233: Wake the Dead: How to Reengage Cold Email Subscribers Before Q4
Let’s be honest. Cleaning your email list probably isn’t at the top of your to-do list.
But if you're prepping for a big Q4 push, it needs to be.
If your list is packed with ghost subscribers who haven’t opened your emails in months, your best offers may never even reach the inbox.
And that could mean leaving thousands of dollars on the table.
In this episode, I’m sharing why now is the perfect time to clean and reengage your list and how to do it without accidentally removing your buyers or overcomplicating the process.
I’m also inviting you behind the scenes of the exact "Wake the Dead" system I’m using in my business, which we’ll be walking through step-by-step in this month’s Newsletter Profit Club workshop.
To help me teach it, I’m bringing in email strategist, Bev Feldman, of Your Personal Tech Fairy, the expert I hired to set this up for both of my newsletters.
Together, we’ll show you how to build a smart, automated system that improves deliverability, increases open rates, and protects your most valuable subscribers.
What You’ll Learn:
Why inactive subscribers are secretly costing you money
The 5 biggest myths about email list cleaning—and what’s actually true
The simple 3-email reengagement sequence that works like magic
How to define "inactive" subscribers in a way that works for your business
Steps to protect customers and VIPs from being removed by mistake
How to automate the entire process so it runs in the background
A pre-workshop challenge you can do today for a quick win
If you’re ready to make your email list a money-making machine heading into the busiest season of the year, this episode is a must-listen.
Mentioned in this episode:
Get the workshop for free inside of the Newsletter Profit Club. Join here.
Wake the Dead: How I’m Reengaging Cold Email Subscribers Before Q4
Let’s be honest. Cleaning your email list probably isn’t at the top of your to-do list. But if you're prepping for a big Q4 push, it needs to be.
If your list is packed with ghost subscribers who haven’t opened your emails in months, your best offers may never even reach the inbox. And that could mean leaving thousands of dollars on the table.
In this post, I’m sharing why now is the perfect time to clean and reengage your list—and how to do it without accidentally removing your buyers or overcomplicating the process.
I’m also giving you a behind-the-scenes peek at the exact system I’m using in my own business (with help from email strategist Bev Feldman), plus a free challenge to get you started today.
Why Your Cold Subscribers Are Costing You
I get it. You worked hard to build your list, maybe through a bundle, a summit, or even paid ads. It feels painful to even think about deleting subscribers. But here’s the reality: inactive subscribers are quietly costing you money in two big ways.
First, they’re inflating your email platform fees. And second, they’re dragging down your open rates, which hurts your deliverability. The result? Even your hottest offers might land in the spam folder. A smaller, more engaged list almost always outperforms a big, bloated one.
Busting the Myths About List Cleaning
Before I go any further, let’s clear up a few myths:
Myth #1: Deleting subscribers means losing revenue.
Truth: It protects your reach and helps your best people actually see your emails.Myth #2: Cold subscribers aren’t worth the effort.
Truth: Some just need the right nudge—like a re-engagement gift or a reminder about upcoming events.Myth #3: Re-engagement has to be complicated.
Truth: My sequence? Just 3 emails. Simple, respectful, and effective.Myth #4: List cleaning feels pushy.
Truth: Done well, it’s an act of service. You’re respecting their inbox and giving them a choice.Myth #5: It’s a one-time chore.
Truth: This should be a repeatable, automated part of your business.
The "Wake the Dead" System I’m Using
So how do you actually do this in a smart, streamlined way? That’s exactly what we’re covering in my live “Wake the Dead” workshop, but here’s the big picture:
Define what “inactive” means.
Choose a clear, automatable rule—like no opens or clicks in 60–90 days.Protect your VIPs.
Exclude buyers, active members, or recent engagers using tags and logic rules.Segment your ghosts.
Create a filtered group who meet the "inactive" criteria but aren’t protected.Send a 3-email sequence.
Email 1: A free gift.
Email 2: What’s coming up next (like a workshop).
Email 3: A friendly final nudge and option to unsubscribe.Tag and clean.
Engagers stay. Ghosts go. It's that simple.Automate it.
Set it to run regularly so it works in the background of your business.
A Real-World Example: HobbyScool
Inside Hobby School, I ran this exact system using a free creative bundle as our re-engagement gift. The result? Cold subscribers clicked, reconnected, and even registered for paid events. It was clear: many people just needed a reason to come back—and when they got one, they did.
Your Pre-Workshop Challenge
If you want a quick win before the workshop, here’s your action step:
Go into your email platform and create a segment of subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked in the last 60–90 days. Exclude any active buyers or members. This simple filter gives you a powerful starting point.
I hope this post gives you the clarity and confidence to start reengaging your list before Q4 kicks into high gear. And if you’re ready to dive deeper, join us inside the Wake the Dead System workshop. You’ll get step-by-step instructions, all the email swipe files, and expert support from me and Bev Feldman.
Let’s clean your list and boost your revenue, without the stress.
