How to Make Those Old Emails Clean

How to Make Those Old Emails CleanIf you have an old email list or you haven’t gotten around to sending out an email in quite some time, your emails could use some refreshing. When you’re involved in email marketing, a clean email mailing list is important. Here are some tips for list improvement that will keep your email clean:

Break the ice

If you haven’t sent an email in a long time, don’t be apologetic. An apology for not emailing more often can look unprofessional.

Send a personalized email that uses the recipient’s name. Explain some interesting business related things you’ve been up to. This shows that the reason you haven’t sent email is that you’ve been doing interesting and productive things in the industry since they last heard from you. You’re no slacker.

  • Make sure you send your reintroduction email out in small numbers so it doesn’t end up getting flagged as spam by the service provider.
  • Use email address verification to make sure you have a clean email list.
  • Remember to respond to replies to your emails promptly.

Offer them something free

Whether it’s advice, a quiz or a service give them a gift for reading the email and being on your list. This isn’t the time to sell, this is about reestablishing ties. Let them know that when they open emails that you send, they can expect to find something of value.

Whatever you give away should be relevant to your industry and easy for them to get. If they have to fill out a long questionnaire first, you might lose them.

Tips for email content

  • Start with a subject line that pulls people in and makes them want to read
  • Place a simple call to action like “Click this link to take our free quiz” at the end of each communication.
  • Encourage feedback and involvement. The more interactive the communication, the better the relationship you can build.
  • Let them know all of the channels they can use to get in touch with you or learn more about your company. This includes your company Facebook page.
  • Don’t use too many images. Images can slow down the loading of the email.
  • Check your grammar and spelling before you hit send.
  • Explain how your giveaway item (the quiz, how-to advice, etc) will be useful.
  • Make sure they know your intention to keep them up to date on industry news.

Continue to engage

You don’t want to lose your reestablished connection. Email regularly and predictably so the people on your list know will be expecting another email when it arrives.  Your content should be useful and industry related so you don’t lose subscribers due to a lack of interest.

  • Find out what topics your email list wants to hear about in a simple survey so you can hold their interest.
  • Use your unsubscribe page to win people back.

Following these tips for email list improvement can bring life back to your email marketing. You can warm up a cold email list by reintroducing yourself, giving away something for free, and remembering to engage regularly. By refreshing your mailing list with email address verification, you can improve your email marketing and reestablish relationships.  Building on those relationships long term will help your business.

David James

President, Bethesda List Center, Inc + Bethesda Emedia Marketing.