It’s normal to see a lot of people sign-up or subscribe to newsletters and email updates from your company. While some of these people are definitely interested in what your company has to offer, some aren’t.
It is a harsh truth that we marketers have to admit and accept. But there is no sure shot way of knowing whether a subscriber is actually interested in your company or not. You will have to take that gamble and keep serving everyone. But, there is a way to minimize this problem.
Take a look at the email addresses that have subscribed. There are some email addresses you should never send newsletters to.
You know why? Because these are email addresses of people who will never be your customers. The faster you can figure which these email addresses are the better off you will be. To make things easier for you, I have created this list of 5 email addresses you should never send newsletters to.
#1: Competitors
You know who your competitors are. Some of them might sign up for your newsletter to keep a tab on your company’s activities. We all do it, and it is okay. But, if you have a competitor as a subscriber that is one subscriber who will never convert. Plus, you should do whatever you can in your power to stop competitors from getting your newsletters.
It is easy to spot out the email address if you check the domain name. However, since this is an open secret, competitors often mask their identities. Look out for generic email addresses. This is definitely one of the email addresses you should never send newsletters to.
#2: Role-Based Email Addresses
Browse through your subscriber list. There’s another type of email address that you will definitely come across: Role-based email addresses. These addresses often look like [email protected] or [email protected]. This is another one of the email addresses you should never send newsletters to. These can be competitors or it can be people who used a role-based address to avoid getting emails from you.
On top of that, these email addresses are usually not managed by one single user. So, it is better to avoid this type of email addresses altogether.
#3: Non-Opt-In Email Addresses
If you have ever bought a mailing list off the internet for email marketing you know that most of these lists are completely worthless. Some of them even contain defunct email addresses. But the most important part is all the email addresses in such lists have no clue that you will be mailing them. In other words, they did not opt-in to receive emails from you. Not only that, they are probably not even interested in your company or your product. It is a waste of your time and resources.
Moreover, sending unsolicited emails to such email addresses might lead you to be marked as spam. Once people start marking your emails as spam, your email marketing reputation is ruined. I would advise you to remove all non-opt-in email addresses from your database right now, for your own good.
#4: Suspicious Email Addresses
If an email address looks like [email protected] or [email protected], it is definitely a fake address. Sometimes people just put in an email address to get their way.
Maybe they need to download a PDF from your website. Or maybe they are just browsing. They instinctively put down fake credentials to avoid getting emails from you. But if you are not careful, you will keep sending emails to these addresses.
Whatever the reason might be for providing such an email address, needless to say, it is one of the top email addresses you should never send newsletters to. Use email address verification tools before you start sending emails to any email address. For subscribers, a double opt-in is the best way to verify email address validity and to get permission.
#5: Do-Not-Reply Addresses
Do-not-reply email addresses are unmonitored addresses. So, this means that there is practically no one at the other end to read your email. If that is the case, then why should you bother sending emails to such an address?
Due to the nature of this email address, the very delivery of your mail is in jeopardy. As a matter of fact, your mail might not even end up in this address's inbox. So, if you spot any do-not-reply email addresses in your mailing list, get them off it.
This list wraps up more or less all the different email addresses you should never send newsletters to. It will save you a lot of trouble, time and valuable resources. These email addresses will never convert and they do not represent your target audience in any way. If you steer clear of these addresses, you will be good.