List Hygiene Best Practices Part 2: How to Keep My Sending Lists Clean

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Maintaining a clean and accurate email list is critical to maintain both a positive sending reputation and increased email deliverability in Marketo Engage. Adhering to best practices for list hygiene can significantly impact your ability to reach your target audience's inbox and avoid issues like high complaint rates, spam traps, and poor engagement. Here are a few essential strategies for maintaining high-quality email lists.

1. Prevent bad data from entering your database
1. Avoid purchasing lists or harvesting email addresses. Not only is it against Adobe's Acceptable Use Policy, but many purchased lists and harvested emails are full of spam traps and invalid email addresses.
2. Create Global Form Validation Rules in Marketo Admin to block specific domains that have caused spam issues. Custom rules can also be created for common typos (e.g. @gmial.com) causing higher bounces or role accounts (e.g. postmaster@, noreply@, sales@ and abuse@), as these community inboxes are often checked infrequently leading to low engagement.    c. Ensure opt-in preference is captured from the source of data entry into Marketo
2. Keep Your Lists Clean 
   1.  Before syncing emails down from your CRM to Marketo, make sure to remove duplicate email addresses or utilize Automerge. This is a service Adobe Professional Services can provide to merge records if you have a large amount of duplicates in your database. 
   2. Use a list validation service to verify email addresses that have entered your database via form fill, list import, API, or CRM.
   3. Q/A your static or smart lists for any incorrect email addresses or typos. Work with your sales team to correct any email address and ensure accuracy.
   4. Download the OP-Deliverability Management Program from the Marketo Program Template Library to manage your current state of email deliverability and manage chronic bounces and non-responders.
   5. Manage inactive and unsubscribed records in your database. Learn how in List Hygiene Best Practices Part 1: How to Identify Inactive and Unsubscribed Records
3. Stay Compliant
   1. Honor your unsubscribe requests and preference center opt-ins. Marketo automatically suppresses unsubscribes, however it is also important to honor any opt-in/opt-out requirements your legal team mandates for your company. 
   2. Make sure your unsubscribe link remains on the footer of your email and is easy to unsubscribe from your marketing messages.
4. Create a Governance Team
   1. Have a team that reports, manages, communicates, and maintains your database. 
   2. Your team should be comprised of those that are impacted or influence the records in your database (i.g. MOPs team members, CRM team, and Sales team members).

It is important to prioritize the quality of your email lists by implementing best practices for list hygiene. It can be challenging, but it is vital for the success of your email marketing campaigns. If you need assistance in optimizing your list management processes, building effective Marketo programs or have any questions about maintaining email list hygiene, Adobe Professional Services is here to help. Our experts can provide tailored solutions to enhance your email deliverability and overall marketing effectiveness. Contact your account team for more information on our professional guidance and support.