The process of deleting erroneous and inactive contact data from an email database is known as email list cleaning. Cleaning an email database guarantees that users do not harm their IP reputation by sending mass emails that bounce or go to spam. Cleaning an opted-in database entails being sensitive to the preferences of their contacts and removing anyone who is no longer interacting with their communications. Cleaning an email list also includes removing any incorrect information, such as:
- Fake emails
- Outdated email addresses
- Typos
Email list cleaning is an important aspect of email list management, which is the total workflow for maintaining an understandable, standardized, useable, and trustworthy email list. Regular email list cleanliness indicates that people are taking care of their email data, and their campaigns will benefit as a result. They can clean their email list in one of two ways: manually or automatically.
What happens if an email list isn’t cleaned?
It’s a dangerous business to continue using their stale email lists. While a few email bounces may not seem alarming, poor deliverability relates to a slew of other issues. All of their email marketing initiatives aim to get information in front of people’s eyes, and possibly make a sale. Without a clean email list, users will struggle to succeed with their email marketing activities.
The following are some of the most common problems that users will face as a result of not cleansing their email list.
Damage to the user’s IP reputation –
Using an unclean email list to send marketing campaigns can severely harm the user’s IP reputation. If users send emails to spam traps without realizing it, their IP address will be blacklisted.
Annihilate their deliverability rates –
If the email list contains incorrect information, the deliverability rate will decrease. A hard bounce will occur if a user’s database contains false emails; however, this is only a tiny part of the problem. Deliverability problems result in low open and click-through rates, lowering overall conversions.
Costs of email marketing will rise –
Most email marketing platforms will charge users based on the number of contacts they deliver to. While a few incorrect emails won’t cost them anything, a large number of bounced emails can quickly pile up. Furthermore, if their emails do not reach potential prospects, they are missing out on a huge number of conversion opportunities.
Spam complaints –
If email providers, such as Gmail, suspect that a user is sending spam, their emails will be immediately sent to the garbage folder. Someone can report spam if they receive an unsolicited email from them or if they no longer want to receive their content. If a person receives too many spam complaints, preventing even those who want to receive them from receiving them.
Unsubscribes –
Continuing to use dirty data lists can lead to warm leads opting out of receiving emails. The key to marketing success is personalization and segmentation. When people sign up for emails, they expect to receive personalised, high-quality information that is relevant to them. Unsubscribes will occur if they send out generic emails with little value.