Type “the importance of an email list” and find the many reasons, from dozens of other sources, why an email list is vital to growing your audience. Gaining a strong customer database is the foundation for a successful business model, but how and where you get these email addresses from is where you need to focus.

There are some marketers who send emails to huge databases that they pull from all over the web. While others also use multiple sources to build their database, they make use of optional website messaging, social channels, and a variety of offline media.

The latter may take longer, but will result in a healthier database of email addresses that is sure to grow exponentially over time, as opposed to a list of customers hitting the ‘spam’ button or looking for ways to unsubscribe. short.

Don’t make the ‘big email list’ your top priority

Most CEOs and CFOs are impressed by scale, so it can be quite difficult to argue that a smaller, more engaged customer list is better than a larger one made up of inactive or often frustrated recipients. Try to emphasize the point that a large email list does not necessarily guarantee ROI.

At the same time, a large email list should not be associated with low quality. A list with thousands of addresses inevitably has a longer reach and the scope to support meaningful list segmentation. What marketers need to ensure, however, is that this list is understood as active subscribers who have chosen to receive the information you want to send them.

So what is the bottom line? A large email list is preferable. But a great email list that is healthy is even better.

Factors Affecting Customer Email List Size

As with all marketing models, email has many variables that need to be taken into account. Here are some questions to ask yourself before setting unrealistic expectations:

Market size:

Is your business in a new and growing market, an outdated market, or a niche market?

ROI Creation:

Do you currently have enough budget to actively grow your list, the right way? Is the cost to the company low enough to achieve a return on investment, within a reasonable period of time?

Client/brand relations:

Are you collecting emails from recipients who have an existing relationship with your brand or prospects who are interested in what you have to offer?

Customer profiles:

Are you compiling a list of people who fit your existing target market, based on demographics and psychographics? Or are they irrelevant to your business?

Purchase life cycle:

Are you monitoring and nurturing leads as they move through the purchase funnel, from top to bottom? Or are you just focusing on the initial registration?

Message quality and segmentation:

Similar to profiling, are you separating your email list into customers who prefer cruising and customers who are just looking for housewares? If you have a larger list, your audience is likely to be more diverse. Do your messages reflect the interests of many?

Message frequency:

If the previous point is not met, it is likely that your client list is largely inactive. Therefore, emails that are sent too frequently will push a customer to unsubscribe or mark it as spam. Are you sending emails too often?

IT Support:

Online requires an IT-savvy person to handle problems that may arise, and problems will arise, especially when the databases are large. Do you have this kind of support?

Email size is a small part of the puzzle

In conclusion, a customer email list, large or small, is only as good as its quality. The next challenge is reaching new recipients with something that interests them and growing your email list as a result.