Do you know how many people you need on your list to make email marketing effective? The answer is one. Email marketing is not 'just' a numbers game. Successful email marketing campaigns have 3 distinctive qualities;

1. Relevance
2. Permission
3. Good Design

Even if you have a small database, you can still have more than one mailing list. A mailing list is a group of subscribers who want information about specific topics. Your database may total 500 persons where 70% want to hear from you when you have promotion and 50% want to know when your blog gets updated. Subscriber preferences vary and often overlap. In this example, sending promotions to your entire list risks having a 30% opt-out because you weren't listening.

Since your list is small, it's easier to find your 'segmentation' direction by aligning your subscribers' preferences with your marketing objectives for the coming year. The average number of ways you can segment your audience is 5 segments per 1,000 subscribers. Stick to 2 or 3 general newsletters. If the number of subscribers in any overlapping segment exceeds 200, you should target them with a special issue, which contains a merger of content and a fresh point of view. This way, you guarantee high open rates every time you send something. Stay relevant.

A small list is really no different from a large one. It is still made up of individuals who will behave exactly the same as if they made up a larger mailing list. The critical issue is quality. Using 'forward to a friend' strategies help you tap into your subscribers' like-minded networks, earning you new subscribers who share the same preferences and buying triggers as their friends.

Finally, mailing lists never stay the same. Do not be discouraged if your list shrinks or become complacent if it only grows. The characteristics of quality lists are that people will opt-in and opt-out at various phases of their lives. Their needs, objectives and interests change. You should conduct list-cleaning exercises like surveys at least once every quarter to take stock of your list's personality.

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