Mastering the Art of Email List Hygiene

In 2023, I more than doubled my email open and click rates. The strategy I used is simple but often overlooked: I cleaned my list!

If your emails are suffering from low open rates, click rates, and high bounce rates, it’s time to take action. Cleaning your list can help you reach a more engaged audience, leading to more leads.

Cleaning your email list is a crucial but often underappreciated part of successful email marketing. Here are five compelling reasons to prioritize it:

Not all subscribers are equal. Some are actively engaged and wait eagerly for your content, while others might have lost interest or their email accounts might be inactive. Here are some signs that your email list could use a cleaning:

Start by identifying subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked on your emails in the last 90 days. These subscribers are likely inactive and should be considered for list cleaning. Check your email software for this feature— in ConvertKit, these are called “Cold Subscribers.” I had 225 of these before I cleaned my list.

Segment your cold subscribers and add them to a re-engagement campaign. This campaign will send a series of emails asking subscribers to opt back in. Use persuasive subject lines, personalized content, and special offers if applicable. Generally, a three-email sequence can work well:

1. **Checking In and Offering a Choice**: Reach out to less active subscribers to acknowledge their decreased engagement. Reaffirm your commitment to providing valuable information and offer them an option to continue receiving emails through a clickable link.

2. **Reminding Them of Your Value**: In the second email, remind subscribers of the value of your content and how it can help solve their problems. You can also provide a sneak peek of upcoming content to reignite their interest.

3. **Saying Goodbye**: If the subscriber hasn’t re-engaged by this point, it’s time to remove them from your list.

Monitor the results of your re-engagement campaign. You might be surprised at how many people come back on the list! It’s a win-win. If they re-engage, great! If they don’t, you’ll improve your email metrics.

Cleaning your email list might seem intimidating at first, but it’s essential for boosting engagement, increasing open rates, and saving money. It’s about building a quality email list that values and interacts with your content. So, start cleaning now and enjoy the remarkable benefits for your email marketing campaigns. Remember, quality always trumps quantity.