How to Maintain a Clean Email Marketing List
Email marketing has become a standard to almost every business. As it evolves, inboxes are becoming inundated with emails and subscribers are becoming intuitive leaving many emails unread. In order to maintain a healthy email list, businesses and marketers need to home in on whom to target and assess the value of every email campaign. Adding names to a list is simply not enough. If users unsubscribe to a list and emails are never opened, you run the risk of being flagged as spam and decreasing your ROI. Here are some tips for maintaining a clean email marketing list.
1. Removed bounced email addresses
There are several factors that make email addresses become inactive. Somebody may leave a job and therefore no longer use that company email address, inboxes can become maxed out and unable to receive email or an account can simply be deactivated. The more bounces an email list received, the less reputable it becomes. To be a responsible and credible email sender, it is important to “prune” your list over time and regularly removed addresses that bounced and unable to be delivered. Several third-party email marketing platforms often removed these users over 3-5 bounces, but sometimes a bounce can be as simply as incorrect entry into the database. Responsible email senders should regularly comb through their lists and check for error.
2. Remove or limit inactive subscribers
The quantity of subscribers does not equate to the quality of an email list. In fact, unopened emails and unengaged users can be detrimental to your overall metrics and impact your sender reputation score. This doesn’t mean you have to remove inactive users, but consider putting them on a “low-activity” list. Evaluate what you consider a “low-activity” user. If you send weekly emails and they only open one per month, perhaps that constitutes them a low-activity user. Put these subscribers on a separate list and consider not emailing them as often. Or, generate an email that offer incentives to “coming back” such as a discount or special offer. Certain users may look at your email, but it doesn’t register as an open email because they only view it in preview form or do not choose to load images. Your email may often end up in these subscribers’ spam folder overtime. Consider generating an email to these users asking them to provide a current email address or checking a box affirming that they do wish to remain on the list.
3. Monitor feedback and statistics
Another frequently used component of many modern email lists is the ability to “flag” a post or report it as spam. It is often easier for subscribers to do this as opposed to removing themselves from the list. Regularly check for these complaints and remove these users from your lists immediately. Admail provides real-time reporting as well documentation of unsubscribers, open emails, and delivered emails. Keep track of these statistics and use them to prune your lists. These features will also help you hone in on what time of day and days of the week are most effective to email subscribers.
4. Update with new subscribers
Adding new subscribers to your list is crucial for positive statistics. The chance of them opening your email is high because they have recently given you their email address and are interested in what your list offers. Add these users as soon as you can so that you remain relevant in their minds as well.
5. Make sharing easy
Word of mouth is one of the best forms of advertising. If users are happy with what you have to offer, they will be your best advocates and spread the word to other interested parties. Make sure your email has engaging templates that have eye-catching buttons and links to social media so anyone can be easily directed. Make sure any products and services are easily linked and try to make all templates mobile-friendly as well.