When to use static vs. dynamic lists in email marketing

What we’re referring to in this post is the concept of static lists vs. dynamic lists. Do you understand the distinction? It might sound simple, but we’re surprised by how many marketers really don’t know the difference and when to use one or the other, for that matter.

We’ll keep this lesson to the point so you can understand what distinguishes one list from the other, and start applying the right uses of each to your email marketing programs.

Table of Contents

• What are static lists?
• What are dynamic lists?
• Frequently Asked Questions About Static vs Dynamic Lists
• Choosing Between Static and Dynamic Lists

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What are static lists?

Static lists consist only of contacts you’ve accumulated up until the point when you create the list, and they remain unchanged unless you manually add or remove contacts.

Static lists can either be created using contacts that already exist in your database, or through a manual upload to your email tool. Typically, they’re created through the latter method, as oftentimes they consist of contacts that were gathered through offline methods or other online campaigns not connected to interactions on your website.

HubSpot’s email tool lets marketers create static lists by importing contacts or selecting contacts already in the CRM.

When to Use Static Lists in Email Marketing

Of all the types of email a marketer can send, static lists are usually best for audiences that stay the same over time. They’re a strong fit for:

1. One-off email sends
2. Infrequent campaigns
3. Contact groups that rarely change

Here are a few examples of when you’d want to use a static list in your email marketing:

1. Event registrants, attendees, or no-show lists: No one can travel back in time to register for or attend your event in the past, right? That’s why event lists tend to be ones that remain static. You might use these lists to send follow-up information or content post-event, whether it’s an in-person event or an online one like a webinar.
2. Staff lists: Do you send a quarterly newsletter to your company’s board of directors? How about an internal one to your business’ employees? These are lists of people that don’t typically change often, and you’ll probably also have to manually update them anyway.
3. Trade show lists: Did you snag some prospects’ contact information from your presence at a trade show or another industry conference/event? This is a great use case for a static list upload.

What are dynamic lists?

Dynamic email lists, on the other hand, are lists that constantly evolve as certain criteria are met. Common criteria include:

1. Contact properties, such as location, industry, or customer status
2. Membership in other lists, such as combined or layered segments
3. Form activity, such as submitting a landing page form
4. Website behavior, such as downloading content or visiting specific pages

Marketing software and CRMs like HubSpot build dynamic lists from contact data and website activity automatically. New contacts get added when they meet the criteria, and contacts are removed when they no longer qualify. That makes dynamic lists especially useful for slicing and dicing your database into various segments for more effective email marketing — one reason why list segmentation matters in email marketing.

You’ll need to consult your email software provider to see if dynamic lists are part of its services available to you. To understand how they work, below is an example of a dynamic list in the making in HubSpot’s Smart CRM. In our tool, we call these dynamic lists ‘Smart Lists.'

Here, we’re generating a segmented list of contacts who have Twitter follower counts of 1,000 or more. Once this list is established, as more of our contacts’ Twitter follower counts grow and meet that 1,000-follower threshold, the list will also grow.

In addition, any contact whose follower count dips below 1,000 will automatically be removed from the list. So if we wanted to put some extra social media promotional muscle behind a particular piece of content or marketing offer, we might use this list to send an email to the contacts in our database with the greatest X reach.

When to Use Dynamic Lists in Email Marketing

Dynamic lists are best for email campaigns where your audience changes over time. They help when you need to:

1. Send to the same segment more than once
2. Automatically add new contacts who meet your criteria
3. Automatically remove contacts who no longer qualify
4. Keep audience segments current without rebuilding lists manually

Dynamic lists save marketers’ time by updating audience segments automatically, so each email send uses the most current contact data.

Here are some examples of when you’d want to use a dynamic list in your email marketing:

1. Customer list: Keeping your customers in the know with a monthly newsletter about your newest product tutorials, features, and other updates? New customers come, and (unfortunately), some go, so a dynamic customer list will enable you to automatically include new customers and exclude ex-customers on your next newsletter send.
2. Free trial users: Use a dynamic list to send ongoing tips about how to get the most out of your company’s free product trial. This way, new contacts who start a free trial get automatically looped in the next time you send an email of tips to this list.
3. Block lists: Dynamic lists can also be used to suppress certain contacts and protect recipients from receiving too many emails. For instance, you could create a dynamic list of anyone who has already signed up for an event, and block that continually updating list from future sends designed to promote the very same event.
4. Interest-based lists: Create an evolving list of everyone who downloaded content on a particular topic, then make sure your emails to that list match that interest category.

When it comes to dynamic lists, the possibilities really are plentiful and powerful. Just think of all the very targeted emails you could send!

In what ways are you using dynamic lists to improve email segmentation?

Frequently Asked Questions About Static vs Dynamic Lists

What is the difference between a static list and a dynamic list?

A static list stays the same until someone manually adds or removes contacts. A dynamic list updates automatically as contacts meet or stop meeting the rules you set.

When should I use a static list?

Use a static list when your audience is fixed and unlikely to change, such as event attendees, trade show contacts, or an internal staff list. It works best for one-time sends or infrequent campaigns.

When should I use a dynamic list?

Use a dynamic list when your audience changes often and you want the list to update automatically, such as for customers, free trial users, suppression lists, or interest-based segments. It’s especially useful for ongoing campaigns and automation.

Can I use both static and dynamic lists at the same time?

Yes. Many teams use static lists for one-time campaigns and dynamic lists for ongoing segmentation, automation, or suppression.

What happens when a contact no longer matches a dynamic list’s criteria?

The contact is automatically removed from the dynamic list. That keeps the segment current without requiring manual cleanup.

Which list type is better for email automation workflows?

Dynamic lists are usually better for automation workflows because they update in real time as contact data changes. Static lists are better when you want a fixed audience that should not change after setup.

Choosing Between Static and Dynamic Lists

The distinction between static and dynamic lists might seem small, but choosing the wrong one can mean sending stale emails to the wrong people. Static lists keep things simple and controlled for fixed audiences. Dynamic lists do the heavy lifting for any segment that needs to stay current over time.

Most email programs benefit from both. Once you know which list type fits which send, you’ll spend less time manually managing contacts and more time focused on your campaigns.

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Create, personalize, and optimize your marketing emails without waiting on designers or IT.

• Boost email opens.
• Design stunning emails.
• Automate follow ups.
• And more!

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