Email marketing is relatively simple, but then why do so many people have a problem emailing or building their lists or getting a solid return on their email marketing platform investment? That answer is simple too. They have been learning all the wrong things. While email is simple, it is complex in the sense that you have to do certain things to make sure it will work for you.

First of all, let me be clear. Emailing, like any other marketing tool, is an investment. It is not a one time and I will be a bazillionaire marketing method. In fact, there is no marketing method that is a super tool - send it out one time and I will get a ton of returns. It all takes effort and persistence.

Email is no different. You have to send campaign after campaign, and you want to test and segment. You want to see what works and improve on that while seeing what doesn't work and avoiding that. "Well," you say, "that is all fine and dandy, but I don't know how to do any of that." That is okay, we do.

You probably want to start with our managed email services where we do all the work for you. In fact, you can work along side of us until you get the hang of it and then begin creating your own campaigns. Or perhaps, like many of our other clients, you are happy with us doing the heavy lifting.

Campaigns can be as simple or complex as you like, but really there are only 2 simple goals when you run campaigns. We will get into those with the next blog.

So what is the FIRST STEP to successful email marketing? Simple. Take care of your list. If you have a warm list that you have been using for a good length of time, the general rule of thumb is that you clean it once every six months to a year at a minimum. "But it is an opt in list", you say. "How do I get spam traps in my opt in list?"

What happens on an email list is that sometimes emails that are no longer used by the recipient revert back to the isp who will then use the email as a trap to put a stop to spammers. The problem is that you pay the price because this email, even though once valid, is now a spam trap designed to get you onto a blacklist. We will explain blacklists in more detail later in the series.

So you either need to despam your warm list periodically or you need to verify your opt ins on a regular basis. Either method will work, but the re-opt in method will cost you more potential subscribers.

On a cold list, email cleaning isn't even an option. Most email platforms won't even let you upload your own list for the very reason that you will contaminate their platform with spam traps. If you want a cold list friendly platform that lets you upload your own lists - here we are.

Why are spam traps so damaging? Think of it this way. You have an alarm company. If someone tries to break into your house, the alarm goes off and the police are notified. Getting on a blacklist is the same thing and it will significantly diminish the delivery of your email servers. A spam trap is a trick to get you listed on a blacklist. Once you are there, it isn't easy getting off. Let us know if you need help.

Is Validating the same as List Cleaning or List Hygiene? No and this is a very common misconception. List validation goes through and verifies that either the email exists and won't hard bounce. Validation can also often include checking the domain or email for invalid configuration.

List Cleaning or List Hygiene on the other hand, runs an email through multiple algorithms including external lists, email configuration and role removal to remove moles, seeds, spam traps, keys and honey pots to make sure you stay off of blacklists.

So be prepared to take the first step to successful email list marketing and CLEAN YOUR LIST. How much does List Cleaning / List Hygiene cost? That depends on the size of your list. Get an exact price here - Less than a million, select a price on the left side. More than a million select the amount on the right side.

Learn more here. If you have any questions, please contact us here.