To start this post, and say “old lists are bad” is just not true. An old list that was created in an opt-in fashion is a good list, but it may have some drawbacks depending on its age. The older your list, and the frequency in which you have mailed to that list, may create havoc after time. Having a list that has sat for a long period of time, might collect a lot of un-subscribes, and hard bounces when you actually mail to that list in the future.
E-mail addresses are like clothes in the sense that people have multiple addresses to suit their needs. You can’t expect an old list to have the most up to date email addresses for your subscribers. Subscribers change their email address frequently depending on a multitude of factors like job hopping, or changing ISP’s. However, with the advent of gmail this is coming to an end.
The true benefit of a newly acquired opt-in list is not just for your own marketing results, but it also helps your ESP. ESP’s gain reputation based on the delivery rates of their clients. Using a fresh opt-in list creates a mutual relationship that you and your ESP share. Good delivery, and click rates.
Justin Lavino is an Account Executive for Net Atlantic. Net Atlantic provides email newsletter hosting, discussion group hosting, and web hosting.
