In our experience, entrepreneurs tend to be very, well entrepreneurial. That usually means owning or starting more than one business, and sometimes selling a business to begin a new one or relaunching a new version of their company after some type of change. In any of these cases, the question always arises “I’ve already got a long list of contacts, but who can I add to my email list?”

Remember Permission

The first rule in building a new email list, even if it is for the relaunch of a business, is to only send email to people who have given you permission to do so. This means a few things:

1. Start with the suppression list: If you have a list of people who have unsubscribed in the past, they should be the first people you add to your list AS UNSUBSCRIBED names. You do not want to hurt your new domain with a list of spam reports from people who asked to be removed from your list in the past.

2. Review past subscribers with expressed permission: Audience members who signed up on your website, filled out a form or otherwise raised their hand and said “yes, send me your emails!” have provided expressed permission to hear from you. If your new company offers the same products, services or information, these subscribers are good candidates for your new email list.

3. Evaluate implied permission: People who work for your organization, are business partners or have a clear financial interest (e.g. Board Members, investors) are obvious candidates for your list because of their ties to it, but if they haven’t asked to receive email, consider these as candidates with implied permission.

Think About Sender Reputation

As you look at these groups and add past subscribers to your new list, you need to evaluate them carefully, as it can affect your sender reputation. 

Your sender reputation is the email equivalent to your credit score. The higher your score, the better your inbox placement (meaning no spam folder relegation, which accounts for roughly 45% of emails). A high number of spam reports or unsubscribe rate will negatively affect your sender reputation, and who you add to your list is the chief contributor to that result. 

Especially if you are launching with a new domain, it’s critical to consider your sender reputation as you build your list. These decisions will affect your business for years to come, and a poor sender reputation can take quite a long time to fix. 

Rebuild Your List Thoughtfully

As you build your list, do not assume that just because someone subscribed to your last company’s emails that they necessarily want email from your new venture. If they have expressed or implied permission in the past (because you’ve already suppressed your past unsubscribe list!), it’s generally considered acceptable to reach out to them with one initial marketing email and let them know about your new venture. Give them the opportunity to confirm their interest to stay on your list. 

Don’t be disappointed if you don’t see a great result from that first outreach. Depending on the list, the source of the subscribers, the industry and other factors, it can sometimes be acceptable to send up to three emails to entice your past subscribers to join your new list. But be careful! If you notice unsubscribes or spam reports, you should cease email marketing efforts through your ESP before your domain is damaged. 

But All Those Great Names…

It can be frustrating, after years of building a wonderful email list, to feel like you are abandoning your subscribers with your new venture. Know that email, while a very powerful channel, is only one channel. Your outreach strategy should include multiple channels, and you can leverage the email data you’ve collected from your past business venture to create a very targeted strategy to reach your prospective buyers. 

Looking for the best ways to build your email list? We’re Mailchimp Pro Partners and email experts with more than two decades of email experience. Reach out today and find out how we can help.