Strategic email list management involves a holistic approach that blends proactive engagement with rigorous hygiene. While validating actively engaged lists might be questioned, targeting inactive segments with validation tools and spotting typo domains remains relevant. Segmentation, based on demographics, behavior, and engagement, enables personalized content delivery. Prioritizing explicit consent, managing bounces, and running re-engagement campaigns nurture a healthy list. Implementing sunset policies and lead scoring optimizes engagement, while continuous monitoring of sender/IP reputation, handling list bombing attacks, and avoiding spam traps ensures high deliverability. Central to it all is the focus on delivering desired and valuable content.
11 marketer opinions
Strategic email list validation involves a multifaceted approach that goes beyond simply removing invalid addresses. It includes proactively identifying and engaging active subscribers, segmenting lists based on engagement levels, and implementing permission-based marketing practices. Alternative strategies emphasize focusing on 'who to email' rather than 'who to drop,' utilizing re-engagement campaigns, sunset policies, and lead scoring to prioritize valuable leads and maintain a healthy sender reputation. Avoiding spam traps and addressing typo domains are crucial hygiene practices. Automation also plays a part, where the process of identifying active vs. inactive users is automated through the use of customer data.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares their strategy of using validation tools on sets of emails that have stopped receiving messages due to inactivity. Invalid emails are opted out, and risky emails are spot-checked, and they also maintain a list of typo domains to opt out. They also note frustration about ESPs not hard bouncing typo domains.
25 Sep 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Emailonacid.com discusses strategies for avoiding spam traps, which are email addresses used by mailbox providers and anti-spam organizations to identify spammers. They recommend practicing proper list hygiene, avoiding purchased lists, and implementing double opt-in to minimize the risk of sending emails to spam traps.
10 Dec 2022 - Emailonacid.com
5 expert opinions
Experts emphasize a strategic, continuous approach to email list management. While validation might not be beneficial for actively emailed, deliverable addresses, identifying and removing inactive subscribers (especially those inactive for over a year) is crucial to avoid spam traps. Continuous list hygiene, beyond occasional cleaning, is essential. Permission-based marketing and handling list bombing attacks are critical aspects for maintaining a positive sender reputation and deliverability. The core focus should be on whether recipients genuinely want your emails.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks questions the utility of validation for actively emailed, deliverable addresses, implying it may not provide new insights.
6 Sep 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource (Laura Atkins) explains how to handle list bombing attacks and states that “List bombing is an attack by a third party designed to damage a company’s reputation, overload resources, or take down their mail stream entirely” and goes on to describe the methods of mitigating the attack.
28 Jul 2023 - Spam Resource
5 technical articles
Documentation consistently emphasizes maintaining a clean and engaged email list as crucial for optimal deliverability and a strong sender reputation. Key strategies include regular list validation, removal of invalid addresses, spam traps, and disengaged subscribers. Effective list segmentation (demographic, behavioral, psychographic) allows for personalized and relevant emails. Proper bounce management, differentiating between hard and soft bounces, is essential. Proactive monitoring of sender and IP reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS helps identify and address potential issues related to spam complaints, bounce rates, and authentication.
Technical article
Documentation from Validity.com emphasizes that a clean and engaged email list is crucial for maintaining a strong sender reputation and achieving optimal deliverability. They highlight that regularly validating email lists by removing invalid addresses, spam traps, and disengaged subscribers can significantly improve email performance.
9 Jul 2024 - Validity.com
Technical article
Documentation from Mailjet.com provides a detailed overview of list segmentation strategies, including demographic, behavioral, and psychographic segmentation. They explain how segmenting email lists based on specific criteria can enable marketers to send more relevant and personalized emails, leading to higher engagement rates and improved deliverability.
5 Aug 2021 - Mailjet.com
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