Email marketing expert, President of Synchronicity Marketing, and source of enlightened email marketing consulting, strategy, coaching and training. I am the premiere professional educator in email, having designed and taught live and virtual certification and education programs since 2000 for MarketingProfs, the DMA, the ANA, and countless private clients.
My unique depth of digital marketing expertise in combination with my finely honed direct response mindset has improved email marketing results for hundreds of clients ranging from NASCAR, Bank of the West, Texas Instruments, Applied Materials, AAA and the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau to agencies, associations and independent entrepreneurs.
As others have said, proceed with caution! Assuming you've already used a top email list hygiene provider like Fresh Address or Webbula (if you haven't, you might need to clean it again), here's what I suggest you do next:
1) Interrupt your pattern of sending content newsletters with either a preferences or general survey, ideally with an incentive for completion (random prize drawing works well). At this point, sending a campaign people will be HIGHLY MOTIVATED to open and click is key, since leading ISPs such as Gmail and MSN are increasingly using engagement metrics to determine whether your email keeps getting delivered or gets junked. Also, conditioning a pattern of response early is important to getting people to engage on a regular basis.
2) Vary your messaging to include other campaigns than just newsletters. People grow immune to repetition. What stand-alone messages can you work into the schedule? Maybe a weekly spotlight on a featured piece of content, interview with a subscriber, weekly trivia, etc. These are all great for engagement.
3) Keep a strong eye on your deliverability and reputation as an email sender. Look into ReturnPath's services.
4) As far as "dropping email addresses that have not engaged with any campaigns" consider your options and define "engagement". What are the actions and thresholds of activity that constitute "engaged" - is it no opens/clicks in 30 days? 90 days? longer? You don't say if you'll be wiping those from your list and never emailing again, dialing back volume, or suppressing and contacting with a reactivation or re-opt-in campaign. If you decide to no longer email inactives, try targeting them in other channels like via FB custom audience targeting or Live Intent.
Need more help or a long-term strategy? Contact me - it's what I do.
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