Email List Hygiene

2017 is the year of digital here at Impact, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure your digital campaigns are as successful as possible. One of the easiest ways to get started in the digital space is through email marketing. This means getting an account set up with a mass email provider, such as MailChimp or Constant Contact. Other options include a CRM function, such as InfusionSoft. Whichever platform you choose for your practice, list maintenance and hygiene is critical for successful campaigns.

Building Your List
When creating and uploading your email lists, use contacts that have expressed an interest in hearing from you — clients, prospects, etc. Communicating with contacts that want to hear from you and express interest in your services is critical to a successful campaign. If you’re emailing people that have not given you permission to contact them, it can result in you getting blocked or blacklisted.

Need help growing your list? Converting website visitors to valid prospects by offering something in exchange for their contact information is a great way to grow your list. Offer a white paper, report, or complimentary book in exchange for an email address. Because your visitors are getting something in return, there is a greater chance of them providing accurate email addresses.[1]

Bounce Rates
Pay attention to the email send reports that you get from your email service providers. Pay specific attention to bounce rates; if your rates are between 3% and 5%, you have some list maintenance ahead of you. Scrub your list of duplicate emails, alias email addresses (info@, sales@, etc.), unsubscribed addresses, and inactive contacts. A good scrub of your list should significantly change your bounce rate on your next campaign. According to MarketingProfs, over 20% of email registrations contain some type of error — either in syntax, domain, typos, etc. Do a quick edit of your email uploads prior to loading; if something looks off, it probably is. Don’t load it into your system. Garbage in = Garbage out!

Keep It Clean
Stay on the good side of your internet service provider and your mass email service provider by following these quick and easy tips:

1. Send a welcome email to all new subscribers.
2. Segment your lists.
   1. Seminar attendees
   2. Referrals
   3. Clients
   4. Prospects
3. Let your subscribers edit their email settings.
4. Provide clear unsubscribe forms/links.
5. Send re-engagement campaigns.2

Need additional tips and tricks? Contact your marketing manager today!

[1] https://litmus.com/blog/email-list-hygiene-how-to-build-a-clean-email-list

2 http://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2016/31206/keep-it-clean-the-importance-of-email-list-hygiene-infographic