How To Use ActiveCampaign Lists For Better Engagment
Did you know that 39% of email marketers who segment their email lists experience higher open rates and a 28% lower unsubscribe rate?
This blog is going to dive deep into how you can harness the power of ActiveCampaign lists to boost your email marketing efforts. Weāll cover everything from creating and managing lists to advanced strategies and tips.
What Are Email Lists?
An email list is a collection of email addresses that a business or individual has gathered.
These addresses can belong to customers, potential customers, or anyone interested in the information you send out.
Email lists are essential for any email marketing strategy because they allow you to target your messages to a specific audience, leading to higher engagement and better results.
Purpose of ActiveCampaign Lists
The main job of a list is to indicate whether a contact can receive emails. If a contact is subscribed to at least one list, they can receive campaign or automation emails. If unsubscribed from all lists, they wonāt receive emails.
Best Practices for Using Lists in ActiveCampaign
How To Use Lists In ActiveCampaign ( The Right Way)
Fewer Lists Are Better: ActiveCampaign advises maintaining between 2 to 5 lists to ensure higher engagement and better email deliverability. Too many lists can complicate management and negatively impact deliverability.
Use Tags and Custom Fields for Segmentation: Instead of creating multiple lists, use tags and custom fields for more detailed and flexible segmentation. Tags indicate behaviors or preferences, and custom fields store unique contact information.
Regular List Hygiene: Maintain healthy email lists by regularly removing unengaged contacts. Use automations to clean up lists periodically, improving deliverability and engagement rates.
Naming Conventions: Use clear and consistent naming conventions for lists (e.g., [Email] General Marketing list) to keep them organized and easily identifiable.
Preference Centers: Utilize a preference center to manage list subscriptions and present customer-friendly list names. This helps contacts manage their subscriptions easily without changing internal list names.
Essential Terms Before We Explore
ActiveCampaign List Examples
What lists do you need to create? Depending on your business requirements, you can set up various types of lists in ActiveCampaign. However, as a best practice, we suggest keeping the number to a minimum of five to maintain simplicity and effectiveness. Here are some examples of lists you might consider creating:
Example 1: Customer List
A list that includes all your customers. Use this list to send updates about new products, special offers, and loyalty rewards.
Example 2: Lead List
A list of potential customers who have shown interest in your products but haven't made a purchase yet. Use this list to send nurturing emails and special offers to convert leads into customers.
Example 3: Newsletter Subscribers
A list of contacts who have signed up to receive your regular newsletter. Use this list to send company news, blog updates, and other valuable content.
Example 4: Test List
This list allows you to review how your emails will appear, ensure that automation workflows function as intended, and verify that all settings and integrations are working correctly, without affecting your actual subscriber base.
Keep in mind that you can use tags and custom fields to segment any list, ensuring your messages reach the right audience at the right moment.
How to Create a List in ActiveCampaign from Scratch
Creating a list in ActiveCampaign is straightforward. Hereās how you can do it:
Log into ActiveCampaign:
Go to ActiveCampaign and log into your account.
Navigate to Lists:
In the left-hand menu, click on "Lists."
Create a New List:
Click the "Add New List" button.
Fill in the required details:
List Name: Choose a descriptive name for your list.
List URL: Enter the URL associated with the list (usually your website).
List Description: When creating lists, itās helpful to provide clear descriptions to ensure everyone on your team understands the purpose of each list.
Save:
Click the "Create List" button to save your new list!
Adding Contacts to a List
Adding contacts to your ActiveCampaign list is crucial for growing your email audience. Hereās how you can do it:
Importing Contacts
Navigate to Contacts:
Click on "Contacts" in the left-hand menu.
Import Contacts
Click "Import" and select "Import from File."
Choose the CSV file you want to upload.
Map the columns in your CSV file to the corresponding fields in ActiveCampaign (e.g., First Name, Last Name, Email).
Select the list you want to add these contacts to.
Click "Import Now."
Manual Addition
Add a Contact:
Go to "Contacts."
Click "Add a Contact."
Enter the contact's details and assign them to the appropriate list.
ActiveCampaign List Segments
List segments in ActiveCampaign allow you to break down your list into smaller, more targeted groups based on specific criteria. For example, you can create segments based on location, purchase history, or engagement level. This segmentation helps you send more personalized and relevant emails, leading to higher open rates and engagement
Examples of Effective Segmentation
Geographic Segmentation. Target subscribers based on their location. This is useful for promoting local events or offers.
