Email marketing list specialists are well known for their penchant for keeping the dead weight alive. Nobody truly wants to part with any member of their email address database, no matter how long it may have been since they have had true contact with them. Sometimes, even when you want to keep your large email list, you have to bite the bullet and cut off some dead weight.
The people who are in your email address database for a long time might be worth something, but you need to separate those who might come back from those who are just chronic unresponders. Sending out a special offer to see who from that group might return is a good way to determine who should stay and who should go. Consider this your “reactivation” program.
- Design an email for your unresponsive email marketing list that begins by letting them know that you have noticed that they have not taken advantage of your offers for some time now. Remind them about the benefits and advantages of your products and services, and that you would like to know if they would continue to want to receive email offers from you. Offer the opportunity to unsubscribe, of course, and inform them that if they want to be removed, you will no longer send them emails.
- Include a short survey asking about reasons for their lapse. Perhaps they have had no specific need for your services, or they might have not been satisfied in the past. Sometimes asking for their opinions may be enough to remind them that they do want to remain on your email address database and they might be considering some of your offers now or in the near future. This is a good way to find out why you have had no response, as well. If there is a reason for their absence, then you might be able to make some changes that could help you with the email marketing list in the future, even if you have lost them.
- Include a special offer, in the form of a coupon code or a prize for responding. People love to get any kind of bonus, and this might be just the incentive that you need.
Having subscribers to your email marketing list and addresses in your email address database that are unresponsive does nothing other than make your email list look big. You need the group to be one that is going to help you make money.