Do you want to reduce email unsubscribes?
You started your email list. Created a freebie to encourage people to join. Worked hard to promote it and then someone unsubscribes leaving you feel a little bit wounded. Have you started to second guess yourself? Did you send something that upset them? You think about the fact that someone unsubscribed when you were giving them helpful information and it sucks.
I want to encourage you to see unsubscribes in a different way. People will ALWAYS unsubscribe. It’s just a fact of online business. You haven’t done anything, they just don’t want to be on your list anymore and you know what, that’s fine. They were never going to turn into fans, buy your products, read your content or tell their friends about you. You weren’t the right person to help them and they weren’t your ideal readers/customers. You cannot, and should not, try to be for everyone.
Also don’t forget that you have to pay for your email service provider and so you want to make sure you’re only paying for the ‘right’ people, not a load of tire kickers who aren’t really interested in you or your work.
Unsubscribes can actually be a good thing. Your list stays cleaner (people are leaving rather than staying dormant on your list) and you have people on your list who engage and value what you can offer.
However, you want to make sure you’re doing all the right things so you know in your heart that if they unsubscribe you haven’t done anything to incite their departure.
The unsubscribe rate varies depending on industry, but the average per campaign is above 0.5%. Anything under this and you’re doing well.
Marketing Sherpa found that the most common reason people unsubscribe is that they are emailed too often. Here are the other common reasons;
How to reduce email unsubscribes
Reduce email unsubscribes #1. Clear opt in pages
The first step to reducing unsubscribes is to ensure people know what they are signing up to. This means having clarity on the opt in page, stating how they will be contacted and marketed to going forward.
Reduce email unsubscribes #2. Welcome them properly
People are the most engaged with you when they first sign up to your email list. Maximise this opportunity by using a welcome sequence of emails. People expect to receive an email when they first sign up and if you can make this experience valuable and memorable it will reconfirm that they made the right decision to join your list.
Reduce email unsubscribes #3. Personalisation
Personalised emails deliver 6X higher transaction rates which is huge, but even considering these stats personalisation isn’t used to its fullest capacity in most online business.
Personalisation can start simply by using the person’s name but can become more more complicated and advanced, such a serving up particular content based in their behaviour (the particular links they click). Personalisation make people feel heard. Trigger emails (those sent in response to specific clicks have a 152% higher open rate compared with traditional emails. They are a valuable communication method and convert tire kickers into lifelong customers. Studies have shown emails with personalised subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened than those without.
Campaign Monitor used personalisation in the images within the emails and found it increased email click-through rate by 29%.
Reduce email unsubscribes #4. Segmentation
Segmenting is basically grouping your list based on various behavioural and other factors. For example, you may choose to segment those who have purchased from you or not. Maybe you segment based on location or based on a particular link they click. By segmenting base on interests, actions or behaviours you can tailor the messages and content you put in front of each group. Your subscribers receive relevant information and feel heard.
Reduce email unsubscribes #5. Create super relevant content
Creating messages specifically for your segments and making sure it is helpful and valuable. Ideally you want to help and sell the right solution to each segment, rather than trying to sell the same product to all of your subscribers.
Reduce email unsubscribes #6. Write awesome subject lines
Now you’ve created your fabulous content you need to lake sure you craft the best possible subject line. The most successful email subject lines contain between 3-5 words, 14-24 characters, 1-4 emojis, and are written in title case. Writing like you speak in a more casual tone are usually the most successful subject lines. As I’ve mentioned earlier personalising the subject line also increases the open rate significantly.
Reduce email unsubscribes #7. Provide exclusive content
Your email subscribers need to feel valued and reminded regularly why they should stay on your list. Sending exclusive content, subscriber-only discounts will help to make them feel appreciated.
Reduce email unsubscribes #8. Vary the content formats you send
Varying the type of content you send will help keep your subscribers engaged and looking forward to receiving your emails.
Reduce email unsubscribes #9. Frequency of your emails
There’s no set ‘right’ frequency. It’s a good idea to test what your audience respond best to. However, if you publish content weekly then you should email weekly as well.
Reduce email unsubscribes #10. Optimise for mobile
People are increasingly using their mobiles and reading emails on the go, so optimising your email content for mobile viewing is so important. Make sure you pay attention to the length of the subject line as it will be cut off sooner on a mobile than on a desktop. Shorter emails with clickable buttons are all necessary. Make sure you use a large font size and compress your images so they load as quickly as possible.
Reduce email unsubscribes #11. Optimise your sequences
Hopefully you will have some sequences in your autoresponder. Maybe your welcome sequence or perhaps a challenge. You need look at the unsubscribe rates of each email in your sequence. If you see a spike in unsubscribes on a particular email, then you need to go into that email and improve it to try to reduce this rate.
Reduce email unsubscribes #12. Reintroduce yourself
Often people will sign up for your list to get a particular freebie, then they might forget who you are. So creating a graphic to insert at the bottom of your email above the unsubscribe link. People will have to scroll past it to get to the unsubscribe link and reintroducing yourself might just save the unsubscribe.
Reduce email unsubscribes #13. Jab jab jab right hook
In the words of Gary Vaynerchuck, jab, jab, jab, right hook. This means serve, serve, serve before you ask your audience for anything. Don’t just email them when you want to sell a product. Make sure you are serving their needs 95% of the time, without asking for anything in return. If your emails turn in to a stream of pitch-fests then your unsubscribe rate will soar.
Reduce email unsubscribes #14. Survey your subscribers
To make sure you’re giving your subscribers exactly what they need and want from you, ask them. Also survey your unsubscribes. Create a short survey and ask them to help you serve them better. Also survey people who have unsubscribed so you can see if there is a commonality you can draw from and improve.
Reduce email unsubscribes #15. Leverage unexpected unsubscribe pages
Stop disinterested readers in their tracks by changing up the unsubscribe page. Strategies can range from simple text to video productions. Check out Groupon’s! Would you resubscribe to make it up to Derrick? Hubspot’s break up video is also amazing! (Scroll to the bottom of the last link).
All these points should help you reduce unnecessary unsubscribes, but remember if they leave they’re just not your people. They are simply making room for people who are. If they remain on your list and don’t open emails this is going to lower your open rate and potentially your deliverability of future emails. So do the best you can and then make peace with the inevitable drop off rate.
Do you struggle with unsubscribes? What strategies have you found that helps you?
Comments 1
Great post. I never thought about changing my unsubscribe page around, but now you’ve said it, it makes so much sense.