Bulk email list cleaning and updating are an ongoing process in order to maintain deliverability and engagement rates. Best practices on cadence for this are as follows:
Routine Maintenance:
Monthly: Perform routine checks to remove inactive subscribers and hard bounce-backs.
Post-Campaign Review:
Following each major email Bulk Email Data campaign, analyze the engagement metrics-for instance, open rates, click-through rates-to determine which contacts might be unengaged and hence should be removed.
Quarterly Audits:
Deep Audit: Perform a deep audit every 3 months through reviewing the whole list for accuracy and relevance.
Opt-Outs and Complaints:
Immediately scrub un-subscription requests and spam complaints from your contact list.
Inactive Subscribers:
Develop a plan to identify subscribers who have not taken an action within a certain timeframe, likely between 6 to 12 months, and remove them.
Verify Data:
Use verification email tools that will help you check with regular frequency whether addresses exist and if they are active.
Compliance with Regulations:
Keep your finger on the pulse with the regulations like the GDPR; this may mean even regular refreshers or verification of consent.
You can maintain a healthy list if you follow these guidelines to make your email sending more effective.