Just remember to keep templates simple (avoid lots of images or scripts).
2. Outbound Sales Campaigns:
Works if you’ve got the tech resources to automate sequences. But beware: sending cold emails at scale gets tricky with spam filters. Use validation and start slow.
3. System Alerts and Product Updates:
Great for automated, event-driven messaging. You’ll need to handle scheduling and logic yourself (Mailgun won’t do it for you).
4. List Cleaning and Validation:
Mailgun’s API can check for bad addresses before you send. This is a lifesaver for keeping your sender rep clean.
Skip it if:
You want drag-and-drop email builders, built-in CRM, or are allergic to messing with DNS records.
Pro Tips for B2B Teams
- Always test new templates: Send to multiple providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) before blasting real contacts.
- Set up alerting: Use log webhooks or scripts to catch failures or spikes in bounces.
- Segment your traffic: Use separate domains or IPs for transactional vs. outbound to protect your main sender reputation.
- Review your sending stats weekly: Look for weird bounce patterns, blacklists, or sudden drops in delivery.
Bottom Line: Is Mailgun Worth It for B2B?
If email is core to your GTM motion and you’ve got someone technical on the team, Mailgun gives you power and control that “simple” tools can’t. You’ll need to stay hands-on—there’s no autopilot for deliverability. But for B2B teams that value flexibility, transparency, and reliability, it’s a solid choice.
Don’t overthink your setup: get the basics right, start small, and improve as you go. No tool will solve bad lists or spammy tactics. Keep it simple and iterate—your future self (and your inbox) will thank you.