Most forms of digital marketing feel like they’re still in their infancy. It hasn’t yet been 20 years since the first social media marketing campaign, and SEO & PPC were both invented in the late 90s. You would think that email marketing would be about the same age. However, we have been sending email marketing since 1978. 
In that time, the way we tackle email marketing has significantly changed. Thanks to the advent of social media and GDPR, email marketers can no longer send 30 emails a day to just anyone. 

So what is the point? 

During the months after GDPR was announced, brands were left with large contact lists that they didn’t believe that they could use. Some brands, such as JD Wetherspoon destroyed their entire list. Since GDPR was going to restrict who they could email, what was the point of email marketing anymore anyway. People thought email marketing was dead. 
 
To be fair, this wasn’t the first time that people had prematurely pronounced the death of email. What actually happened is that Marketing Industry leaders persevered and realised that having a smaller contact list might actually be a benefit to the marketer. 

How does a small contact list benefit email marketing? 

Large contact lists can be quite burdensome to your marketing, especially if they are a few years old. The larger the list, the more likely there are to be erroneous email addresses languishing in your .csv file. In fact, there are a few ways in which a small list is better: 
 
Small lists are more targeted: Smaller lists tend to be newer and with a high percentage of email addresses that have been opted in since GDPR’s implementation. This means that you are likely to see higher engagement and a better click thru rate. 
 
Small sends are less likely to bounce: Your IP address is constantly being monitored online, and it can easily get blacklisted. If your email list grows, this will look like a red flag to URIBL and other monitoring companies online. It will look like you have bought data. 
 
Personalisation and segmentation are easier: With big lists it is far more difficult to write emails that will speak to everyone. Furthermore, if you try to segment the data, it will be much more difficult to make sure that there is a suitable range of segments for your data. 
 
Better engagement means better deliverability: If you are sending to smaller and more targeted lists, the inevitable increased engagement statistics are more likely to earn your email address and IP address a better reputation. This means you are more likely to avoid junk email inboxes or being marked as spam by the recipient email box. 

How to make sure you are making the most of your list 

Even with a smaller list it is bad practice to just send email after email at them. There are still some basic practices that you should adhere to when sending emails. 
 
A/B Split Testing: Your smaller list is less likely to be active all times of the day. It is worth making sure that you are regularly split testing your emails for best day and time to send your emails. 
 
Personalisation: Adding their name to the top of an email is basic personalisation, but it is not the be all and end all of it. The tone of your email should always look like you are speaking directly to them personally. If you have a lot of information, you might be able to use custom fields to make the most of your data. 
 
Segmentation: If you offer a variety of services, it is likely that your contact isn’t invested in hearing about every single service you have to offer. In fact, it might only be one or two services that are applicable to them. Segment the data so that they only receive emails that are relevant to them. 
African European Man Drinking Coffee by Laptop

Now get emailing 

Don’t worry about the size of your list. Worry about how effective your content is. Be concerned about how attractive your email is. Think more about making sure that you haven’t stuffed your email full of links, and that it is readable. The tips above will make sure you are getting the best from your small contact list. 
 
If you wish to discuss your email further, contact us on 01604 698 948 to arrange a coffee and a chat, or email hello@tj-marketing.co.uk with any questions or enquiries. 
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