How often should I clean my email list?

The frequency depends on your send volume and subscriber acquisition rate, but a good rule of thumb is to review and clean your list at least once or twice a year, after implementing a re-engagement campaign.

What's the best way to define inactivity?

Given the unreliability of open rates due to privacy features, it's best to define inactivity based on multiple metrics like no clicks, no website visits, or no purchases over a period, typically 6-12 months, depending on your business cycle.

Does removing inactive subscribers affect my email volume?

Yes, it will reduce your total subscriber count, but it will improve your engagement metrics (open rates, click rates) and overall deliverability, making your sends more effective. This quality over quantity approach is beneficial .

Can I re-engage inactive subscribers after removing them?

It's generally not recommended to immediately re-add them to your main list. If you wish to attempt re-engagement, it should be done through a separate, highly targeted campaign or list segment, with a clear opt-in process. Focus on active consent moving forward.

How does DMARC relate to list cleaning?

DMARC ensures your emails are authenticated, which is crucial for deliverability. While not directly cleaning your list, a strong DMARC policy combined with a clean list signals trustworthiness to ISPs, further enhancing your sender reputation. DMARC monitoring tools from Suped help you understand your email authentication status .

Is it a good idea to remove inactive subscribers from email lists? - Sender reputation - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

The question of whether to remove inactive subscribers from your email list is a perennial topic in email marketing circles. It can feel counterintuitive to deliberately shrink your audience, especially after all the effort put into acquiring those subscribers. However, a closer look reveals that holding onto unengaged contacts can do more harm than good to your overall email program.

Many marketers grapple with this decision. On one hand, every subscriber represents a potential future conversion. On the other, consistently sending emails to recipients who never open or click can signal to mailbox providers like Google and Yahoo that your content isn't relevant or desired. This perception can severely impact your sender reputation and, consequently, your email deliverability.

This article will explore why culling inactive subscribers is often a strategic move for improving email performance, maintaining a healthy sender reputation, and ensuring your messages reach the inboxes of those who genuinely want to hear from you.

Why inactive subscribers hurt your email program

Inactive subscribers might seem harmless, but they can significantly degrade your email program's effectiveness. When mailbox providers see a large percentage of your emails going unopened or being marked as spam, it raises red flags about the quality of your list and the relevance of your content. This directly impacts your domain's and IP's sender reputation, making it harder to reach the inbox for all your subscribers.

Sending to inactive recipients can also lead to increased bounce rates, especially if old, abandoned email addresses turn into spam traps. Hitting spam traps is a major indicator of poor list hygiene and can result in your domain or IP address being placed on an email blocklist (or blacklist). The consequence? Your emails could end up in the spam folder, or worse, be completely blocked. The risk of sending email to inactive users is a tangible threat to your deliverability.

Furthermore, a bloated list inflates your costs with email service providers (ESPs), as most charge based on subscriber count. You're paying to send messages to people who aren't engaging, diminishing your return on investment. This is why purging inactive subscribers is a good idea, as noted by Rejoiner, because it can improve email deliverability, performance, and ROI.

The hidden costs of inactive subscribers

Keeping inactive subscribers on your list has several detrimental effects beyond just a lower open rate. These unengaged contacts can silently erode your email program's foundation. It increases email deliverability challenges, as too many inactive subscribers can severely damage your email deliverability. This sentiment is echoed by Mailmunch, which highlights how low engagement can seriously hurt deliverability.

Damaged sender reputation: Mailbox providers penalize senders with low engagement, leading to worse inbox placement for all your emails.
Higher bounce rates: Old, unused addresses are more likely to hard bounce or become spam traps.
Increased costs: You pay your ESP for subscribers who aren't contributing to your marketing goals.
Skewed analytics: Your open and click rates appear lower than they truly are among your engaged audience.

Benefits of a clean and engaged email list

The primary benefit of pruning your email lists is a healthier, more accurate picture of your audience and improved deliverability. By removing those who consistently ignore your emails, you boost your engagement metrics. Higher open and click rates signal to ISPs that your content is valuable, thereby improving your sender reputation.

A cleaner list means you're focusing your efforts on subscribers who are genuinely interested, leading to better campaign performance and a higher return on investment. You're also reducing the chances of hitting spam traps and ending up on a blocklist. Managing inactive email subscribers can improve Gmail deliverability, as Google heavily prioritizes engagement when determining inbox placement.

By maintaining a lean, engaged list, you ensure your marketing budget is spent effectively, reaching an audience most likely to convert. It's about quality over quantity, fostering a stronger relationship with your active subscribers and protecting your email program's long-term health.

Challenges with a bloated list

Low engagement rates: Open and click rates suffer, masking true campaign performance.
Poor sender reputation: ISPs see disinterest, increasing the likelihood of landing in spam.
Increased costs: You pay for subscribers who aren't generating revenue.
Spam trap hits: Greater risk of sending to abandoned addresses used as spam traps.

Benefits of a clean list

Improved deliverability: Higher inbox placement rates for your valuable emails.
Enhanced sender reputation: ISPs trust you more, leading to better email treatment.
Optimized ROI: Marketing budget is spent on engaged, valuable subscribers.
Accurate analytics: True insights into how your campaigns perform with your active audience.

