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Email Newsletter Database 101: How To Build, Optimize, and Secure It
How I Cleaned Half of My Email List and Boosted Open Rate to 70–80%
Victoria Kurichenko
April 5th, 2025
According to Statista, Global email revenue is expected to hit 17.9 billion by 2027.
Are you in?
Whether you run a business solo or work in-house, email marketing could be a way to diversify user acquisition channels and boost profit.
However, it’s worth knowing a few vital details.
Growing an email database isn’t just about collecting email addresses.
It’s also about keeping your list clean, engaged, and optimized for growth.
I didn't consider these factors when I started growing my email list. My goal has always been to see the numbers grow, ideally fast.
But without a “healthy” email newsletter database, you risk sending emails to inactive subscribers, facing deliverability issues, and even getting flagged as spam.
All these issues, plus a lack of email list segmentation, resulted in deleting almost half of my email list.
In this article, I’ll explore how to grow an email database and avoid common mistakes. I’ll also reveal the best practices for keeping your database compliant and secure.
Why Trust Me?
I'm a website owner and a content creator who’s been growing my email newsletter database on beehiiv since January 2024. I’ve deleted my email list and started over again twice.
Table of Contents
An email newsletter database is a list of people who have signed up to receive emails from you. It includes their names, email addresses, and sometimes other details like interests or past purchases.
Unlike SEO, social media, or any other platform, you own your email list – no algorithms messing with your reach.
Trust me; I’ve been there. Google once slashed over 30% of my website traffic overnight because of one of its never-ending updates. But with an email list, that never happens.
Since I started using beehiiv, my newsletter list has been growing steadily. That’s why I like email marketing. It’s reliable. With beehiiv, it gets even better because it gives you all the tools to grow faster.
However, there are some mistakes you don’t want to make when building your email list. Let’s talk about those.
5 Mistakes That Can Lead to a Poor-Performing Email Database
Managing an email list comes with challenges, but what doesn’t?
In addition to creating content that keeps your audience hooked, you must track many engagement metrics to ensure that your email list is “healthy.”
If you don’t update your email list, you’re probably making one of these mistakes.
1. Not Cleaning Your Email List Regularly
People change addresses, lose interest, or stop opening their emails.
Over time, your email database will accumulate inactive subscribers and invalid addresses, which can hurt deliverability and engagement rates.
If too many emails bounce or go unopened, email service providers (ESPs) can mark your messages as spam. This can reduce your chances of reaching your readers.
How do your numbers compare? If they’re lower than the standard, it’s a sign that your list needs some cleaning. Removing inactive subscribers and verifying email addresses can help your emails land in inboxes instead of spam folders.
2. Ignoring Spam Complaints
Even if you send valuable content, some subscribers might mark your emails as spam simply because they don’t remember signing up.
Additionally, sending too many emails in a short period can overwhelm your audience and lead to high unsubscribe rates and spam complaints.
These issues can hurt your deliverability and limit your audience reach.
3. Failing To Segment Your Audience
Even if you have a narrow niche, sending the same generic emails to all subscribers often means missing out on valuable opportunities—like making sales.
Without segmentation, your messages may not feel relevant, which could lead to low engagement rates and higher unsubscribe rates.
Here are some ideas on how you can segment your audience:
Interests
Past interactions
Demographics
Segmenting your audience can help you understand your audience better and keep them engaged.
4. Not Using a Double Opt-in Process
I used to allow anyone to subscribe without verifying their email address because I thought it could help me grow my email database faster.
In reality, not verifying email addresses has led to a list full of fake or low-quality contacts. I couldn’t even track it manually because too many email addresses looked fake.
In addition to spam sign-ups, this mistake can lead to high bounce rates, eventually negatively impacting your reputation as a sender.
I stopped allowing anyone to subscribe without verifying their email address, and you should, too. There’s only one way to do it right.
Use a double opt-in system, where subscribers confirm their email addresses before being added to the list. This ensures that only interested and valid users join your newsletter database.
5. Buying Email Lists
Buying email lists might seem like a quick way to grow your audience, but trust me, it’s a very bad idea. You’ll end up with low engagement, and you might even run into legal trouble.
I’ve had random newsletters land in my inbox that I never signed up for. There was no unsubscribe button. When I tried asking where they got my email, no one replied. Chances are, my info was sold without my consent. The only thing I could do was block the senders and report them.
