Source: Twenty20
An email list can be a great asset to a company, but while some sputter along others have the temperament of a racehorse. It’s not uncommon for even the most vital lists to hit a lull. Do you feel like your email list could use a jumpstart? Here are three of the best ways to take your email list from stale to vibrant.
A vibrant list is credible and consistent
Do you know what does wonders for your list? Being as credible as possible. This includes behaving like a sender of legitimate emails and not as a spammer does. Spammers send sporadically and to anyone. If you’ve been acting like a spammer, it wouldn’t be a surprise that your list has gone stale.
One way to be unlike a spammer is to always get permission to add someone to your list. This implies using the double opt-in subscription method. After entering their address, every new subscriber receives a link, via email, that they need to click to confirm they want to be on your email list.
By getting permission, you’re ensuring the people in your database genuinely care about your brand and the content you send. Now, that’s sure to keep things fresh and boost engagement.
Unengaged subscribers can make any email list stale
Even if you’re following email best practices, it’s normal to have some subscribers who don’t engage with your emails. There’s no value in keeping someone on the list just so you can boast a higher subscription roll.
Admittedly, there’s great satisfaction in seeing your numbers grow. However, it’s far more useful to have a small, but lively list of subscribers than a huge, lukewarm one. A good rule of thumb is that if someone hasn’t opened an email from you in six months, it’s time to part ways.
Otherwise, those emails may start to bounce since they could have been abandoned. An important detail is to be aware of the latest actions of the popular email service providers. For instance, Yahoo is disabling inactive accounts. Therefore, you may have more Yahoo emails bouncing than normal. So, keep a close eye on how people engage – some of them may never recover their accounts again.
Email validation keeps your email list in motion
Apart from inactive and potentially abandoned email accounts, there are other risky contacts that may be lurking on your list. You can’t have a vibrant email list when it contains bad data. Some of that harmful data may include:
• Invalid email addresses
• Spam traps
• Abuse emails (known complainers)
• Disposable or temporary emails
• Role-based email addresses (info@, office@, etc.)
Keeping this bad data on your list will affect your deliverability, meaning the number of emails that reach the inbox. Deliverability is a big deal for email marketers because your newsletter has no chance to perform if it’s in spam.
Pruning your list regularly goes a long way to keeping it in good shape. Depending on your needs and how fast your list grows, you should clean your list at least quarterly, but some do it once a month. A reputable email verification service should be able to consult with you to tell you what would be best for your list’s needs.
It’s worth emphasizing: there’s no value in sending emails to addresses that are inactive or not even real. It’s just a waste of resources. Another tip is that you can also use an email validation API to keep bad data off of your list in the first place. Working in the background, an API will also prevent someone trying to sign up from making a typo when entering their email.
The most vibrant email lists have the best content
If you look at the email newsletters you always open, it’s probably because their content really rings a bell. It’s always good to try and get in the mind of your readers, but there’s an even more data-driven approach to good content.
Look at your metrics: what kind of content are your readers engaging with the most? It’s sometimes surprising – and always disappointing – when an email we think will be successful falls flat. You can get attached to an idea that just doesn’t work, but it’s best to let go of it and try something else. Your open rates, but even more your click-through rates, will tell you how you need to adjust your content.
Wrapping up: good email marketers have a purpose
Have you ever opened an email newsletter that seemed to have no purpose and not much to say? Effective marketers aren’t sending you emails just for the sake of it. They write their emails with a purpose.
People can get more than 100 emails a day, so the inbox is no place for the blasé. Bland doesn’t cut it. A good email list keeps high standards and has energy. Want an email newsletter with potency? Keep your enthusiasm and momentum.
