If you’re sitting on a dormant email list, you’re essentially hoarding a treasure chest without a key—let’s change that. While email marketing is one of the oldest, it’s still one of the most effective digital marketing methods. Many businesses dream of the opportunity of an email list, yet many let it slip through their fingers by sidelining their inactive email lists.
As someone who’s spent over 15 years working with Fortune 100 companies, educational institutions, small businesses, and personal brands, I’ve seen firsthand the financial windfall that a well-strategized email list can bring. What is the cost of ignoring your dormant list? More than you might think. This article dives into the economics of reviving that ‘dead’ list and turning it into your own ROI powerhouse.
Ignoring a Dormant Email List is Leaving Money on the Table
Let’s start with some real talk: ignoring a dormant email list is like owning a Ferrari and never driving it. You’ve got this incredible asset just gathering dust. According to Hubspot, email marketing offers an ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. Can you imagine having a machine where you put in a dollar and get back thirty-six? If you have such a machine sitting idle with dead email subscribers, it’s time to crank up the engine!
Financial Drain
Keeping an email list without utilizing it doesn’t just cost you potential profit; it also costs you the money spent acquiring those leads in the first place. In addition to lead acquisition, you have your SAAS fees – each contact in your account costs you. You’re essentially paying for storage space that could otherwise generate income.
Untapped Potential
You’re missing out on a goldmine if your list includes previous customers. Data from Upscribe.io indicates that returning customers spend more money than new leads. That’s not just a list you’ve got; it’s a community waiting to be re-engaged.
So, before you let that list collect any more digital cobwebs, consider this: The opportunity cost of inaction is too high to ignore. It’s time to roll that Ferrari out of the garage.
Know Your List’s Origin: The First Step to Successful Revival
Before diving into revival strategies, the first question is: Where did this list come from? Knowing the origin of your dormant list isn’t just good practice—it’s crucial for success.
Existing Customers: If your list includes existing customers, you’re sitting on a goldmine. These people already know your brand and have purchased in the past. Re-engaging them can result in higher spending and a stronger brand affinity.
Old Leads: If your dormant list is full of leads that didn’t convert, that’s okay. They showed interest at some point, meaning you’ve got a second chance at turning them into customers.
Uncertain Origin: Proceed with caution. If you’re unsure where the list came from, or if it’s purchased, tread carefully. Not only could you risk poor engagement, but you could also jeopardize your sender reputation or even violate laws or terms of your new email service provider.
Understanding your list’s origin informs how you approach its revival. If you know what you’re working with, you can tailor your re-engagement efforts accordingly, ensuring a higher likelihood of success and a better return on investment.
The Right Data Tools Turn Dead Lists into Gold Mines
Here’s the kicker: Not all dormant lists are created equal. Some are a few tweaks away from becoming revenue generators, and others need a bit more TLC. What separates the two? The right tools and approach. Your dormant list isn’t just a bunch of email addresses; it’s a data set ripe for analysis.
Email Validation
Before you think about hitting ‘send,’ validate your email addresses. I always use tools like Clearout.io. Why? Because sending to invalid addresses may have a direct negative impact on your email deliverability.
Investing in email validation improves efficiency, saves time and resources, and sets the stage for a high-impact email campaign.
Engagement Tracking
You don’t just send emails into the void and hope for the best. Set up tracking metrics to measure engagement. When you reengage inactive subscribers, you want to be tracking:
Open rate
Click rate
If they have logged in/accessed your member portal or dashboard
If they have placed an order or had other activity in your system
A/B Testing
Send emails in small batches, A/B testing elements of engagement emails like subject lines and content. Modify your approach based on real-time feedback from these tests. This will allow you to identify the subject lines and content most likely to be opened before you send it to larger audiences.
Warm-Up Campaigns
A typical warm-up campaign will consist of 3 email broadcasts sent over a period of 10 days. You may offer something incredibly valuable in these emails, such as a free webinar, eBook, guide, or other free things. The email subscribers who engage with the emails will return to your mailing list. For those inactive subscribers who do not engage, try again in about a week or a few weeks.
