Clean up your list for better....everything!

Sponsored by

Hey there

Hi, and welcome back to another edition of eCommerce Alchemy - your one-stop destination for everything related to ecommerce growth.

Running an ecommerce business comes with its fair share of challenges. Picture this: You've just launched your new collection, and you're eager to spread the word. You craft the perfect email campaign, hit send, and wait for the orders to roll in.

But the day goes by, and the response is underwhelming. Sounds familiar? It may be because your emails are not even reaching the inbox!

Through my experiences working with ecommerce brands, I've learned a thing or two about the importance of email list hygiene. Join me as I share insights gained from running experiments and optimising email lists. Let's uncover the secrets to successful email marketing together.

Understanding Email List Hygiene

At its core, email list hygiene involves the continuous review and cleansing of your email subscriber list. Its objective is simple: to ensure that your list comprises only engaged and interested recipients while eliminating outdated or invalid email addresses.

By doing so, you enhance the effectiveness of your email campaigns and maintain a positive sender reputation.

Why is Email List Hygiene So Important?

A clean email list isn’t just about keeping things organised—it’s crucial for your email marketing success. Here’s why:

Better Deliverability: When your list is free from outdated or invalid email addresses, your emails are more likely to land in your subscribers' inboxes instead of getting lost in spam filters.

Stronger Relationships: Sending emails to people who aren't interested can damage your reputation and annoy your subscribers. By focusing on engaged contacts, you'll build stronger relationships with your audience.

Accurate Campaign Results: Keeping your list clean ensures that your email metrics accurately reflect subscriber engagement, allowing you to make smarter decisions about your email marketing strategy.

Cost Savings: Why waste money sending emails to people who aren't interested? A clean list means you're only paying to reach subscribers who actually want to hear from you.

Signs Your List Needs Attention

How do you know if your list needs a little TLC? Keep an eye out for these signs:

• High bounce rates or a lot of bounced emails.

• Declining open rates or engagement metrics.

• Lists that haven't been cleaned or updated in a while.

• Using purchased or rented lists, which often contain low-quality contacts.

5 Simple Steps to Clean Your Email List

Now let's explore five simple steps to clean up your email list.

Step 1: Eliminate Invalid and Outdated Addresses

First things first – it's time for a cleanup! Identify those email addresses causing hard bounces, the ones that lead nowhere. These addresses are permanently undeliverable, so it's best to remove them promptly. Utilise email list cleaning services or platforms like Klaviyo to automatically remove these addresses upon the first instance of a hard bounce. Soft bounces, which indicate temporary issues, can be addressed later through a systematic cleaning protocol.

Step 2: Identify Unengaged Profiles

Let's get strategic! Define a baseline to identify unengaged subscribers effectively. This could include subscribers who haven't engaged with any emails for a specific period. Once you've established your criteria, segment your list accordingly.

Klaviyo offers helpful segmentation criteria for engaged subscribers, which you can adjust to fit your business needs.

Step 3: Use Double Opt-In

Add an extra layer of confirmation to your subscription process. Implement double opt-in, requiring subscribers to confirm their subscription through a separate email. This not only reduces the likelihood of invalid or mistyped email addresses but also improves email deliverability and sender reputation. 

Klaviyo Integration: Klaviyo users have the flexibility to switch between single and double opt-in for individual contact lists. Simply navigate to Settings, select the desired list, and toggle between the options to update your settings.

Step 4: Try Re-engagement Email Campaigns

Before considering the removal of unengaged subscribers, explore methods to re-engage them. A win-back email or re-engagement campaign can reignite their interest.

These campaigns offer enticing incentives like coupon codes or free shipping to encourage subscribers to return. Take a cue from the below image, which offers a 25% discount with free shipping. 

If subscribers remain unresponsive, initiate a sunset flow comprising:

1. Re-Permission Email: Subscribers can confirm their interest or unsubscribe.

2. Goodbye Email: A graceful farewell for unsubscribers, preserving sender reputation.

Even if subscribers opt-out, it benefits your sender reputation. Consider encouraging preference updates to maintain contact information and reduce email frequency.

Step 5: Delete or Suppress Unengaged Profiles

After your re-engagement efforts, it's time to declutter your list. Remove unresponsive subscribers to maintain list hygiene and optimise campaign performance. Consider actions such as deleting unresponsive subscribers from your lists or suppressing them from future email campaigns.

By keeping your list clean and focused, you ensure that your messages reach the right audience and drive meaningful engagement.

Send products to Influencers and 5X revenue!

Drive traffic to your Amazon store with influencer partnerships and 5X revenue. Boost your sales with our unique approach to influencers and UGC. Carefully selected micro influencers purchase your product and get reimbursed for their expenses only if they complete a social promotion.

See how brands like Unilever and Magic Spoon have been able to 5X revenue in 2 months and decrease ad costs using Stack Influence.

Best practices for maintaining your email lists

Cleaning your email list can be the difference between a successful campaign and one that falls flat. But you don't need to dive deep into data analysis if you keep your email lists well-maintained from the start.

Here's how you can ensure your email list hygiene stays in top shape:

1. Prioritise Engaged Subscribers

When sending emails, focus on engaged subscribers who are more likely to interact with your content. Utilise engagement data to create segments and send targeted emails. Adjust email frequency to avoid overwhelming less-engaged subscribers.

Pro tip: Reserve major promotions for all subscribers, while keeping engaged ones updated with consistent brand messages.

Check out the example of email engagement tracks based on engagement metrics in the image below.

2. Create Specific Segments

Segment your list based on behaviour, including demographics, geolocation, and purchase history. Tailor your emails to match your customers’ needs and interests to keep them engaged and maintain list health.

3. Make Unsubscribing Easy

Offer a hassle-free unsubscribe option to maintain a positive relationship and reduce spam complaints. Klaviyo makes it simple to add an unsubscribe link to your emails. You just need to add a new unsubscribe tag to your email template.

4. Continuously Analyse Performance

Rely on effective metrics like clicks to your website and recent orders to gauge subscriber engagement. Pay attention to on-site behaviour and the recency of sign-ups to personalise your communications and ensure future engagement.

• Prioritise click rates to measure engagement with your content.

• Use Klaviyo’s benchmarks to optimise your emails for clicks.

• Consider recent orders to understand subscriber engagement beyond email.

• Analyse on-site behaviour to build a complete customer profile.

• Don’t suppress new subscribers too early; give them time to engage with your brand.

• Manage email frequency to prevent subscriber overload and maintain engagement rates.

Monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) helps you invest effort in effective strategies and refine your marketing approach for better results.

In conclusion, maintaining a clean and engaged email list isn't just a best practice—it's essential for successful email marketing. By prioritising list hygiene and implementing targeted segmentation, you can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your email campaigns, foster stronger relationships with your audience, and optimise your marketing budget.

Remember, a well-maintained email list is the key to reaching the right audience with the right message. Start implementing the steps and best practices mentioned today to witness a tangible improvement in your email campaign effectiveness and subscriber engagement.