Pin this and save for later
Transcript:
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Creator's MBA podcast, your go-to resource for mastering the art and science of digital product entrepreneurship. I'm Dr. Destiny Copp, and I help business owners generate consistent revenue from their digital product businesses without being glued to their desks, constantly live launching, or worrying about social media algorithms.
[00:00:30] Hey friends, Destiny here! Welcome back to the Creator's MBA podcast where I help you turn your expertise and digital products into a predictable, rinse-and-repeat revenue stream. Today, we’re diving into a topic that isn’t flashy, but it will absolutely move the needle in your business: cleaning and reengaging your email list so more of your people actually see what you send.
[00:01:15] This is especially important heading into Q4. Your email list is about to do the heavy lifting for your Black Friday and holiday promotions. But if your open rates are slipping or your list is bogged down with ghost subscribers—people who never open your emails—your best offers may never reach their inbox. That could mean leaving thousands of dollars on the table.
[00:02:00] That’s why I’m inviting you to join me for this month’s Newsletter Profit Club workshop called the Wake the Dead System. I’ll be going live on Wednesday, September 17th, and replays will be available for free to all Newsletter Profit Club members. There’s also an option to purchase the workshop separately, and I’ll include all the links in the show notes.
[00:02:45] In this workshop, I’ll be joined by email marketing expert and consultant Bev Feldman of Your Personal Tech Fairy. I hired her to set up this exact system for both of my newsletters, and I’m thrilled she’s joining me to walk you through how to implement it too.
[00:03:30] Here’s a bit of backstory. I noticed a slow, steady decline in my open rates for weekly broadcast emails. Previously, I’d just clean the list and remove cold subscribers. But as my brands and lists grew, I realized that approach wasn’t strategic enough. I needed a better system—one that would protect buyers and members from being removed by mistake. With multiple systems, tags, and checkout tools in play, I wanted a reliable automation that ran in the background and gave me confidence heading into the heavy email season of Q4.
[00:05:00] Before we dive deeper, let’s clear up a few myths about email list cleaning:
[00:05:15] Myth 1: Deleting subscribers means losing money.
You worked hard to get them, but inactive subscribers increase platform fees and lower engagement. A smaller, healthier list usually generates more sales.
[00:06:00] Myth 2: Cold subscribers aren’t worth the effort.
Some of your best future buyers may just need the right nudge. In Hobby School, we sent a three-email Wake the Dead sequence with a valuable free bundle. Many cold subscribers reconnected, clicked, and even joined events.
[00:06:45] Myth 3: Re-engagement has to be complicated.
Our Hobby School campaign was three simple emails: one offering the bundle, one promoting future events, and one final thank you before removal.
[00:07:30] Myth 4: List cleaning feels pushy.
Done right, it’s respectful. You're giving people the choice to stay or go. We offered a free gift or an easy opt-out, building trust instead of resentment.
[00:08:15] Myth 5: It’s a one-time task.
Nope! This should be a repeatable system. Once it’s set up, you can run it in the background on automation.
[00:09:00] Here’s a high-level overview of the Wake the Dead system framework:
[00:09:15] Step 1: Define "inactive" for your business.
Choose a clear rule, like no opens or clicks in 60–90 days. Start conservatively with 90 days, and adjust later if needed.
[00:10:00] Step 2: Protect key subscribers.
Exclude your buyers, members, VIPs—anyone who has recently purchased or engaged. Use your checkout tools to apply the right tags instantly.
[00:10:45] Step 3: Segment your ghost subscribers.
Create a segment like "reengage: 90 days inactive, not excluded." These are the people who’ll receive your reengagement sequence.
[00:11:30] Step 4: Send a three-part email sequence.
Email 1: Offer a valuable free gift (e.g., a bundle). If they click, they stay on your list.
Email 2: Send 2–3 days later. Acknowledge they’re busy and offer something like a link to upcoming events.
Email 3: A final thank you and a reminder they’ll be removed unless they engage.
[00:13:00] Step 5: Tag and clean.
Tag those who click or engage. Unsub them if they ignore all emails. Keep it clean and automated.
[00:13:45] Step 6: Repeat.
Make this a routine process in your business. It’s not set-it-and-forget-it, but once built, it runs smoothly in the background.
[00:14:30] Want a quick win before the workshop? Here’s your challenge: Go into your email service provider and build a segment of subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked in 60–90 days. Exclude any active buyers or members. That’s your first step.
[00:15:15] If you want to dive deeper, join us for the Wake the Dead System Workshop on Wednesday, September 17th. Newsletter Profit Club members get free access—just check your dashboard and emails. If you're not a member, this is a perfect time to join or you can purchase the workshop separately. Replays will be available.
[00:16:00] And of course, I’m bringing in Bev Feldman to show you exactly how she set this up inside Hobby School. Step-by-step. You don’t want to miss it!
[00:16:30] Thanks for tuning in. If you loved the show, I’d appreciate a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform. Bye for now!