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Inactive List

Definition

An inactive list in email marketing refers to a segment of your email subscribers who have not engaged with your emails over a specific period of time. These subscribers have stopped opening, clicking, or interacting with your email content. Managing an inactive list is crucial for maintaining the health and effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.

How You Can Use

Inactive lists can be leveraged to re-engage or clean up your subscriber base.

Example: A retail brand identifies a segment of their email list that hasn’t engaged in the past six months. They create a re-engagement campaign offering a special discount to entice these inactive subscribers back to active status. Those who still don’t engage after the campaign are removed from the list to maintain list hygiene and improve overall deliverability rates.

Identifying inactive subscribers:

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to defining inactivity. Common factors include:

  • No Opens: Subscribers who haven’t opened any emails in a set timeframe (e.g., 3 months).
  • No Clicks: Subscribers who haven’t clicked on any links within your emails for a defined period.
  • Low Engagement: Subscribers with consistently low engagement compared to historical averages.

The specific criteria for your inactive list will depend on your email frequency and typical subscriber behavior.

Formulas or Calculations

Calculations for managing an inactive list might include determining the engagement threshold (e.g., no opens or clicks within six months) and measuring the success of re-engagement campaigns through metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.

Key Takeaways

  1. Improved Deliverability: Removing inactive subscribers can improve your overall email deliverability rates.
  2. Higher Engagement: Focusing on active subscribers can increase your email engagement metrics.
  3. Cost Efficiency: Reducing your list size by removing inactive subscribers can lower your email marketing costs.
  4. Re-engagement Opportunities: Targeted campaigns can help bring inactive subscribers back to active status.
  5. Better Data Quality: Maintaining a clean list ensures more accurate data for analytics and decision-making.

FAQs

What is an inactive list in email marketing?

An inactive list consists of subscribers who have not engaged with your emails over a defined period.

Why is it important to manage an inactive list?

Managing an inactive list helps improve deliverability, engagement, and cost efficiency of your email marketing campaigns.

How do I identify inactive subscribers?

Track subscriber engagement metrics such as opens, clicks, and interactions over a specified timeframe.

What strategies can I use to re-engage inactive subscribers?

Use personalized re-engagement campaigns, special offers, or surveys to understand and rekindle interest.

When should I remove inactive subscribers from my list?

After attempts to re-engage them have failed, it's beneficial to remove them to maintain list hygiene.

How does an inactive list affect email deliverability?

A high percentage of inactive subscribers can lower your sender reputation and increase the chances of emails landing in spam folders.

Can I re-engage inactive subscribers automatically?

Yes, automated re-engagement campaigns can be set up to target inactive subscribers periodically.

What are common benchmarks for identifying inactivity?

Common benchmarks include no email opens or clicks within the last 3, 6, or 12 months, depending on your email frequency.

What tools can help manage inactive lists?

Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Campaign Monitor offer tools to segment and manage inactive subscribers.

Is it better to delete inactive subscribers or keep them?

It's generally better to remove them after re-engagement attempts fail, as keeping them can negatively impact your email metrics and deliverability.

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