Having been in the List business for over a decade, Larry Chase is one of the real experts on the topic. He’s come up with a handy guide to keeping a clean list and other pointers.

In summary, Larry advises:

• Keep it Clean
  The cleaner your email list is, the more emails get through. Email servers shut you down if you throw too many dead email addresses at them.
• Audience Segmentation
  Some segments will respond to some offers, while others won’t. Try to give each of these segments a name and a face so you can clearly visualize them and cater to them.
• List Representation
  It’s best to use a list management firm that already represents lists similar to yours — and yes, your competitors.
• What’s the Glue?
  There should be an affinity that keeps your list glued together, be it well-made sportswear or Internet marketing. If you stray too far away from that affinity, you could lose cohesion.
• Use Power Words in Email Subject Headers
  Make sure your email gets opened and read by loading your subject header with words that your readers are looking for.
• Source of New List Members
  Figure out how to draw people to your site and subscribe. Also set up co-registration partnerships with like-minded newsletters.
• Beware of Buying New Members
  Some lists do this, and it can be perfectly legitimate. Take great care to examine where these addresses are coming from. Junky addresses get junky response rates.
• Protect Your Good Name and Domain
  Set up your SPF records and look into the possibility of using a bonded-sender type service.
• Pass-Along is Your Life’s Blood
  Subscriptions to Larry’s Web Digest For Marketers are always highest on those days when his newsletter goes out. Why? Because subscribers pass it along and those recipients sign up.
• Keep It Fresh
  Don’t change something because you’re bored with it, because you see your newsletter way more than your list does. But yet don’t let things get stale. Test things before pulling the trigger.
• Pick an Email Service Provider Wisely
  It’s imperative that you select a competent service with an impeccable reputation and good tech support.
• Get Help
  The list business is a living, breathing organism. Make sure you have someone nearby who’s done it before to help you avoid pitfalls and mistakes you don’t want to make in public. It will also save you money in the long run.

Great advice, Larry. On the last point, I can’t resist but plug my email marketing service, GravityMail. Not only is it smart technology for sending and tracking email campaigns, it’s also got a crackerjack team of email marketers behind it.