According to an article by Kissmetrics, 60% of in-house email lists are inactive email subscribers. To most email marketers, this means that subscribers haven’t clicked, opened or shown any activity on emails in the past 6-12 months. Are dead email subscribers haunting your email campaigns’ open and click-through rates? It’s time to wake up the dead this Halloween season and re-engage them. Here are 3 ways to determine whether your email subscribers can be brought back to life – or if they should be left forever forgotten.
Sometimes They Need a Refresher
At some point in your subscriber’s life, you sparked their interest just like a lightning bolt sparked life into Frankenstein. At that point, you had them in the palm of your hand. How did you attract them in the first place? Why are they inactive now? Research and find out what originally attracted your dead subscribers and stimulate that interest again! Maybe they’re no longer interested in a service you provide. Find out if you offer something else of interest. In many cases, people subscribe to all kinds of emails but forget where or why they signed up later on. Follow up with them right after the initial sign-up and send them a welcome email and/or a sweet deal. The goal is to get them excited about your brand. Sending subscribers a “hello” email every now and then is another great way to stay at top of mind.
Are You Sure They’re Dead?
Before giving email subscribers the axe, make sure there is absolutely no coming back. Send your inactive subscribers an email that says, “To ensure you continue to receive our emails, click here” or offer a promo of some sort. The click verifies both the email address and the recipient’s interest. If there is no response after attempting to re-engage them in some way, it’s time to cut them off. Don’t be sad for the loss; it’s better to focus your energy and resources on the living. By doing this, you will leave room to add new potential customers to your email list and protect your sending reputation.
Get Feedback
Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out what you did wrong on your own, so don’t be afraid to ask. Ask your subscribers to tell you what they think you could do to improve, and then provide an incentive for doing so. This way, they will follow up because something is in it for them. You can provide a survey to fill out or a questionnaire to answer.
These are just a few ways to get your email marketing started on the right foot for the fall holiday season. Chopping off the dead weight from your email list can be painful. No one likes to see a subscriber list decrease. Take this opportunity to learn from any mistakes and plan a better email campaign. For additional email marketing or email list inquiries, please call US Data Corporation at (888) 578-3282.
Don’t forget to enter US Data’s Halloween Costume Contest for a chance to win an Apple iPad Mini 2, Apple Watch Sport, or $100 Visa gift card!