Defining and identifying inactive subscribers

Before you remove inactive subscribers, you need a clear definition of what constitutes an unengaged subscriber. This isn't always straightforward. Traditionally, inactivity is measured by a lack of opens or clicks over a specific period. However, with modern privacy features, particularly Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), open rates are no longer a fully reliable metric.

Instead, focus on other engagement signals. Are subscribers clicking links? Are they visiting your website? Are they purchasing? Are they replying to emails, even if not opening tracking pixels? How long should users be inactive before deleting them varies by industry and send frequency, but typically ranges from 6 to 12 months.

Implement robust tracking for clicks and website activity, and consider segmenting your audience based on these behavioral metrics. This allows you to differentiate between genuinely disengaged subscribers and those who simply have tracking pixels blocked.

Metric	Definition	Reliability	Notes
Open Rate	No recorded email opens over a period.	Low	Affected by Mail Privacy Protection and image blocking.
Click Rate	No clicks on embedded links over a period.	Medium to High	A better indicator of active interest, less impacted by privacy settings.
Website Visits	No visits to your site after receiving emails.	High	Requires integration between ESP and web analytics.
Purchases/Conversions	No transactions over a period.	High	The ultimate measure of subscriber value, but may have longer cycles.

Implementing a sunset policy and re-engagement strategy

The decision to remove inactive subscribers shouldn't be abrupt. A strategic approach involves a re-engagement campaign first. This is your last chance to win them back. These campaigns should offer compelling reasons to re-engage, such as exclusive content, special discounts, or an update on your offerings.

For those who don't respond to re-engagement efforts, a sunset policy for inactive email subscribers is essential. This policy outlines the criteria and timeline for removing non-responsive subscribers. It's not just about improving metrics, but also about compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR, which emphasize data minimization and user consent. Regularly cleaning your list ensures you are only holding onto data for actively engaged users.

While it might seem daunting, establishing a clear list hygiene strategy, including a robust sunset policy, is crucial for long-term email marketing success. It allows you to focus your resources on your most valuable subscribers and maintains a healthy, compliant, and high-performing email program.

Steps for a successful re-engagement and sunset strategy

Define inactivity: Establish clear criteria based on clicks, website visits, or purchases, not just opens.
Segment your list: Separate inactive subscribers for targeted re-engagement campaigns.
Launch a re-engagement series: Send 1-3 emails offering value or a clear call-to-action to stay subscribed.
Set a sunset timeline: Determine a period after which non-responsive subscribers will be removed.
Remove inactive contacts: Periodically purge contacts who haven't re-engaged, prioritizing email deliverability.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Implement a clear re-engagement sequence before removing subscribers to offer a final chance to opt-in.

Utilize multiple engagement metrics, beyond just opens, to identify truly inactive subscribers, such as clicks or website activity.

Regularly review and update your definition of an inactive subscriber to align with current email client behaviors and privacy features.

Communicate transparently with subscribers about list hygiene practices, including reconfirmation emails, to maintain trust and manage expectations.

Common pitfalls

Removing subscribers too quickly without a re-engagement attempt, potentially losing genuinely interested but passively engaged users.

Relying solely on open rates to define inactivity, given the impact of Mail Privacy Protection and other pixel-blocking technologies.

Failing to communicate list cleaning intentions, which can surprise subscribers and lead to confusion or complaints.

Not integrating list hygiene with overall DMARC monitoring and sender reputation management, missing a holistic view of email health.

Expert tips

Consider segmenting your inactive list for different re-engagement strategies based on their historical value or signup source.

Use transactional email engagement (e.g., purchase confirmations) as a stronger signal of activity than marketing email opens.

Analyze the optimal time frame for inactivity based on your specific industry and customer lifecycle, rather than a generic rule.

Leverage advanced tools like Suped for comprehensive DMARC reporting, which provides deeper insights into email authentication and deliverability, helping you identify underlying issues that contribute to perceived inactivity.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says they kicked off 192 people from their newsletter due to inactivity, sending a goodbye email with a reconfirmation link to identify those who don't show up in opens but still want to stay.

2024-09-20 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks wonders how open rates are tracked, especially with email clients that might block open pixels.

2024-09-21 - Email Geeks

The ongoing effort of list hygiene

The practice of removing inactive subscribers, while seemingly counterintuitive, is a cornerstone of effective email marketing and plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy email deliverability strategy. It's not about losing subscribers, but about refining your audience to focus on those who are truly engaged and interested in your content. This leads to better performance metrics, reduced costs, and a stronger sender reputation.

By implementing a thoughtful re-engagement process followed by a clear sunset policy, you ensure your email program remains efficient and compliant. Tools like Suped's DMARC monitoring can further enhance your overall email security and deliverability, providing crucial insights into authentication failures that might also contribute to emails not reaching the inbox, thus impacting perceived engagement.

Ultimately, a clean and engaged email list is a powerful asset. It allows you to build stronger relationships with your audience, achieve higher conversion rates, and safeguard your sender reputation for the long haul. Don't be afraid to say goodbye to inactive subscribers, as it often paves the way for greater success.