When should I use a list cleaning service for my email list?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog explains that list cleaning improves email deliverability by reducing bounce rates, spam complaints, and unsubscribes. This leads to better engagement rates and a stronger sender reputation.
Email marketer from ZeroBounce Blog shares that you should clean your email list regularly, suggesting at least once every three months, and more frequently (monthly or even weekly) for large lists or lists with high turnover. This helps maintain a healthy sender reputation.
Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog explains that maintaining a healthy email list is essential for successful email marketing. List cleaning helps remove invalid addresses, improves deliverability, and ensures that your messages reach engaged subscribers.
Email marketer from Email Hippo Blog explains that regularly cleaning your email list ensures you are only sending to valid and engaged subscribers. This improves deliverability, reduces costs associated with sending to invalid addresses, and protects your sender reputation.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that if you haven't emailed your list in over a year, it's crucial to clean it before sending again. Many email addresses may have become inactive or spam traps. They suggest using a reputable email verification service before your next campaign.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that if you're experiencing high bounce rates, it's a clear sign that your list needs cleaning. High bounce rates can damage your sender reputation and lead to deliverability issues. They suggest using an email verification tool to identify and remove invalid email addresses.
Email marketer from MailerCheck Blog explains that you should clean your email list when you notice a drop in engagement metrics (open rates, click-through rates), an increase in bounce rates, or if you haven't emailed your list in a while (e.g., over six months). They also advise cleaning after experiencing a spam complaint surge.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog shares that integrating list cleaning with segmentation allows you to identify and remove unengaged segments while retaining valuable subscribers. This ensures you're only sending to those who are likely to engage with your content.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog explains that failing to clean your email list can lead to deliverability issues, damage your sender reputation, and increase the cost of your email marketing campaigns. They also stress that you could be penalized by your ESP.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that Kickbox started with the idea that list cleaning doesn't have to be abusive, but notes that the founders/early employees have moved on, so the current philosophy is uncertain.
Expert from Spamresource explains that list cleaning is crucial to maintain deliverability, reduce bounce rates, and avoid being flagged as a spammer. They also mention that having a clean list improves engagement metrics and reduces costs associated with sending to invalid or inactive addresses.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that you should remove subscribers who haven't engaged (opened or clicked) with your emails in six months or more. They also suggest looking at the 'last opened' date and segmenting based on engagement levels to decide when to clean the list.
Expert from Email Geeks says if you haven't emailed the list in a year, you don't need a 3rd party.
Expert from Email Geeks states that they don't find much value in companies that sell list hygiene and that they find them a waste of money in most situations, doing some detective work themselves instead (checking for parked domains etc).
Expert from Email Geeks explains that list cleaning won't help with bot signups because they intentionally use deliverable addresses. They suggest MAAWG's documentation for mitigation strategies.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Validity responds that regularly cleaning your list is crucial to avoid sending to spam traps, which can severely damage your sender reputation. Spam traps are email addresses that are used to identify spammers and poor list hygiene practices.
Documentation from SparkPost explains that high bounce rates negatively impact your sender reputation, potentially leading to emails being marked as spam or blocked entirely. Regular list cleaning helps prevent this by removing invalid or inactive email addresses.
Documentation from SendGrid explains that engagement metrics (opens, clicks) are crucial for maintaining a positive sender reputation. Sending emails to unengaged users can lower your engagement rates and negatively affect deliverability. List cleaning helps by removing inactive subscribers, focusing efforts on engaged recipients.
Documentation from Mailchimp responds that you should remove inactive subscribers from your list if they haven't opened or clicked an email in a certain period (e.g., six months). This improves your list's engagement rate and reduces the risk of being marked as spam.