Why email list size matters less now

Last year was about volume. This year is about depth. For years, the advice was: “Send more. Post more. Grow faster.” But AI changed the landscape. Suddenly, inboxes and feeds are flooded with more. So what stands out now? Not volume. Not noise. Depth. The shift I’ve seen in the last year is this: Lists are smaller, but engagement is higher. Segments are tighter, but conversions are stronger. Fewer emails get sent, but each one feels personal and alive. It’s not about being everywhere. It’s about being unforgettable when you are in the inbox. That’s why I coach solopreneurs to track conversations (clicks, replies, conversions) instead of obsessing over impressions (opens, vanity growth). The winners in 2025 aren’t those who send the most. They’re the ones who connect the deepest. Email shifted from “more” to “meaningful.” You don’t need to be louder. You need to be clearer and closer. Do you feel this shift - less noise, more depth?

I just did something that would terrify most marketers. I cut my client's email list in HALF. Yes, I literally removed 18,000 subscribers from their list of 35,000. And I'm about to tell you why this was the smartest move we could have made. Before doing this, their open rate was sitting below 20%, their deliverability was tanking, and email service providers were starting to flag them as potential spam (I even saw an open rate of 6.3% in one campaign). I had to act fast before their entire email marketing channel collapsed. First, I removed everyone who had never opened a single email since joining—that was 6,900 subscribers gone immediately. Then I removed everyone who hadn't opened anything in the last 90 days. But here's the critical part most marketers miss: I didn't just delete these people forever. I added them to a 'Do not contact' list. Why? So we can send them a strategic re-engagement campaign later. After this cleanup, our final number of active subscribers dropped to 17,000. But watch what happened next: Our open rates jumped from under 20% to over 38% practically overnight. And most importantly, our actual revenue from email marketing went UP despite having half the list size. This is counterintuitive to most marketers who obsess over list size, but engaged subscribers are worth infinitely more than inactive ones. In fact, those inactive subscribers were actively hurting our performance by damaging deliverability. When was the last time you cleaned your email list? If you're seeing open rates below 20%, you might be due for a serious cleanup. #emailmarketing #advertising #digitalmarketing

Lots of newsletter publishers (especially in news/media) think audience size is the still main lever for advertisers. The reality: size only gets you in the door. - Subscribers capture attention. They make an advertiser pause. - Open rates / impressions close the first deal. Without engaged readers, the first contract never happens. - Click-through rates secure renewals. Advertisers need proof that your audience doesn’t just open, but acts. The real ROI for advertisers isn’t how many people are on your list—it’s how deeply engaged they are. A big list with weak engagement is a leaky bucket. A smaller but active audience is a growth engine. As publishers, the challenge is clear: - Grow smart, not just big. - Invest in engagement, not just acquisition. - Deliver advertisers results that convert into renewals. In short: quality subscribers = advertiser confidence = sustainable revenue.

The biggest lie in email marketing? "You need a big list to make real money." This myth is keeping countless creators stuck in perpetual list-building mode instead of generating revenue. I've consulted with clients who have: - 500,000+ subscribers generating barely 5-figures per campaign - Under 10,000 subscribers consistently earning 6-7 figures The difference isn't size. It's connection. When your list is small, you have advantages the big players don't: - You can personally respond to every reply - You can tailor your offers to actual feedback - You can pivot quickly based on what's working - You can build genuine relationships that lead to sales Here's the Minimum Viable Audience Method that works with as few as 10-20 subscribers: 1. Email consistently (even weekly works) 2. Ask ONE question per email 3. Reply to EVERY response personally 4. Use subscriber language in your next email 5. Solve the actual problems they tell you about Stop focusing on vanity metrics. Start leveraging the advantages only small creators have. Your small list isn't the problem. It might be your biggest opportunity.

Stop Obsessing Over the Size of Your Email List. Start Focusing on Engagement. When it comes to email marketing, it’s not the quantity of email addresses you have—it’s the quality that drives results. I’ll take a list of 10,000 subscribers with a 50% open rate over 20,000 non-engaged contacts any day. 💡 Why Engagement Matters Your engaged subscribers are the ones actually reading your content, clicking your links, and taking action. They’re your biggest opportunity for growth, so nurturing them should be your priority. On the flip side, holding onto inactive, non-engaged contacts can actually hurt your deliverability and make your campaigns less effective. Separating these groups and focusing your energy on the engaged segment has been a game-changer in my campaigns. 🕒 Bonus Tip: Add Estimated Read Time Want to increase your open rates even more? Try adding an estimated read time to your subject lines—like “3 Min Read: [Topic]” or “Quick 2-Min Update.” This small tweak works wonders because it sets expectations and respects your audience’s time. People are far more likely to engage when they know upfront what kind of commitment you’re asking for. 🚀 Takeaway: Bigger doesn’t always mean better. Prioritize engagement, clean up your list, and focus on delivering value to the subscribers who actually care. Your results will speak for themselves.

My biggest email marketing mistake was focusing on vanity metrics I used to celebrate when our pop-ups converted at 15% instead of 10%. I'd high-five team members when our list grew by 5,000 new subscribers in a month. But I was missing what actually mattered. The reality is a bigger list doesn't equal more revenue. If that were true, everyone would just run giveaways and collect thousands of emails from people who have zero interest in buying. What I've learned after generating $100M+ for DTC brands since 2019: - 70-80% of purchases happen within the first 24 hours of someone joining your list - Most brands have 80% of their list sitting as non-customers - The quality of subscribers matters infinitely more than quantity Now I focus on collecting data at sign-up from prospects and personalizing the welcome flow to convert more subscribers into first-time buyers. Because you can't get a second purchase without a first one. What email marketing mistake cost you the most?

