check your email’s health

Simply having a large email list and an impressive CRM tool like MailChimp isn’t enough — you have to keep the list in good health to yield the results you want to see. One question I hear often is, “What defines a healthy email list?” I’m glad you asked!

A healthy email list includes the following:

• Subscribers who actively opted in

• Strong engagement rates (Open-Rates & Click-thru Rates)

• Steady stream of new subscribers

• Good deliverability rates

• Low bounce rates

According to market research, the average open rate is about 34% and click-thru rates are just under 2%.

How does your list measure up?

If your metrics are below average, there’s opportunity to improve your email health. Here are 3 tips to improve your email’s health.

1. Regular List Cleaning: Just as you declutter your physical space, it's essential to declutter your email list regularly. Over time, email lists accumulate inactive subscribers, invalid email addresses, and spam traps, all of which can harm your deliverability rates and affect your sender reputation. Implement a regular list cleaning routine to purge these unwanted contacts and keep your list pristine. 

• Segmentation and Analysis: Segment your email list based on engagement metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Identify inactive subscribers who haven't opened or clicked on your emails in a specified period (e.g., six months to a year). These subscribers are ideal for removal or re-engagement campaigns. Analyze bounce rates to identify invalid email addresses and remove them promptly to maintain list hygiene.

• Re-engagement Campaigns: Before removing inactive subscribers from your list, consider launching re-engagement campaigns to win them back. You can create compelling emails with limited time offers, personalized recommendations, or simply a personalized message urging them to re-engage with your brand. Monitor the response to these campaigns and remove subscribers who remain unresponsive after multiple attempts.

• Email Verification Tools: Leverage email verification tools to validate email addresses and weed out invalid contacts from your list. These tools can detect typos, syntax errors, and dormant addresses that could harm your deliverability rates. By regularly verifying your email list, you ensure that your messages reach genuine, engaged subscribers who are interested in hearing from you.

2. Optimize Subscription Forms: The foundation of a healthy email list lies in how you acquire subscribers in the first place. Optimizing your subscription forms can help attract high-quality leads and minimize the risk of spam complaints and unsubscribes.

• Clear Value Proposition: Clearly communicate the value proposition of subscribing to your email list. What benefits will subscribers receive? Whether it's exclusive discounts, informative content, or access to VIP events, make it compelling enough for visitors to willingly share their email addresses.

• Transparent Consent: Obtain explicit consent from subscribers before adding them to your email list. Use double opt-in confirmation to ensure that subscribers actively confirm their subscription, reducing the likelihood of spam complaints and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM.

• Minimalistic Design: Keep your subscription forms clean, concise, and user-friendly. Avoid asking for excessive information upfront, as lengthy forms can deter potential subscribers. Stick to essential fields such as name and email address, and consider using progressive profiling to gather additional information over time.

3. Engaging Content and Personalization: Once you've built a healthy email list, the key to maintaining its health lies in delivering engaging content that resonates with your subscribers' interests and preferences.

• Personalization: Tailor your email content to the individual preferences and behaviors of your subscribers. Use dynamic content blocks to personalize email campaigns based on factors such as demographics, past purchase history, and browsing behavior. Personalized emails are more likely to capture attention and drive engagement.

• Value-Driven Content: Provide value to your subscribers with informative, relevant, and actionable content. Whether it's educational articles, product tutorials, or exclusive offers, ensure that your emails deliver something of value to the recipient. By consistently delivering valuable content, you reinforce trust and loyalty with your subscribers, keeping them actively engaged with your brand.

• Interactive Elements: Incorporate interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, and surveys to encourage subscriber engagement and feedback. Interactive emails not only increase click-through rates but also provide valuable insights into subscriber preferences and interests. Experiment with different interactive elements to keep your email content fresh and engaging.

In conclusion, maintaining a healthy email list requires ongoing effort and attention to detail. By implementing regular list cleaning, optimizing subscription forms, and delivering engaging content, you can ensure that your email list remains a valuable asset that drives business growth and fosters meaningful connections with your audience.