There is a metric that most marketers are terrified to look at: The size of their unengaged list.
We see it all the time in our database. Customers clinging to email addresses from three years ago. "Maybe they will buy someday," they tell us.
I am here to tell you: keeping them is hurting you. Sending to ghosts tells Gmail that your content is irrelevant.
The "Graymail" Problem
ISPs look at your engagement ratio. If you send 10,000 emails and only 100 open, you look like spam. If you send 500 emails and 400 open, you look like a VIP. We want you to look like a VIP.
Step 1: The Diagnosis
We made this easy in GetMailer. Go to your Audience and create a segment for "Cold Subscribers" (Last Opened > 90 days ago). The number might scare you, but it's the first step to recovery.
Step 2: The "Hail Mary"
Before you suppress them, send a "Breakup Email." Be human. "Hey, do you still want these?" We see this generate a 20% resurrection rate.
Step 3: The Sunset
This is where our automation shines. You can set up a "Sunset Policy" workflow that automatically moves non-responders to a suppression list. You don't have to do it manually.
It hurts to see the list size drop. But quality beats quantity every time. Your deliverability—and your wallet—will thank you.