Clean Slate, Real Results: Why I Deleted Over 1,000 People from My Email List (and You Should Too)
Let me be honest with you: I didn’t want to do it.
Deleting people from my email list felt like I was shrinking my business. I’m an Emmy-nominated TV producer, a video marketing strategist, and a media veteran with 25+ years of experience. I’ve built relationships with some of the most well-known names in the industry. I know people.
But no matter how good my content was — emails full of tips, strategies, and real value — the engagement just wasn’t there.
It wasn’t my message. It was the list.
I was sending out emails weekly and did not see engagement from my audience. After a conversation with Chief Digital Strategist, Tamara Mon Louis of Monivan Digital Marketing Solutions, I took a hard look at my email analytics. Out of 2,833 contacts:
- Only 369 were actually engaged
- About 100 had clicked within the last 90 days
- Nearly 1,100 hadn’t opened an email in 3 months
- 639 had unsubscribed altogether
And suddenly, the picture became clear.
My email list looked impressive — but it wasn’t working.
Like many business owners, I had collected names over the years: at networking events, through collaborations, maybe even gifted lists that seemed “qualified.” But I wasn’t speaking to the right audience. I was broadcasting — not connecting.
Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better
It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers. We think a large list equals a thriving business. But in truth?
A bloated list can actually weigh you down.
- It skews your analytics
- It hurts deliverability
- It drains your energy and budget
- And worst of all? It leads you to false conclusions.
I had to make a mindset shift. Instead of clinging to “potential,” I committed to relevance.
The Power of a Clean List
The results of cleansing my list were immediate.
✔️ My open rate went up
✔️ My click-through rate improved
✔️ I started getting real responses again
It felt like I had cleared the static and finally tuned into the right frequency. I wasn’t yelling into the void anymore — I was having conversations.
Here’s the truth most email coaches on Instagram won’t tell you: It’s not about how many people you email — it’s about who’s actually listening.
If someone hasn’t opened an email in 90 days, they’re not your client. If they never clicked, never responded, never engaged — why are you still writing to them?
What I Learned (And What You Can Learn Too)
Let me save you some time (and heartache). Here are the seven email marketing lessons I learned the hard way:
- Know Your Audience: If your list is a random mix of “maybe” leads, it won’t convert. Know exactly who you’re writing to and what they need.
- Clean Your List Regularly: Segment the disengaged. Run re-engagement campaigns. Don’t be afraid to delete — your business will thank you.
- Write Like a Human: Forget corporate jargon. Speak like you’re talking to one person, not a crowd.
- Design with Mobile in Mind: More than half of your audience reads email on their phone. Keep it clean, short, and scroll-friendly.
- Align Every Email With Your Goals: Don’t send emails just to check a box. Every message should support a business objective.
- Track the Right Metrics: Open rates, click-throughs, and unsubscribes — they’re all telling a story. Pay attention.
- Consistency Builds Trust: Show up when you say you will. Not randomly. Not only when you’re launching something.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t change my content. I didn’t switch platforms. I simply cleared the clutter.
Now, I have a clean, focused list of people who are actually interested in what I have to offer. People who read, reply, and take action. That’s the kind of list that grows your business.
So if your emails are going out like whispers in the wind — no opens, no clicks, no conversions — it might be time to do what I did:
Delete. Unsubscribe. Repeat.
Not out of frustration, but out of focus. Reach out to your audience and ask them if they want to continue receiving your information. If not, invite them to unsubscribe but know they are always welcome to return anytime.
You’re not here to impress people who don’t care. You’re here to serve the people who do.
➤ Ready to join our mailing list or learn more about video marketing?
Stay tuned for future webinars, workshops, and coaching sessions. Join our “Video Visibility: Your Story. Our Strategy. Real Results” group by signing up for our email newsletter here.
Book a complimentary 30-minute Clarity Call with me to discuss your video marketing.