This kind of shady practice goes against the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other privacy policies. It can seriously hurt your brand’s reputation.
Bottom line? Never, ever buy an email list.
How I Built and Optimized My Email Newsletter Database
I’ve tried (and failed) to grow my email list several times.
Most attempts flopped because I didn’t have the knowledge, skills, or tools.
But now? I’ve built a solid email list on beehiiv, where I send free newsletters every week and even offer paid subscriptions.
If you’ve been thinking about starting, you’re not too late! The creator economy is getting bigger. Meanwhile, personal brands take the spotlight from traditional media companies.
I liked this insight from Preeya Goenka, Chief Operating Officer of beehiiv, on why now is the perfect time to jump in.
My Best Practices for Growing a High-Quality Email List
Let me share a few things that have helped me grow my email list and have become an essential part of my online business.
One of the fastest (and free) ways I’ve grown my email list is by creating bundles with other content creators.
Instead of trying to reach new audiences alone, I partner with creators whose audiences share similar interests.
In exchange for sign-ups, we offer a free bundle of resources such as ebooks, templates, or curated guides.
Here’s an example of an email I sent to promote one of these bundles.
Aside from bundles, I recommend checking out beehiiv’s Boosts and Recommendations tools.
Honestly, beehiiv’s powerful growth and monetization features pushed me to switch from Kit.
beehiiv’s Recommendations feature lets you promote other newsletters and, in return, you can ask them to promote yours. It’s completely free and benefits both sides.
I promote two of my favorite newsletters because I believe they deserve more visibility.
If you want to grow even faster, pair Recommendations with Boosts.
beehiiv Boosts works as paid promotions where newsletter operators can pay to reach new audiences. While it requires a budget, the upside is that it helps attract the target audience, who are likely to stick around.
According to beehiiv, Boosts can speed up your growth by 137% in just a month.
Watch this video to learn more about Boosts.
Another big part of my strategy? Search engine optimization (SEO).
I rely on my website and my blog on Medium to attract readers organically. Thanks to SEO, these are my top channels for bringing in new subscribers without spending on ads.
But you don’t need to go the hard way, like I did, and set everything up on WordPress.
beehiiv makes it super easy to create a website, optimize it for rankings, publish your newsletters, and even set up custom pages.
For example, check out how Tyler Denk, beehiiv’s co-founder, used beehiiv’s brand new Website Builder to create a custom design for his website that looks stunning.
These are just a few of the strategies that have worked for me.
They all can work together to help you create a system that boosts subscriber numbers and ensures that the right people join your email list.
How I Use Segmentation To Improve Engagement Rates
Segmentation is sorting your email list subscribers into different groups (aka segments) based on what they like, how they behave, or who they are. It’s like saying, “I don’t talk to everyone the same way.”
There are plenty of ways to segment your subscribers.
For example, beehiiv lets you create different types of segments, static (fixed), dynamic (updates automatically), and manual, based on various criteria, such as:
People who opened or clicked a specific email
Highly engaged subscribers (measured by open rates or CTR)
Everyone who unsubscribed
Subscribers who haven’t confirmed their email (marked as “Pending”)
Paying subscribers
And more
If you’re new to segmentation, don’t overcomplicate things. Start with the basics.
For example, I created a segment for people who’ve completed my “Welcome Series” campaign. That way, my weekly newsletters only go to those who already know me, understand what I do, and expect to hear from me. It helps reduce unsubscribes and spam complaints.
I also have segments for people who’ve unsubscribed, upgraded to a paid plan, have low engagement, or are still “Pending.”
Why I Regularly Clean My Email List
Notice how most of my segments above are about spotting unsubscribers and low-engagement subscribers?
That’s because I clean up my email list regularly. Why pay for ghost subscribers who never actually engage?
I remove inactive subscribers, even if that means cutting a big chunk from my list, but I don’t do this manually.
I’ve got a beehiiv automation running on autopilot. It tracks people who haven’t engaged for a while and sends them an email with my latest insights. If they don’t interact within three days, they get marked as “Inactive” and moved to a separate segment.
I check the segment regularly and remove inactive subscribers.
This approach helped me get more people to open my emails last year after I revamped my newsletter.
Before August 1, 2024, my open rate was around 30–35%. Then, I cut my email list in half, turned on double opt-in, and tweaked my growth strategy.
It worked! My open rates have been at a solid 70–80% ever since.
