Comments on: Real stats: How sending to old lists will kill your deliverability http://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/ MailChimp, email marketing, and monkeys! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:21:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: 10M+ API Calls Per Day & More | MailChimp Email Marketing Bloghttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-19770 10M+ API Calls Per Day & More | MailChimp Email Marketing Blog Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:58:10 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-19770 [...] maybe second), amongst other things. In other words, we’re still deadly serious about the reputation of our platform and not even a super-awesome-big-name partnership that funnels tons of users into [...] [...] maybe second), amongst other things. In other words, we’re still deadly serious about the reputation of our platform and not even a super-awesome-big-name partnership that funnels tons of users into [...]

]]> By: How to get nabbed by SpamCop for Spamvertizing | MailChimp Bloghttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-3120 How to get nabbed by SpamCop for Spamvertizing | MailChimp Blog Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:12:23 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-3120 [...] sent a campaign to an email list that they collected at an event a long, long time ago (Related: How old lists will kill your deliverability). One of their recipients forgot who the @#%& the sender was, and reported the email to [...] [...] sent a campaign to an email list that they collected at an event a long, long time ago (Related: How old lists will kill your deliverability). One of their recipients forgot who the @#%& the sender was, and reported the email to [...]

]]> By: DJ Waldowhttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-2167 DJ Waldow Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:33:29 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-2167 Ben -Well said. These are the types of posts that we need to get marketers (and those C-level folk) to read. However, I also agree 100% with Stephanie's follow up - http://blog.deliverability.com/2008/12/risk-reward-take-ii-on-the-mailchimp-study.html. I noticed that you all had a nice "comment exchange."I had a similar conversation on the Email Marketers Club this week. Just posted about it - http://blog.bronto.com/2008/12/03/how-do-i-clean-a-7-year-old-list-with-28-million-emails/Carry on!dj (Bronto) Ben –

Well said. These are the types of posts that we need to get marketers (and those C-level folk) to read. However, I also agree 100% with Stephanie’s follow up – http://blog.deliverability.com/2008/12/risk-reward-take-ii-on-the-mailchimp-study.html. I noticed that you all had a nice “comment exchange.”

I had a similar conversation on the Email Marketers Club this week. Just posted about it – http://blog.bronto.com/2008/12/03/how-do-i-clean-a-7-year-old-list-with-28-million-emails/

Carry on!

dj (Bronto)

]]> By: How do I clean a 7-year old list with 2.8 million emails? | Bronto Bloghttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-2166 How do I clean a 7-year old list with 2.8 million emails? | Bronto Blog Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:14:30 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-2166 [...] like this topic has been a hot one this week. Our friend Ben Chestnut of MailChimp blogged “Real stats: How sending to old lists will kill your deliverability.” One of the sharpest minds in the industry, Stephanie Miller of Return Path, fired back a [...] [...] like this topic has been a hot one this week. Our friend Ben Chestnut of MailChimp blogged “Real stats: How sending to old lists will kill your deliverability.” One of the sharpest minds in the industry, Stephanie Miller of Return Path, fired back a [...]

]]> By: Old lists have bad delivery at Word to the Wisehttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-2133 Old lists have bad delivery at Word to the Wise Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:59:29 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-2133 [...] is something we all know is true, and something that everyone believes. But, Mailchimp has actually published numbers demonstrating just how bad old lists are. Stats for the “Inactives” list (241,832 [...] [...] is something we all know is true, and something that everyone believes. But, Mailchimp has actually published numbers demonstrating just how bad old lists are. Stats for the “Inactives” list (241,832 [...]

]]> By: Tim Lindenhttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-2090 Tim Linden Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:48:46 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-2090 Well I just disabled our auto emails asking old members to come login! Will have to record our current levels and see how it affects future levels. Well I just disabled our auto emails asking old members to come login! Will have to record our current levels and see how it affects future levels.

]]> By: e-marketinghttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-2086 e-marketing Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:24:35 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-2086 old lists are a pain. unless you have a hygiene process then it's difficult to clear up. old lists are a pain. unless you have a hygiene process then it’s difficult to clear up.

