Pruning Your Subscribers

Here’s a hard truth most creators avoid: not every subscriber is a good subscriber.

That hurts to admit, especially when you’ve worked hard to grow your list. Every sign-up feels like a little victory.

But if you're being honest, your open rates are sagging, your click rates are non-existent, and some folks haven’t opened a single email in six months.

That’s dead weight.

And it’s time to prune.

Why You Need to Let Go

Think of your subscriber list like flowers in your digital garden.

Some are amazing and beautiful. Some turn out to be weeds in disguise.

Without trimming, it gets overgrown, tangled, and less productive. You’re paying (in money, time, or emotional energy) to keep people who aren’t even listening anymore.

Worse, they skew your data. They make you second-guess your content, chasing tactics to re-engage ghosts.

You’re not building a numbers game. You’re building connection.

The Benefits of Pruning

• Higher Open Rates: Fewer but more engaged subscribers means better open and click-through percentages.
• Lower Costs: Most platforms charge by subscriber count. Why pay for people who aren’t there?
• More Focused Community: You’ll be talking to people who actually want to hear from you.
• Better Deliverability: Engagement affects inbox placement. Low engagement can get you flagged as spam.

How To Do It

1. Cull the Unsubscribed Who Linger: They add nothing to your goals.
2. Segment the Inactive: Target those who haven’t opened in 60-90 days.
3. Run a Re-engagement Campaign: A simple email saying “Still want to hear from me?” can do wonders.
4. Say Goodbye: If they don’t respond, remove them. Don’t hesitate.
5. Make It a Habit: Prune quarterly. Keep your list lean and meaningful.

Kill Your Darlings

In writing, we’re told to “kill our darlings”—those bits we love that just don’t serve the story.

Same goes here.

Some subscribers are only hanging on out of inertia. If they’re not reading, not clicking, not connecting—let them go.

It’s not personal.

It’s clarity. It’s curation.

And it’s the only way to build something that lasts.

Small list. Big impact.

That’s the way of the Niche of One.