Warming up your list is like reigniting an old friendship; you don’t just dive into deep conversations immediately. By taking the time to warm up your audience, you set the stage for more meaningful and profitable interactions down the line.
Quality Over Quantity: Why Reviving 10% of Your List is a Win
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: You’re not going to re-engage everyone on your list, and that’s okay. Seriously, it is. Reviving just 10% of your inactive email subscribers can significantly increase sales and engagement.
Cost-Efficiency: Acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing one. So, when you engage even a fraction of your dormant list, you reduce your customer acquisition costs.
Loyal Customers Spend More: Upscribe.io shows that about half a company’s profits come from just 8% of its most loyal customers. So, reviving even a small fraction can bring in significant returns.
Already Acquired: These are leads you’ve already paid for, in one way or another. Imagine you’ve got a bunch of unopened gifts. Even if only a few have what you want, isn’t it worth the effort to unwrap them?
Don’t be disheartened if you can’t revive your entire list. Aim for quality interactions, not just empty metrics. That 10% could very well make the whole venture worthwhile.
Cross-Platform Synergy Amplifies the ROI of a Revived List
This is where things get even more interesting. Reviving your dormant email list isn’t just about sending out a few well-crafted emails; it’s about leveraging those revived contacts across multiple platforms. Think of it as giving your resurrected dead email list a “second life” on social media or through targeted ads.
Targeted Advertising: If you’ve identified people who re-engage with your emails, why not reinforce that connection with targeted social media ads? You’ve already warmed them up; now keep the conversation going.
If your email subscribers do not engage with your emails, you can use social ads to re-target the audience from a different platform.
Data Enrichment: Having a revived list gives you an opportunity for more data collection. This can include behaviors, preferences, or demographics that help you further personalize your marketing strategies.
The sum is greater than its parts when you use cross-platform strategies to maximize the value of your revived list. It’s not just about ROI in email marketing; it’s about a holistic approach to digital marketing that pays dividends across the board.
Ethical Revival: Balancing Profit and Integrity in Email Marketing
Let’s discuss ethics. Yes, reviving your dormant email list can boost your ROI, but it’s essential to do so responsibly. Walking the line between aggressive marketing and ethical consideration is not just good manners—it’s good business.
Opt-In Proof
First and foremost, make sure the emails on your dormant list originally opted in to receive communications from you. Without this, you risk your reputation and potential violations of the terms of service of your email or email service provider and regulations like GDPR.
If you aren’t sure if you have opt in, you will want to use a special tool, such as LemList, to re-subscribe your contacts to help protect your sender reputation and stay within the bounds of email marketing software legalities.
Transparency and Honesty
When you start re-engaging your list, be upfront. Let them know they’re receiving this email because they subscribed at some point. Share your email marketing strategy, how many emails they will receive, and when. A simple acknowledgment goes a long way in building trust.
Ease of Unsubscribing
Make it simple for people to opt-out. If they’re not interested, clinging to them can do more harm than good. After all, a smaller, more engaged list is far more valuable than a large, disinterested one.
Being ethical in your approach doesn’t mean sacrificing profitability. An ethically curated list will positively engage with your brand, ensuring high-quality contacts.
Final Thoughts
Reviving a dormant email list isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’; it’s a missed revenue opportunity you can’t ignore. We’ve explored the economic benefits re engaging dead lists, the importance of using the right tools, the value of re-engaging even a small fraction of your list, the power of cross-platform synergy, and the ethical considerations that should guide your efforts.
But what if my list is too old? Age is just a number; what matters is the quality of the contacts and your approach to re-engaging them. Is it worth the time and resources to send re-engagement emails anyway? Considering the high ROI of email marketing and the cost-efficiency of re-engaging an existing list over acquiring new leads, the answer is a resounding yes.
So, as you stare at that dormant list, remember: you’re not just looking at names and email addresses; you’re looking at untapped potential. How much longer are you willing to let it go unrealized?