]]> By: Kevinhttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-2059 Kevin Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:19:15 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-2059 Another reason old lists suck is that it's more difficult for a newer person in the organization to fully understand where all those addresses came from.Since it's impossible to say to your new employer that you'll only email folks that opt in after you were hired, you are left with a long list of people that may just have wanted to win a free sub sandwich from your fishbowl drawing in 1994.In email marketing, old lists are almost always trouble in the making. Another reason old lists suck is that it’s more difficult for a newer person in the organization to fully understand where all those addresses came from.

Since it’s impossible to say to your new employer that you’ll only email folks that opt in after you were hired, you are left with a long list of people that may just have wanted to win a free sub sandwich from your fishbowl drawing in 1994.

In email marketing, old lists are almost always trouble in the making.

]]> By: Daniel Millshttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-2047 Daniel Mills Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:38:06 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-2047 @Ben yeah, we've experienced that as well and we know about even worse results than in your example. There are companies who have collected email addresses for years (like online shops etc.) but have not used the addresses for marketing. When they finally start using their list for the first time (w/o segmenting), they get bounce rates in the 30%s and spam complaints that scare the hell out of me.And what I found is kind of common for more and more email receipients is to hit the "spam button" when they are tired of email messages, regardless if they double-opted-in just days ago and there's a prominent unsubscribe link. I compare that to the behaviour of typing URLs into the google search bar instead of the address bar of the browser, it's just more convenient for the user and for him it has the same effect: he does not get your messages anymore. But as an email marketer - frightening. @Ben
yeah, we’ve experienced that as well and we know about even worse results than in your example. There are companies who have collected email addresses for years (like online shops etc.) but have not used the addresses for marketing. When they finally start using their list for the first time (w/o segmenting), they get bounce rates in the 30%s and spam complaints that scare the hell out of me.

And what I found is kind of common for more and more email receipients is to hit the “spam button” when they are tired of email messages, regardless if they double-opted-in just days ago and there’s a prominent unsubscribe link.
I compare that to the behaviour of typing URLs into the google search bar instead of the address bar of the browser, it’s just more convenient for the user and for him it has the same effect: he does not get your messages anymore. But as an email marketer – frightening.

]]> By: Benhttp://blog.mailchimp.com/real-stats-how-sending-to-old-lists-will-kill-your-deliverability/#comment-2044 Ben Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:26:41 +0000 http://blog.mailchimp.com/?p=1658#comment-2044 @Daniel - At MailChimp, we have a big list of users. According to our terms of use, we can contact all of them, since they're registered users. But most of the time, whenever we send a "system alert" out to all registered users (such as about planned server maintenance), we segment the list to "users who have logged in within the past 6 months."We figure if you haven't logged in for 6 months, you're not very active, and you could care less about temporary server downtime.There have been times when we've sent to *all* members of the list, such as for extremely critical system alerts that affect accounts.Those campaigns always generate excessive abuse complaints, bounces, and angry emails (from our own users) Those are not good days for me.Sometimes, you just *have* to contact all your customers (even old ones). But you have to understand the repercussions on your deliverability. You WILL lose a lot of members, ISPs WILL defer or block your emails, and you WILL get reported for spam.If you have to contact those customers, permission (and *proof* of that permission, such as opt-in IP, date, etc) is critical.If you send a massive campaign to lots of inactive members, and you get blocked by ISPs, or you end up on a blacklist, your ESP (email service provider) may be forced to shut your account down and will require that you show proof of opt-in in order to be reinstated. @Daniel – At MailChimp, we have a big list of users. According to our terms of use, we can contact all of them, since they’re registered users. But most of the time, whenever we send a “system alert” out to all registered users (such as about planned server maintenance), we segment the list to “users who have logged in within the past 6 months.”

We figure if you haven’t logged in for 6 months, you’re not very active, and you could care less about temporary server downtime.

There have been times when we’ve sent to *all* members of the list, such as for extremely critical system alerts that affect accounts.

Those campaigns always generate excessive abuse complaints, bounces, and angry emails (from our own users) Those are not good days for me.

Sometimes, you just *have* to contact all your customers (even old ones). But you have to understand the repercussions on your deliverability. You WILL lose a lot of members, ISPs WILL defer or block your emails, and you WILL get reported for spam.

If you have to contact those customers, permission (and *proof* of that permission, such as opt-in IP, date, etc) is critical.

If you send a massive campaign to lots of inactive members, and you get blocked by ISPs, or you end up on a blacklist, your ESP (email service provider) may be forced to shut your account down and will require that you show proof of opt-in in order to be reinstated.

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