Bigger is rarely better

29 August 2024

One of the most common mistakes I’ve seen in email marketing is marketers obsessing over list size — especially at the executive level. The thinking goes like this: “The bigger the list, the more success I’ll have.” While it might seem logical at first glance, this mindset is not just flawed; it can be counterproductive, especially if your focus is on building lasting relationships and driving meaningful engagement.

Quality Over Quantity

A large list is only valuable if the people on it want to hear from you. If you’re building a list with contacts who haven’t explicitly opted in, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Unsolicited emails are more likely to be ignored, marked as spam, or drive recipients to unsubscribe.1 This isn’t just bad for your reputation; it’s terrible for your deliverability. Spam complaints and low engagement rates can cause your emails to be filtered out before they even reach the inbox.

The Engagement Factor

Rather than focusing on the sheer number of contacts, think about how engaged your audience is. A small, highly engaged list will consistently outperform a large, unengaged list.2 These subscribers are the ones who open your emails, click on your links, and ultimately convert into customers. They’re your true audience, and nurturing them should be your priority.

The Pitfall of Volume-Based Thinking

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The idea that you can compensate for low engagement with high volume is not just outdated; it’s dangerous. If your strategy relies on sending massive volumes of emails to get a handful of responses, you’re essentially playing a numbers game—and it’s a losing one.3 Not only will you burn out your list, but you’ll also damage your brand’s reputation. Instead, aim for relevance and personalization, leading to higher open rates, better click-through rates, and more conversions.

The Real Metric: Engagement

So, what should you be measuring? Focus on engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.4 These tell you how well your emails are resonating with your audience. If you see these numbers improving, you know you’re on the right track, regardless of your list size. Remember, a small, engaged list is far more valuable than a large list of indifferent contacts.

Conclusion

List size is a vanity metric. It’s easy to grow a large list, but without engagement, it’s meaningless. Instead of focusing on how many people you can reach, think about how many people you can connect with. Your goal should be to build relationships, not just send emails. When you do that, the size of your list becomes irrelevant—what matters is the quality of the connections you’re making.

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By shifting your focus from list size to engagement, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success. In the world of email marketing, it’s not about how many people you can talk to; it’s about how many people are actually listening.

Footnotes

  1. Mickey Chandler, Policy at Scale: Figuring Reputational Damage, Spamtacular (Mar. 19, 2020), https://www.spamtacular.com/2020/03/19/policy-at-scale-figuring-reputational-damage/ (last visited Aug 29, 2024). ↩︎
  2. Garry Lee, An Engaged Email List Is More Important Than a Big List, Thirty Three Percent (Nov. 4, 2020), https://medium.com/thirty-three-percent/an-engaged-email-list-is-more-important-than-a-big-list-4dc92154a0a4 (last visited Aug 29, 2024). ↩︎
  3. Laura Atkins, The Economics of Cold Outreach, Word to the Wise (Aug. 12, 2024), https://wordtothewise.com/2024/08/the-economics-of-cold-outreach/ (last visited Aug 29, 2024). ↩︎
  4. Mickey Chandler, Beyond Opens: Important Metrics That Drive Results in Email Marketing, Spamtacular (May 13, 2024), https://www.spamtacular.com/2024/05/13/beyond-opens-important-metrics-that-drive-results-in-email-marketing/ (last visited Aug 29, 2024). ↩︎
Mickey Chandler
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