9 Key Takeaways from Email List Hygiene Report 2024

Our report is packed with insights, statistics, and strategies to help you keep your list clean, engaged, and performing at its best. From understanding the nuances of email deliverability to the importance of segmentation, we’ve got you covered. Join us as we explore the fascinating world of email list maintenance and hygiene!

Download the report here. 

Experts Invited

• Anna Levitin, Powtoon
• Radek Kaczyński, Bouncer
• Jakub Zięcina, Bouncer
• Jordie van Rijn, eMailMonday
• Karalina Chalai, GetResponse
• Kevin Steba, SEINō
• Rui Nunes, sendXmail
• Michał Kidoń, ExpertSender
• Lars Sandberg, DMARC Advisor
• Ziemek Bućko, Hunter.io
• Tilak Bobby, eMail Doctor, Resolute Email Marketing Solutions, LLC
• Yanna-Torry Aspraki, EmailConsul

Top Takeaways from the Email List Hygiene Report

1. Challenges in Email List Hygiene

One of the most significant challenges in maintaining email list hygiene highlighted by the report is managing bounce rates and spam complaints, with 36% of respondents acknowledging this issue. 

This challenge is critical because high bounce rates and spam complaints can significantly affect a sender’s reputation, leading to emails being more likely marked as spam or not delivered at all. 

Active management and regular cleaning of email lists are essential strategies to mitigate these challenges. 

Email deliverability and engagement rates can be improved by regularly updating and purifying email lists. Reaching out to email marketing experts is also becoming a practice, but mainly for larger organizations.

2. Email List Maintenance Practices

Approximately 39.5% of businesses reported that they occasionally remove inactive subscribers to maintain the health of their email lists. 

This practice is essential for keeping engagement rates high and ensuring that email marketing efforts are directed toward subscribers who are interested and engaged. 

On the other hand, 6.7% of respondents admitted to not engaging in any active email list hygiene practices. 

This neglect can lead to inflated subscriber counts, decreased engagement and open rates, and potential deliverability issues, underscoring the importance of regular list maintenance in successful email marketing strategies.

3. Size and Frequency of Email Campaigns

The report reveals that businesses tend to send emails to lists ranging between 5,000 to 10,000 subscribers a few times per month. 

This data provides insight into the common scale at which email campaigns operate, suggesting a balance between maintaining regular contact with subscribers and avoiding overwhelming them with too frequent communications. 

Effectively managing the size and frequency of email campaigns is crucial for maximizing engagement without causing subscriber fatigue.

4. Email Deliverability Concerns

A concerning 29.2% of respondents have noticed a decline in their email deliverability rates over the past six months, indicating ongoing challenges in ensuring emails reach their intended inboxes.

 This decline can be attributed to various factors, including changes in email service provider algorithms, poor list hygiene, and inadequate sender reputation management. Addressing these issues is critical for businesses to ensure their email marketing efforts are successful and that their messages are received by their audience.

5. Authentication and Sender Reputation

The survey found that 42.7% of respondents do not use email authentication methods such as DKIM, which is surprisingly high and highlights a significant area for improvement in domain protection and deliverability enhancement. 

However, regular monitoring of sender reputation is also critical, with 41.5% doing so monthly. 

Sender reputation and getting emails into recipients’ inboxes greatly depend on these practices.

6. Strategies to Improve Deliverability

To enhance email deliverability, businesses have adopted various strategies, including: 

• removing inactive subscribers, 
• sending higher quality content, 
• improving email segmentation. 

These actions are designed to increase engagement and minimize issues such as spam complaints and bounce rates. For email marketing campaigns to succeed, effective deliverability strategies need to be in place.

7. Email Bounce Rate Monitoring

Monitoring email bounce rates is crucial for maintaining email list health and sender reputation. Strategies for monitoring bounces vary, including using email service providers and manual checks. 

The goal is to keep bounce rates below industry benchmarks to ensure high deliverability. Proactive management of bounce rates helps businesses identify and address issues promptly (like high bounce rates), maintaining the effectiveness of their email marketing efforts.

Experiencing unexpected bounce rates may serve as an early warning to review and adjust email strategies accordingly.

8. Email List Segmentation

More than half of the businesses surveyed engage in email list segmentation, highlighting the recognition of targeted marketing’s value. Segmentation allows marketers to tailor their messages to specific audience segments, improving relevance and engagement. Despite its benefits, a significant portion of marketers still do not practice segmentation, suggesting an opportunity for many to optimize their email marketing strategies further.

9. Expertise and Industry Relevance

The diversity of challenges and strategies across different industries, including tech, SaaS, marketing agencies, and e-commerce, reflects the unique needs and approaches within each sector. While the fundamentals of email marketing remain consistent, the tactical application can vary greatly, underscoring the importance of industry-specific strategies.

Grab Your Free Copy of Our Report

We hope this report has provided you with valuable insights and actionable strategies to enhance your email marketing efforts. With deliverability tactics fine-tuned or segmentation embraced, the path to email marketing success is clearer than ever. Here’s to the success of your next email campaign! Thanks for joining us on this exploration – and make sure to grab your free copy of the report here.