Every email list naturally decays. Research from HubSpot and Marketing Sherpas estimates annual decay around 22.5%, or roughly 2.1% every month, as subscribers change jobs, switch providers, or simply lose interest.
To maintain your list size against this, you need to acquire 2–3% new subscribers monthly. However, quality should always take precedence over quantity.
A smaller, highly engaged list often outperforms a larger one filled with inactive contacts.
In fact, intentionally removing inactive subscribers can improve your deliverability and long-term health, even if your total numbers dip.
Focusing solely on rapid growth can attract low-intent signups who may mark your emails as spam, ultimately damaging your reputation.
To better understand how everyone here manages these challenges, I would love to hear your perspective:
Let us know in the comments below
1. Do you track your net list growth month-over-month, or do you primarily focus on your total subscriber count?
2. What is your most effective source for new subscribers right now (e.g., website forms, social media, in-person events, or referrals)?
3. When was the last time you performed a list cleanup, and what insights did you gain from the process?
