How do I run email/CRM like a pro (list hygiene, fan emails that convert, CRM setup for campaigns)?
TL;DR - Treat your list like a living asset: scrub every 90 days, segment by fan intent, and automate a three-email welcome. Done right, you’ll keep open rates ≥ 35 %, click rates ≥ 6 %, and list churn ≤ 1 % per send.
Case Study - “Silver Horizon - Album Pre-Order 2025”
3-email welcome with merch coupon (Week 1) -> Opens 52 % → 44 % → 41 % -> $3 094 first-week sales
Quarterly scrub of no-opens x3 (Week 12) -> Bounce rate 2.8 % → 0.4 % -> Sender score 99/100
Fan survey + tag-based segment (Week 16) -> Click rate 4.7 % → 8.9 % -> 2x crowdfunding backers
Six-month email revenue: $12 670 on a 4 200-subscriber list.
1 │ Why This Matters
Email still delivers the highest ROI in music marketing (often cited near $36 per $1).
Bad hygiene crushes deliverability; once flagged, recovery takes months.
2 │ Step-by-Step Framework
Set up CRM foundations
Use tags, not static lists (examples: Buyer - Vinyl, Engaged - 90d, VIP).
Enable DKIM, SPF, DMARC.
Build a three-email welcome series
Day 0: story + free download.
Day 2: behind-the-scenes video.
Day 5: merch coupon or pre-save link.
Run quarterly hygiene
Remove hard bounces immediately.
Suppress no-opens in 90 days; send a re-engage before deletion.
Segment by intent
Buckets: buyers, super-fans, casual listeners, industry contacts.
Match CTAs: merch -> buyers, surveys -> super-fans, show invites -> local.
Automate campaigns
Product launch: teaser -> reveal -> cart-close.
Tour: on-sale -> 48 h reminder -> day-of info.
Measure and iterate
Track open, click, conversion, unsubscribe, revenue per send.
A/B subject lines and send times; keep only winners with > 10 % lift.
3 │ Metrics and Guard-Rails
Open rate: green ≥ 35 % | yellow 20–34 % | red < 20 %
Click rate: green ≥ 6 % | yellow 3–5 % | red < 3 %
List churn per send: green ≤ 1 % | yellow 1.1–2 % | red > 2 %
Bounce rate: green ≤ 1 % | yellow 1.1–2 % | red > 2 %
4 │ Platform Snapshot
ConvertKit - tag-based CRM, visual automations; watch cost above 10k subs.
Mailchimp - templates, A/B tests, surveys; list-based structure can duplicate contacts.
Klaviyo - deep e-commerce data, SMS add-on; steeper learning curve.
MailerLite - affordable, clean UI; fewer advanced e-com triggers.
5 │ Common Pitfalls and Quick Fixes
Buying lists -> never; build with opt-in magnets.
Only doing one-off blasts -> move core promos into automations.
Ignoring mobile formatting -> single column, 14 px+ fonts.
Overusing images -> keep text-to-image at least 60:40.
Key Takeaways
Scrub quarterly; deliverability is non-negotiable.
A tight three-email welcome converts new sign-ups fast.
Tag-driven segmentation sends the right CTA to the right fan.
Run traffic-light metrics and stay green to keep revenue compounding.
How to Use
Turn on authentication (DKIM, SPF, DMARC) and set tag-based segments today.
Draft and schedule your three-email welcome before the next release.
Set a 90-day calendar reminder to scrub inactives and run a re-engage campaign.