Having a large, unengaged email list is like having a phonebook full of numbers that never pick up – it's almost worthless. In email marketing, the size of your list is only part of the equation. The real question is: Are your subscribers engaging? Without engagement, it doesn’t matter how big your list is, you still won’t generate meaningful results for your business. Here’s how to build a highly engaged email list that becomes a money-making machine: STEP 1: ATTRACT THE RIGHT AUDIENCE List growth shouldn’t be just about attracting more subscribers, it should be about attracting more of the RIGHT subscribers. Instead of casting a wide net, focus on attracting people who are in your target market and, ideally, have a demonstrated interest in your products or services. Using lead magnets, social media ads, or strategic partnerships can be a great way to grow your audience while prioritizing quality over quantity. STEP 2: SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS Engagement is a reflection of your ability to get the right content in front of the right people. From the first email, let your subscribers know exactly what they’ll get from you—and when. And, most importantly, DELIVER ON THAT PROMISE. Aligned expectations build trust, improve conversions, and accelerate sales cycles. STEP 3: DELIVER VALUE CONSISTENTLY Every email you send should have a single, customer-centric purpose. Whether you’re educating, entertaining, or selling, your emails should ALWAYS deliver value. If your subscribers feel like they’re being bombarded with promotions, or the relationship feels too one-sided, they’re going to bounce. STEP 4: SEGMENT YOUR AUDIENCE Too many brands treat their subscribers like numbers instead of people. Divide your audience into segments based on demographics, interests, or behaviors, so you can send personalized emails that address their specific needs and interests. Personalized emails are more relevant, and relevance is a key determinant of engagement. STEP 5: CLEAN YOUR LIST The easiest way to improve engagement is to prune your unengaged subscribers. You should regularly remove subscribers who have inaccurate contact information or haven’t engaged with any of your recent content. Don’t get caught up in vanity metrics. A smaller, engaged list outperforms a large, unengaged list every single time. Having a big list might feel like an accomplishment, but without engagement you have a rolodex, not a revenue channel. Focus on the quality of your subscribers and build a strategy that forms stronger relationships with each of them – your P&L will thank you for it.

I just deleted 1,452 email subscribers. No, it wasn’t a mistake (here’s why). And no, I don’t regret it. Most people think a big email list = big success. Not true. A big list of unengaged people is dead weight. I’d rather have 500 active subscribers than 10,000 ghosts. Because engagement is everything. If your audience isn’t opening, clicking, or replying, they’re not your audience. They’re just numbers on a screen. And numbers don’t buy. People do. So, I cleaned house. → Better open rates. → Better deliverability. Better business. More of the right people. Less of the wrong ones. Most solopreneurs obsess over growing their list. Few focus on keeping it healthy. Your list is the most valuable business asset. Treat it like one. If they don’t engage, they’re out. I’ve got a small list of 5,223 subs. And the brings in 80% of my revenue. My Durian-infused words might smell strong, but at least that create true fans. Your list should be the same. P.S How healthy is your email list?

Say you make $100K every few months or so. Now, I know what you’re thinking... Isn’t a huge email list important for that? Don't I need lots of subscribers? Here's the hard truth: List size is one of the most misleading email metrics out there. Sure, it feels good to see those big subscriber numbers rise each month. But if half your list is inactive or unengaged, what’s the point? Those inflated lists full of cold or irrelevant subscribers won't make you a dime. I have seen people with over 50,000 subscribers who couldn't even hit $5k per month in sales! See, More is not always better. A huge pool of mildly interested people won't buy much from you. But a small tribe of raving fans who love what you sell? Ka-ching! Imagine 1,000 subscribers who open and click on every email. They know you and trust you. And they buy your $100 offer every few months or so. Now, that’s $100k in sales! Not bad, right? Imagine 100,000 people who barely glance at your emails before deleting them. Good luck getting them to spend a buck with you. Which list would you rather have? Don't let big numbers that appear impressive but don't actually make you money divert your attention. Start evaluating your list based on engagement and lifetime value instead. Focus on conversion, not growth.

Your email list is too big, and that’s the problem... Everyone brags about how big their list is. But a bloated list full of cold, unengaged, or dead emails? That’s not an asset. That’s a liability. Here’s what bad list hygiene leads to: 📉 Low open rates 📉 Spam folder placement 📉 Higher unsubscribe rates 📉 Crushed sender reputation Here’s how to fix it 👇 🧹 Remove Ghost Subscribers ✅ If someone hasn’t opened an email in 90–120 days, it’s time to sunset or suppress them. ✅ Exceptions? Only if they’ve purchased recently or are active on another channel (like SMS). 📩 Run Re-Engagement Campaigns (Smartly) ✅ Before removing them, send a simple 2–3 email winback flow: “Still want to hear from us?” Include a reason to stay: a benefit, a new offer, or even just a brand update. 🧠 Monitor List Health Monthly ✅ Look at these KPIs: - Open rate - Click-to-open - Spam complaints - Bounce rate A dip in any of these = time to clean up. 🚫 Never Buy or Import Random Lists Seems obvious, but… still happens. ✅ If they didn’t opt in, they don’t belong on your list. Period. ⚙️ Pro Tip: Create an “engaged” segment that updates automatically (opened or clicked in the last 30–60 days). Send to this group first for important sends to protect deliverability. Your list isn’t about size. It’s about quality, intent, and action. Keep it lean. Keep it warm. #emailmarketing #ecommerce #ecom   #listbuilding #klaviyoemailmarketing #emailstrategy   #retentionmarketing #scalingbrands #EmailsThatPrintMoney #InboxRevenuePlaybook