10 quick pointers to combat list fatigue

A Many small and medium size companies want to do email marketing, but they have no clue on how to manage their mailing lists. A fresh mailing list is productive but over a period, it could get churned due to various reasons. In this article, you will be provided with 10 basic tips on how to fight list erosion. Having a proper understanding of this subject can greatly enhance not only your campaign results but also help you stay away from spam complaints.

Pointer 1: Do not wait too long to start the campaign

After you acquire permission from your user to receive your messages, do not wait too long to send your first promotional mail. Reaffirm permission immediately after obtaining the consent. Send an email detailing the topics, frequency and content users can expect in future communications from you. This enables users to set the right expectations from your email promotions.

Pointer 2: Reduce the frequency of your campaigns

Once you have the permission based mailing list, do not abuse it with too frequent email campaigns. Practice restrain with an occasional pause. Too many emails could irritate your prospects to the extent of withdrawing their permission. Segment your customers into groups and send campaigns to each segment at different timetables. This gives reasonable buffer time to your recipients and helps to avoid exhausting your readers with too much of information.

Pointer 3: Send relevant content/offers

Stick to the initial promise. Recipients continue to remain active readers of your communication as long as it delivers relevant information. Drain in subscriber base happens when your content holds little value of information and when you deviate away from the readers concerns.

Pointer 4: Regularly update change of address

List churn also happens when your subscribers change their email address. Business or consumer lists churn typically accounts to 20-30% a year. Hard bounces on account of such changes can be avoided by updating your mailing list with deliverable mailing address. Create in-house resources to keep constant tab of changes with customers or leverage external vendors to recover customer details using services like, Email change of address appending services.

Pointer 5: Remove inactive subscribers

Review your email marketing database once in a month or quarter and segregate the inactive subscribers. Do not bundle all the subscribers, (active respondents and inactive ones) to send mails. Merging active with inactive respondents can lift your bounce rate and can dampen your reputation with ISP’s. Rekindle inactive subscription by using freebies, gift coupons, guides, white paper etc.

Pointer 6: Constantly review your key content

The content showcased in your subject line or email message must stand out from your competitors’ promotions. Users have limited attention spans as a result of burgeoned online solicitation. Hire a competent copywriter to keep you ahead in content quality and lure your users to click on your email.

Pointer 7: Explore different channels

Often one communication channel can fail to reach your marketing messages to your recipients. Try other channels, like emails, mailers, calls etc to reconnect with the subscriber and win back your customers. Leverage on the alternate data channels available with you for effective communication.

Pointer 8: Regularly update user profile

Initial profile of your users can change with the passage of time. Changes in demographic traits or change in interests, job, and preferences can alter your reader’s topic of interest. Get your users to update information by offering incentives like free white paper, article or freebies. Updated information can enable you to send targeted communication and relevant emails to them.

Pointer 9: Enable effective unsubscribe process

Many users are stuck in your mailing list because there is no clear exit route. Users who change priorities due to various reasons would like to exit from your promotion. Respect the users’ right and enable a simple and effective unsubscribe process.

Pointer 10: Explore new creative treatments

Conduct and explore new creative elements in your email promotion. Design, color, front, flash programs can be used in your promotion to keep it livelier. Test new elements with alternate control to pep up the response levels from users.

Bottom line:

List fatigue is an accepted fact in email marketing, but the measures outlined in this article can help you to keep it to a minimum.

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