The Best Tools for Managing an Email Newsletter Database
There are so many email providers these days.
I’ve used Mailchimp and Kit in the past, but I eventually switched to beehiiv and decided to stay with it.
From my experience, beehiiv is a solid, all-in-one newsletter growth platform that can help you manage, grow, automate, and keep your email list clean—all in one place.
But if you’re looking for more specialized tools, I’ve highlighted some great options below.
My Favorite Email Validation and List-Cleaning Tools
Email validation tools check if an email address is active and can receive your emails. List-cleaning tools go a step further by removing duplicates, spam addresses, and other inactive emails.
Here are some handy tools to clean up and validate your email list:
ZeroBounce — This tool can help you remove invalid and risky email addresses. Plus, it can give you extra details like the recipient’s name and location (if available). They offer a pay-as-you-go pricing model, and you can check up to 100 email addresses for free.
NeverBounce — It scans and sorts your email addresses into valid, invalid, or risky categories. Their website says they have over 125K users and offer real-time email verification.
Hunter Email Verifier — This tool lets you check if an email address is active and can receive emails. You can check email addresses individually or do a bulk email verification.
Mailgun Email Validation — This tool helps filter out invalid addresses before sending an email campaign. They claim to handle massive email databases with millions of addresses. Just upload your CSV file, and you’ll get results in minutes.
Pick the one that suits your needs, and keep your email list squeaky clean!
My Pick for Automating List Management With Email Software
According to GetResponse, here’s what email automation can do for you:
Save time – 30%
Generate leads – 22%
Boost revenue – 17%
Improve customer retention – 11%
Track marketing campaigns – 8%
Shorten sales cycles – 2%
If setting up a few automations could save me 30% of my time, I’m all in!
I’ve already mentioned that I use Welcome Series and unsubscribe automation, but you can do much more with the right tools.
My go-to setup: beehiiv + Make
Make is an automation tool that acts like a “glue.” It connects beehiiv with other apps and lets you automate tasks beyond beehiiv automation.
Here’s what you can do with it:
Automatically add new beehiiv subscribers to Google Sheets, Notion, or Airtable, to name a few.
If someone clicks a link in your newsletter, Make can notify you in Slack.
If someone purchases a product through Stripe or Gumroad, Make can add them to an email segment in beehiiv.
When a new newsletter goes live, Make can instantly share it on Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social channels.
Update subscriber tags if users engage, upgrade, cancel, or change their preferences.
And much more!
This is more of an advanced strategy, but it’s a game-changer if you connect your email list with other platforms.
For example, I use Make to connect my Gumroad store to beehiiv. So, every time someone buys one of my digital products, they’re automatically added to my email list. No manual work is needed!
If you use a different email provider, you can also check out Zapier, another great web automation tool.
How To Keep Your Email Database Compliant and Secure
Ignoring email regulations can lead to fines, angry subscribers, and even your emails being flagged as spam. It also means that fewer people will potentially get your emails.
The good news? Staying compliant isn’t as complicated as it sounds.
Understanding GDPR, CAN-SPAM, And Other Regulations
Email marketing rules vary from country to country.
However, they all boil down to one thing: respect your subscribers' privacy.
In Europe, there’s the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This law requires you to get explicit consent from people before sending them emails. If you want, you can read the full document here, but let me warn you that it’s a pretty long document!
In the U.S., there’s CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003).
Like the European rules, CAN-SPAM says you must be honest in your emails, not use misleading subject lines, and always give people an easy way to unsubscribe. If you want all the details, you can check out the compliance guide for businesses.
Canada has its own policy, CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation), which follows the same basic principles.
Who you send your newsletters to matters because you need to follow the rules of their country.
Ultimately, it’s all about being transparent, providing an easy way to unsubscribe, and not sending emails to people who didn’t ask for them.
How To Ensure That Your Subscribers Give Proper Consent
Consent means people actually want your emails.
There should be no sneaky pre-checked boxes, and no one should be added just because they downloaded a freebie unless they clearly said yes.
The best way? Keep it simple.
In my experience, I suggest using an opt-in form where they check a box themselves or confirm their email address (that’s called double opt-in, more on that in a sec).
Be upfront. Tell your audience what they sign up for and how often they’ll hear from you.
Best Practices for Data Security and Privacy
I’ve talked a lot about the risks of sending unsolicited emails for email senders. If you’re serious about email marketing, just don’t do it.
