Summary
Defining unengaged subscribers for removal from email lists is a nuanced process that lacks a one-size-fits-all solution. The consensus emphasizes the importance of maintaining list hygiene to protect sender reputation and improve deliverability. A common timeframe for identifying unengaged subscribers ranges from 3 to 18 months, influenced by factors like sending frequency and target audience behavior. Key metrics include opens, clicks, website activity, bounce rates, and spam complaints. Before removing subscribers, implementing a re-engagement campaign is strongly recommended. Hard bounces should be removed immediately, and subscribers who consistently mark emails as spam should also be promptly removed. Decisions regarding the definition of 'unengaged' and subsequent removal actions should be tailored to individual business models, customer interactions, and delivery impact assessments.
Key findings
- Timeframe Variation: The acceptable timeframe for defining unengaged subscribers varies significantly (3-18 months), dependent on individual circumstances.
- Engagement as Multifaceted: Engagement should be measured using a combination of metrics, including opens, clicks, website activity, bounces, and spam complaints.
- Re-engagement Importance: Implementing a re-engagement campaign prior to removal is a best practice.
- Hard Bounce and Spam Handling: Hard bounces and consistent spam reporters should be removed immediately.
- Deliverability Impact: Removing unengaged subscribers is essential for maintaining a positive sender reputation and improving email deliverability.
Key considerations
- Sending Frequency: Adjust the timeframe for unengagement based on how frequently emails are sent.
- Audience Behavior: Consider the specific engagement patterns of your target audience.
- Business Model Relevance: Align the definition of 'unengaged' with the business model and customer lifecycle.
- Reputation Protection: Prioritize actions that protect and improve sender reputation.
- Data Tracking Accuracy: Ensure accurate tracking and analysis of relevant engagement metrics.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Defining unengaged subscribers for removal from an email list involves considering a variety of factors. A common timeframe suggested is 6 months, although this can range from 3 months to 18 months depending on sending frequency, target audience, and business model. Engagement metrics like opens, clicks, and website activity should be tracked, and a re-engagement strategy implemented before removal. List hygiene is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and deliverability. Other metrics such as website logins, bounce rates, and spam complaints should also be considered.
Key opinions
- Timeframe: The definition of 'unengaged' varies, with recommended timeframes ranging from 3 to 18 months.
- Engagement Metrics: Opens and clicks are primary metrics, but website activity, bounce rates, and spam complaints are also important.
- Re-engagement: Implementing a re-engagement campaign before removal is a common best practice.
- Segmentation: Segmenting subscribers based on engagement level allows for tailored re-engagement strategies and more precise removal criteria.
- Deliverability Impact: Removing unengaged subscribers improves sender reputation and email deliverability.
Key considerations
- Sending Frequency: If you send emails frequently, a shorter timeframe for defining unengaged subscribers may be appropriate.
- Target Audience: The behavior of your specific target audience should influence the timeframe and metrics used.
- Business Model: The value of a subscriber and the length of the sales cycle should be considered.
- Re-engagement Strategy: Determine what steps will be taken to try and re-engage subscribers before removing them.
- Data Tracking: Ensure accurate and comprehensive tracking of engagement metrics to inform your decisions.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus shares that regularly cleaning your email list by removing unengaged subscribers improves your sender reputation and deliverability. They suggest defining unengaged based on opens, clicks, and website activity.
7 Jun 2023 - Litmus
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that identifying inactive subscribers involves tracking opens and clicks, segmenting based on engagement, and setting a re-engagement strategy. They suggest suppressing those who don't respond to re-engagement efforts.
6 Jan 2022 - HubSpot
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
Defining unengaged subscribers for removal from an email list is not governed by a hard and fast rule. The decision depends on various factors, primarily focusing on the impact of unengaged users on sender reputation and deliverability. Cleaning lists is essential to mitigate risks like list bombing and spam complaints and to maintain a healthy sender reputation. Ultimately, the choice should be based on how the specific customer base interacts with the emails.
Key opinions
- No Universal Rule: There is no single, universally applicable rule for defining unengaged subscribers.
- Impact on Reputation: Unengaged subscribers can negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability.
- Risk Mitigation: Cleaning lists helps mitigate risks like list bombing and spam complaints.
- Customer Interaction: The decision should be based on how the customer base interacts with your mail.
Key considerations
- Individual Business Needs: Evaluate your specific business needs and sales cycles.
- Customer Behavior: Analyze how your customer base interacts with your mail.
- Delivery Impact: Assess how unengaged users affect your overall delivery rates.
- Reputation Management: Implement strategies to protect your sender reputation.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains there is no hard and fast rule, but the idea is that people who are not interacting with your mail (at the webmail providers) can hurt your overall reputation and bring down your delivery if they’re on your list for too long. Suggests senders should make the choice based on their customer base and how they interact with your mail.
7 Apr 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that senders should pay attention to subscriber engagement and how it relates to potential list bombing or spam complaints. Cleaning lists to remove unengaged users is essential to protect sender reputation.
26 May 2022 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Defining unengaged subscribers for removal is critical for maintaining email list health and sender reputation. Hard bounces should be removed immediately. Keeping spam rates low by removing subscribers who consistently mark emails as spam is essential. Monitoring and acting on low engagement, high bounce rates, and high complaint rates are critical for preserving IP reputation and deliverability. Tracking metrics like opens, clicks, and unsubscribes helps identify consistently unengaged contacts for removal, ideally through automated processes.
Key findings
- Hard Bounce Removal: Hard bounces (permanent delivery failures) must be removed immediately.
- Spam Complaint Management: Removing subscribers who consistently mark emails as spam is vital to reduce spam rates.
- Engagement Tracking: Tracking engagement metrics (opens, clicks, unsubscribes) is crucial for identifying unengaged subscribers.
- Reputation Impact: Low engagement, high bounce rates, and high complaint rates negatively impact sender/IP reputation.
- Automation: Automated processes for flagging and removing unengaged contacts are recommended.
Key considerations
- Bounce Handling: Implement robust systems for processing and acting on bounce notifications.
- Feedback Loops: Participate in feedback loops to monitor spam complaints.
- Metric Monitoring: Establish processes for regularly monitoring engagement metrics, bounce rates, and spam complaint rates.
- Threshold Setting: Define specific thresholds for engagement, bounces, and complaints that trigger removal processes.
- Provider Guidelines: Understand and adhere to the email sending guidelines of major providers (Google, Microsoft, etc.).
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains that tracking engagement metrics like opens, clicks, and unsubscribes is vital for identifying unengaged subscribers. Set up automated processes to flag and potentially remove contacts who consistently show no engagement.
10 Jan 2022 - SparkPost
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft SNDS explains that sender reputation is affected by user engagement. Low engagement and high complaint rates from recipients impact IP reputation and deliverability. Regular list cleaning is recommended to maintain a positive reputation.
16 Aug 2024 - Microsoft
Does pruning your email lists help with deliverability?
How long should I keep inactive email addresses on my marketing list?
Should I unsubscribe inactive users and what are the best practices?
How can I improve email deliverability for a client with a poor sender reputation and questionable email acquisition practices?
How long should I exclude unengaged email subscribers to improve deliverability?
How can I improve email deliverability and open rates for a client with a bad domain reputation, especially with Gmail, and what strategies should I use for unengaged users?
