4 Tips To Reduce Your Email Mailing List and Save Money

Have you done the house cleaning on your email mailing list lately?

My goal, and yours is to build a list of subscribers, but let’s face it, not every subscriber is going to open your emails. In fact, there will be a percentage who will more than likely drop off the map all together.

But, if you use AWeber, you are paying for those subscribers who are not even opening your emails. The more subscribers you have, the more money you pay each month, right?

Well, it’s time to do some house cleaning on your email list and remove those subscribers who are not even opening your emails.

When someone signs up for your email mailing list, they will either enter their correct email address, or an email address created using a free email provider (in the hopes that you’re not using a double opt-in, more on this later), or they’ll subscribe, download your free offer, then immediately unsubscribe (this is common so don’t take it personally, it’s all a part of the business).

So, why do you want to clean up your email list?

Well, you’re in the business to make money, right? You need to save money as well, and removing “dead weight” from your list will cut down on the number of inactive subscribers on your list – plus it’s a great way to save time.

You see, Aweber charges “per quantity” of email addresses that are stored in their database, whether or not they are “active” or “unsubscribed”, you pay for them.

For that reason alone, you want to “trim the fat” from your list.

Because Aweber has pricing tiers, the larger your list, the more money you pay.

Aweber’s fee is $19.00 per month for the first 500 subscribers. After that, the following fees are added to that monthly amount:

Here are the steps for “house cleaning” your email mailing list:

1.  Delete All Unsubscribed and Undeliverables

To delete these, you simply go into your Aweber account, then go to:

- “Subscribers”, then

- “Search”

From “View Segment”, choose “unsubscribed” or “undeliverable subscribers” and hit “search”

Once you choose “Search” (green button), you see the list of all “unsubscribes”. Simply delete them. You just trimmed some fat from your list.

2.  Double/Confirmed Opt-In Email Marketing List

First of all, you should “always” use a double opt-in which requires subscribers to click on a link in their email to confirm their subscription. This is an extra step because rather than sending people directly to your download page, they’re required to click on the link in their email confirming their request for your information.

It’s a necessary step because you want people on your list who are serious about what you have to offer.

You do have the option in Aweber to turn off the double opt-in feature, but I would highly recommend you keep it on.

Now, bloggers tend to turn this feature off because their goal is to grow their email mailing list rapidly and with no double opt-in, more people will get on your list because they won’t have to confirm their request for your information.

But, from where I’m standing, what is the point of having a huge list if only a small percentage of those people are going to open up your emails or click on your links? Yet, you’re paying for them because they’re on your list, thus driving up your subscriber count.

However, with that double opt-in, only those who truly want what you have to offer will confirm.

However, if you’re getting a lot of people on your list who are “bottom feeders”, those who only want your freebie, then what’s the point?

You’re in this to provide tremendous value for your subscribers and make a sale every now and then, right? But, if those “bottom feeders” (and believe me, there are TONS of them out there), don’t even open your emails, why pay for them to be there?

You should be using the double opt-in from the beginning. Period.

Here’s why:

1. You’ll get fewer unsubscribes

2. Fewer “spam” complaints

3. Proof that a subscriber was added to your list because they double opted in

4. A higher percentage of clicks and opens

3.  Kicking “Unconfirms” To the Curb

Another great reason to have a double opt-in. Only serious subscribers will click on the confirmation link in their email. Those who weren’t interested in the first place won’t. Delete them and trim yet more fat from your list.

Hence the reason why you should always use the double opt-in feature.

Now, you want to choose a date on the second line because you don’t want to delete new subscribers who haven’t yet confirmed their subscription, so you may want to put a date that reflects about 3 or 4 weeks earlier to give them time to confirm.

4.   Delete “Unopens”

Have you ever checked to see what your “open” rate is? When you check out your open rate, you may be surprised to see that many people never open your emails.

Many subscribers create email addresses using free email address providers for the sole purpose of signing up to get your freebie with the intention of never opening your emails.

I just did a search for “unopens” in my Aweber account and came up with 63 people who haven’t opened my emails since June 1, 2011 (today is July 5^th).

To trim down your list, you must delete those who don’t open your emails. Again, you’re paying for them too, so it’s time to kick them to the curb!

If you want, you can always send the “unopens” an email to give them one more chance to sign up or offer them another freebie or discount, but the way I look at it, if the quality of my initial free offer is not enough for them to want to receive my emails, then chances are nothing will interest them.

I certainly don’t want to twist their arm, nor do I want to. Away with them.

Here’s what you need to do:

Go to “Subscribers” then “Search” then from the drop-down box on the left, select “No Opens” from the list, then select the date for about 1-2 months ago. Basically, you’re selecting the group of people who haven’t opened any of your emails for just over a month.

In the next segment, select “date added” to select those people who have been on your list for quite a while.

Then “Search”. Once your list of “unopens” is populated, you can delete those from your email mailing list. You’ll very quickly remove from your list those people who never even bother to open your emails.

Housecleaning accomplished!

Then, get busy building your list up again. You may not like deleting people from your list but, if they’re not opening your emails, it’s costing you money to keep subscribers who don’t want your information.

Remember, always use a confirmed opt-in and that will help you build a list of quality, rather than quantity.

Have you cleaned your email mailing list? How often do you clean it?