What is an old list?

Things move fast in the email world. That list you built over the last few years or those addresses you collected from that seminar 6 months ago are both already really old lists!

Should I just send to my list to see who opens my mail? That way I can see what addresses are valid right?

No! You shouldn't just send mail to your old list and here is why:

1. VMA Emailer is not a list cleaning service.

2. If you use your VMA Emailer account to send mail to an old list you are risking damaging your sender reputation. Old addresses could be new spam traps and hit them will cause new/good email addresses to potentially bounce because of this.

3. Sending to an old list through your account means you also damage the reputation of the IPs.

4. Your account can become suspended.

You will later depend on a good sender reputation and healthy IPs for your delivery, so take care of them!

 

What steps should I take in order to send to my old list?

Here are some steps to take to send to that list safely:

1. Start by using a verification service to help clean up your list.

Here is an example of a company that verifies email addresses.
But, an internet search will also provide you with lots of other options.

2. Once your list is verified you can start to send some mail but...

- start by sending a small campaign, make sure you can get some real feedback on how your mail is being received

- consider content that re-introduces your company or product reminding subscribers why they are receiving mail from you.

By following these few steps you can help make that old list useful again in a safe and effective way!