Let me briefly review a few key ways to keep your email database safe and respect your subscribers’ privacy.
1. Use Double Opt-In Email
Using double opt-in email means that subscribers must confirm their email addresses before being added to your list. This strategy can help you prevent fake sign-ups.
I use a confirmation email on beehiiv as part of the double opt-in process. I also send one reminder to people who haven’t confirmed. If they still don’t confirm, my system automatically removes them after a few days.
This strategy keeps my email list clean and full of real, engaged subscribers.
2. Be Transparent About Data Usage
Tell people exactly how you’ll use their data upfront.
Will you send emails daily, weekly, or monthly? Will your newsletters include ads or promote your own products? Let people know before they sign up.
A simple privacy note on your sign-up form can build trust and reduce spam complaints.
For example, Tina Lopez, a former online coach turned content creator, makes it super clear. Her subscribers can choose how often they get emails. I get hers daily, but it's easy to change if I ever want to do it.
3. Make It Easy To Unsubscribe
There’s nothing more frustrating than getting emails you never signed up for, especially when there’s no way to unsubscribe. I used to get a few emails like that. The sender ignored my replies, and there was no unsubscribe button.
I had no choice but to report and block them. Not ideal, but I didn’t see another way.
It might have hurt the sender’s reputation, but that’s on them. A simple “Unsubscribe” button could have saved them from the trouble.
That’s why I always recommend making it easy for people to opt out. If someone wants to leave, let them.
beehiiv automatically includes an unsubscribe link in every email, and you can tweak the wording to fit your tone of voice.
Here’s what my unsubscribe preference page looks like:
4. Never Buy an Email List
Buying an email list isn’t a quick win. It’s a bad move all around.
These lists usually have inactive or fake email addresses.
Worse, sending emails to people who never signed up can tank your deliverability and get you marked as spam.
Plus, you already know that policies like the GDPR make it illegal to send emails without permission.
If the list includes personal data collected without consent, you could face massive fines up to 20 million euros or 4% of your annual revenue, whichever is higher. Definitely not worth the risk!
How beehiiv Can Fast-Track Your Email Newsletter Database Growth
I’ve covered a lot in this article, but here’s the main takeaway: Growing your email list isn’t just about getting more subscribers. It’s about attracting the right people.
The best way to attract the right people? You can lean into strategies like newsletter bundles, segmentation, a double opt-in approach, and keeping your email list healthy.
That’s where beehiiv shines. In 2024, they sent a mind-blowing 15.6 billion emails. That’s two emails for every person on the planet!
With beehiiv’s built-in features, you can focus on creating great content while the platform will handle all the behind-the-scenes work.
Plus, beehiiv’s double opt-in policy helps you avoid fake sign-ups and keep your deliverability high.
If you're serious about scaling your newsletter database, join beehiiv today and see how it can help you level up your online business!
FAQ
Honestly, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this.
The best email newsletter platform depends on your needs and business goals.
At the start of 2024, my main focus was figuring out how to make money from my newsletter. That’s when I switched to beehiiv, and I haven’t regretted it since.
beehiiv is packed with features to help creators grow and monetize their newsletters. Plus, you can use it for free until you hit 2,500 subscribers, so why not give it a shot?
How Much Is a 1,000-Email List Worth?
It all comes down to how you will nurture your email newsletter database.
According to beehiiv’s Boosts page, the average gain per active subscriber is $1.63. That means you could earn around that much for every subscriber you send to other newsletters.
On top of that, based on my experience, beehiiv pays between $1 and $3 per click from a sponsored ad.
You can also make money through paid subscriptions.
And don’t forget that your newsletter can be a great place to sell your own products or services.
The possibilities are endless!
How Do I Create an Email Database?
Building an email database starts with offering something valuable. It could be a free guide, exclusive insights, or a newsletter with helpful content.
Set up an account on beehiiv, create a compelling landing page, and start collecting emails.
How Do I Send a Mass Email Newsletter?
Sending a mass email newsletter starts with choosing an email platform like beehiiv.
Write a compelling subject line, keep the content engaging, and add CTAs.
Personalization helps a lot, so use merge tags for names or custom details.
Before you send the mass email newsletter out, do a test run by emailing it to yourself. If everything looks good, hit “Send” and keep an eye on the results, so you can tweak and improve it next time.
It's as simple as that!
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