Does Your Email List Size Matter?

Online marketing is full of shiny “vanity metrics.”

Super high conversion rates , millions of blog views & massive email lists with 300k plus subscribers.

But here’s the big issue with “vanity metrics.”

If you pair those high conversion rates with tiny AOVs, and your millions of blog views with bounce rates of 99.9%…they actually mean nothing other than poor results for your business.

A worrying number of business owners I’ve spoken to believe a larger email list is always better, but the truth is a bloated, disengaged list can harm your business more than it helps

Today I want to unpack why focusing on a smaller, more engaged email list is smarter, more cost-effective, and better for your bottom line.

You’ll also learn actionable strategies to clean and manage your list to improve your deliverability, save money, and boost your email performance.

30-Second Takeaways

A large email list means nothing if the majority of your subscribers aren’t engaged.
Low engagement negatively impacts deliverability, making it harder for your emails to reach inboxes.
Larger lists cost more to send emails to, driving up your expenses unnecessarily.
Poor engagement stats make your list less appealing to potential partners or advertisers.
Regularly cleaning and segmenting your list improves open rates, click-throughs, and overall revenue.
Re-engagement campaigns can help win back unresponsive subscribers and provide valuable feedback on their preferences.

Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better in Email Marketing

Having a massive email list sounds impressive—until you dig into the numbers. If your list has one million subscribers but only 2,000 regularly open your emails, you’re facing several major issues:

Deliverability Takes a Hit

Email service providers (ESPs) like Gmail and Yahoo evaluate how users interact with your emails. If a significant portion of your list doesn’t open or click, ESPs interpret that as a sign your emails aren’t valuable.

This leads to:
- More emails landing in spam folders.
- Reduced inbox placement for your engaged subscribers.
- Long-term damage to your sender reputation.
You’re Paying More for Less

Most ESPs charge based on the size of your list or the number of emails sent. Sending emails to hundreds of thousands of unengaged subscribers means you’re wasting money on people who aren’t engaging with your content. Over time, these costs add up and wipe out your profitability.
Your Stats Look Bad to Potential Partners

A giant list with terrible engagement metrics (e.g., a 0.01% click-through rate) doesn’t inspire confidence. Whether you’re trying to rent your list, collaborate with other brands, or secure advertising deals, low engagement will scare off potential partners. Quality beats quantity every time.

The Solution: Regularly Clean and Segment Your List

Managing your list properly is about more than just hitting “delete” on inactive subscribers. Instead, adopt a strategic approach that prioritizes engagement and keeps your list dynamic and responsive. What do I mean? Let me break it down.

Step 1: Segment Your List by Engagement

Start by dividing your list into segments based on how engaged your subscribers are. (How you do this depends on the ESP you use of course.)

Engaged Segment:
- Subscribers who have opened or clicked an email within the last 30 days.
- This is your core audience and the primary focus of your email campaigns.
Super-Engaged Segment:
- Subscribers who have opened, clicked, or purchased within the last 14 days.
- These are your VIPs—the most valuable part of your list. If you can see revenue stats, I’d bet you’ll find these are the people who spend the most with you too.
Re-Engagement Segment:
- Subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked an email in the last 30 days.
- These subscribers need targeted efforts to bring them back into the fold.

Step 2: Focus Your Email Campaigns on Engaged Subscribers

When sending broadcasts, target only your engaged and super-engaged segments. Why? Smaller, engaged segments produce:

Higher Open Rates: ESPs will reward you with better inbox placement.
Better Click-Through Rates: Your campaigns will drive more meaningful traffic.
Increased Revenue: You’ll maximize conversions from subscribers who are already engaged.

How to Re-Engage Inactive Subscribers & Boost Your Email List Size For Free!

Just because someone isn’t opening emails doesn’t mean they’re a lost cause. A well-executed re-engagement campaign can breathe new life into your relationship with these subscribers.

3-Step Re-Engagement Campaign

Send a Value-Packed Giveaway or Content Email
- Offer something irresistible: a free resource, exclusive content, or a limited-time offer.
- Example subject line: “We Miss You! Here’s a Gift Just for Opening This Email.”
Survey Your Inactive Subscribers
- Ask them what they’re interested in, what they’d like to see more of, or why they haven’t been engaging.
- This feedback not only improves your future campaigns but also counts as engagement, moving them back into your engaged segment.
Send a Final Warning Email

In truth, some of the “final warning” emails I get are a little cringey and generic. Try to inject a little humor into your final warning email.
I once replaced a client’s generic, “Click here or we’ll remove you from our list” type email with one which featured an image of a woman waving goodbye on a train, with copy along the lines of…“I hate to see you go. But I understand, if you don’t want to hear from me anymore there’s no point in me being here. I’ll miss you, but I’ll be strong. And I’ll always be here if you decide you still want to get my dating insights. If you change your mind and can’t bear to go….just click here and we’ll start again!”

It was silly, but it received a bunch of replies and outperformed the boring control by 82%!

Set Yourself Up for Success with Ongoing List Management

Automate Engagement Tracking

Most ESPs allow you to automate segment updates. Set up rules to move subscribers between segments based on their behavior:

Move to Super-Engaged: Opened/clicked/purchased within 14 days.
Move to Engaged: Opened/clicked in the last 30 days.
Move to Re-Engagement: No engagement for 30 days.

Test Your Re-Engagement Strategy

Experiment with different offers, email styles, and subject lines to determine what resonates best with your audience. Over time, refine your strategy based on the data.

Bonus Tip: Use Tools to Monitor Engagement

For optimal list health, use tools that provide in-depth insights into your email performance:

Google Postmaster Tools: Track your domain reputation and ensure your emails are reaching inboxes.
GlockApps: Test deliverability and troubleshoot any inbox placement issues.
Your ESP’s Analytics: Use open rate, click-through rate, and bounce rate data to assess list performance.

To close….

Managing your email list size effectively isn’t just about reducing costs—it’s about driving results. A smaller, more engaged list:

Keeps your deliverability high.
Saves you money on email sends.
Boosts your reputation with both ESPs and potential partners.

Ready to take your email marketing to the next level?

If you’d like help managing your list, optimizing engagement, or conducting a complete email audit, let’s chat!

Apply for a free consultation today, and let’s turn your email list into a revenue powerhouse.