Keeping your business fax list up to date is essential for maintaining high delivery rates, improving engagement, and staying compliant with regulations. But how often should you actually refresh or update your fax contacts?
Best Practice: Update Every 3 to 6 Months
Generally, it’s recommended to review and update your fax list every 3 to 6 months. Businesses change phone numbers, close down, relocate, or merge fairly often, which means fax lists outdated numbers can quickly accumulate. Frequent updates help you remove invalid or inactive fax numbers, reducing wasted efforts and costs.
Factors Influencing Update Frequency
Industry Dynamics: Fast-changing industries like tech or startups might require more frequent updates, whereas stable sectors like government offices might need less frequent refreshes.
Campaign Volume: If you run frequent fax campaigns, updating your list more often ensures you maintain a clean, effective database.
Source Reliability: If your list comes from a reputable provider with recent data, you might extend update intervals. But if you compile or purchase lists from less reliable sources, updates should be more frequent.
Additional Tips
Always scrub your list against Do Not Fax registries and opt-out requests before campaigns.
Use fax validation tools or send test faxes periodically to verify numbers.
Keep track of responses and opt-outs to continuously prune your list.
Regularly updating your fax list saves money, boosts response rates, and protects your brand reputation. Need help setting up an effective fax list maintenance schedule?