Behavioral Segmentation. Segment contacts based on their behavior, such as purchase history or email engagement.
Demographic Segmentation. Use demographic information like age, gender, or occupation to tailor your messages.
Risks of Using Too Many Lists
Messy Management
Using numerous lists can lead to disorganization, making it difficult to manage who receives which emails.
Email Delivery Issues
Mismanagement of lists can result in contacts not receiving emails they want or receiving emails they opted out of, leading to unsubscribes, complaints, and spam reports.
Handling Existing Lists
Reducing Lists
If you already have too many lists, start by safely consolidating contacts into fewer lists. Ensure you donāt accidentally resubscribe people who opted out or unsubscribe those who still want emails.
Data Migration
Carefully migrate tracking data from lists to tags or custom fields to maintain segmentation without losing important information.
Related: Learn How To Use Email Marketing for Your Campaigns
What Happens When You Delete a List in ActiveCampaign?
When you delete a list in ActiveCampaign, it removes the contacts associated with that list as well as any campaigns linked to it, unless they are also part of another list. This action is irreversible, so make sure you really want to delete the list before doing so.
Instead of deleting a list outright, it's generally best to archive the list. This way, you retain the data and can still access it if needed in the future. To do this, simply add "Archive" in front of the list name.
List vs Tags in ActiveCampaign
Understanding the difference between lists and tags in ActiveCampaign is crucial for effective list management.
Lists: Used for broad categorization of contacts. They are the primary way to organize your contacts.
Tags: Used for more specific and flexible segmentation within those lists. Tags can indicate things like interests, behaviors, or other attributes.
For example, you might have a list for all your customers and use tags to identify who has purchased a specific product or attended a webinar.
When to Use Lists vs. Tags
Use Lists: When you need broad categories, such as separating customers from leads or different types of subscribers.
Use Tags: When you need more detailed segmentation within those categories. Tags allow you to track behaviors and preferences at a granular level.
ActiveCampaign Preference Centre
The ActiveCampaign preference center is a powerful feature that allows your subscribers to manage their subscription preferences. They can choose which lists they want to be part of and update their personal information. This self-service option can lead to higher engagement and fewer unsubscribes.
See an example of ActiveCampaign Preference Centre.
ActiveCampaign List Strategy
Developing a robust ActiveCampaign list strategy is key to successful email marketing. Here are some strategies to consider:
Regular Cleanups
Regularly clean your lists to remove inactive contacts and improve deliverability. Inactive contacts can drag down your engagement rates and hurt your sender reputation.
Segmentation
Use segmentation to target specific groups within your list for more personalized communication. The more relevant your emails, the more likely they are to be opened and acted upon.
Automation
Leverage automations to save time and ensure timely and relevant communication. Automations can handle everything from welcome emails to re-engagement campaigns.
Engagement Monitoring
Monitor engagement metrics to identify which segments are most responsive and adjust your strategy accordingly. High engagement indicates that your messages are resonating with your audience.
Benefits of a Proper List Strategy
Having a well-thought-out list strategy offers several benefits:
Keep Contacts Engaged
By sending relevant content to segmented lists, you keep your contacts more engaged. Engaged contacts are more likely to open your emails and interact with your content.
Reduce Spam Complaints
Targeted emails reduce the likelihood of your messages being marked as spam. This helps maintain your sender reputation and ensures higher deliverability rates.
Increase Email Reputations
A good list strategy improves your email reputation. ISPs monitor engagement levels, and higher engagement rates positively impact your email deliverability.
Final Thoughts on How to Use ActiveCampaign Lists
Using ActiveCampaign lists effectively can transform your email marketing efforts. By creating well-organized lists, segmenting your contacts, and using automations, you can deliver āā
FAQ
How can I ensure that contacts who unsubscribe from one list are not accidentally added back to another list?
In ActiveCampaign, when a contact unsubscribes from one list, they are only unsubscribed from that specific list. To manage unsubscribes across multiple lists, you can create an automation that tags contacts when they unsubscribe
What are some best practices for improving email deliverability with ActiveCampaign lists?
Improving email deliverability is crucial for the success of your email campaigns. Regular List Cleanup, Segment your list and authenticate your domain.
Iām Dimi,
Iām marketing automation consultant who loves making businesses more efficient. My goal? Helping you save 10-20 hours a week with automation so you can enjoy more freedom in your life.
