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Email marketing works. According to Statista, 49% of people say they like to receive promotional letters from brands every week. But when checking their inboxes for offers, chances are that your customers and prospects won’t find those emails. If your email list is out of date or you purchased one, your campaigns may be redirected to the spam section.
Keeping your database up to date is paramount to the success of your email. In email marketing, it’s not about how many people you email, it’s about how many you can reach.
How the health of your email list affects your deliverability
Sending invalid, fake, and outdated contacts via email damages your reputation as a sender. Also known as “sender score”, this is a metric that ISPs use to evaluate your legitimacy as a sender. The higher your score, the more likely your campaigns and newsletters will make it to your inbox.
This is why the state of your email list plays such an important role in your email deliverability. Gathering a lot of contacts seems tempting, but more importantly, these contacts are real and active.
Related: 5 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Email List
Create your own email list
Planning to buy or rent an email list? Think twice. These people have never heard of you, so the most you can get is a bunch of spam complaints. In the best case scenario, your emails will never be opened and instead will be deleted in bulk.
To avoid wasting your resources, create your own email list. Here are five tips to get it right.
1. Get permission
Emailing someone who hasn’t given permission is another sure way to sabotage your own delivery. People who have not signed up to receive emails from you are not only unlikely to be interested, but may report you as spam. Get permission before adding anyone to your database. Even if this is a client, he must be clearly interested in receiving marketing emails from you.
2. Double choice should be the standard
Some companies are still reluctant to use dual subscription. There is a myth that this slows down the growth of your email list. In fact, it helps you build a healthier and more active email list. Setting up a dual subscription on your email marketing platform will take a few minutes. It automatically sends an email to every new subscriber asking them to click on the verification link. This way you prevent fake registrations and ensure that you only send emails to people who expect to hear from you.
3. Check every new email address
Double opt-in may prevent some fake email opt-ins, but unwanted contacts can still end up in your list. To prevent them from infecting your database, check each new email address yourself. The most famous email verification platforms allow you to check multiple emails for free. This is a good option if your list is growing slowly. However, at least twice a year, make sure you check your entire list through an email verifier.
Related: These 3 Strategies Will Grow Your Email List for Free
4. Use Google reCAPTCHA on registration forms
Any obstacle you can put between your email list and fake subscriptions will help you build a healthier email program. In addition to periodically checking the database, add another layer of protection against automated bots. A program such as Google’s reCAPTCHA uses various algorithms to distinguish humans from bots. While some spammers can bypass even the most advanced spam protection systems, reCAPTCHA can still help you protect the health of your email list.
5. Break Up Sleeping Followers Every Three Months
If you want to build a dynamic email list, you need people who interact with your emails. Many factors go into your reputation as a sender, and your overall engagement rate is one of them. Keeping dormant subscribers on your list tells inbox providers that your content is irrelevant. To avoid the junk folder, delete idle contacts every three months. This is useful for your email deliverability. In addition, you avoid potential bounces as some of these inactive emails may be deactivated.
Related: How to Build an Email List and Be Successful from Day One
Bonus Tips to Help You Grow Your Email List Faster
Growing your email database is not as easy as setting up a couple of registration forms on your website. You also need to make sure that the emails you collect are real and active. The above tactics are easy to apply, but sometimes you may feel that your email list is growing too slowly.
Here’s how to change it.
- Add more registration forms to your platforms. Have at least two on your website and add one to your blog. Make the process seamless.
- Use social media more consciously. Your social media feeds are great for capturing more email addresses. Constantly promote your email list.
- Include a registration link in all your emails. This way, if one of your emails gets forwarded, the person who receives it will be able to sign up.
- Encourage word of mouth. Talk to your colleagues, friends, and clients about the great emails you send. Encourage them not only to subscribe, but also to share your form with others.
Lastly, and most importantly, send those emails. Keep track of your schedule so that people are waiting for your emails. Whether it’s once a month or three times a week, show up with useful content. Being present and providing real value to your audience will increase both your subscriptions and engagement.