An opt-in email list is a key pillar of email marketing.
Readers who subscribe permit you to send interesting, engaging content to them, and successful email marketing involves sending consistent emails.
Why?
Because nurturing the relationship you have with your readers by popping up in their inbox means you can build their trust and eventually win their business.
It’s no surprise then, that a common worry among my clients is their fear of unsubscribes.
They are terrified of pestering their readers. Not only do unsubscribes feel like a rejection, surely they also equate to less business?
Right?
Wrong.
Unsubscribes are a healthy part of email marketing and should be expected – even welcomed – because they help you keep a clean list.
Let’s explore further.
Why People Unsubscribe From You
People might unsubscribe from your list because…
- They aren’t receiving what they expected to. This could mean frequency or the content itself. Their initial perception of what you would be sending them might veer from the reality.
- They are no longer interested. People’s needs and wants change!
- They’ve used a mass unsubscribe tool. Our inboxes are fuller than ever these days - many people opt for clearing the bulk in one fell swoop.
- Your messaging doesn’t resonate with them. It could be the style of your emails, the tone, colour scheme... Who knows?
- They didn’t realise they had subscribed.
- Because you’ve annoyed them. Maybe you email too frequently, or not enough, or they didn’t like what you said about frogs.
You can’t please everyone. And that’s OK.
Why Unsubscribes Don't Matter
Every unsubscribe increases the quality of your list by one.
They left because they weren’t your target audience.
A strong email list should be full of the right people. People who:
- Like you and what you have to offer
- Are expecting to hear from you
- Are willing and able to pay for what you’re selling, now or in the future
Unsubscribers were never prospective clients or customers. And long lists don’t get you more business. You can read more about this in my recent blog post.
It’s as simple as that.
The Downsides Of A Dirty List
A list full of the wrong people is what we call a ‘dirty’ list.
You want these people to unsubscribe. Low quality subscribers engage far less, if at all, with your emails, and this is a BIG problem.
Why?
Because high email engagement is the backbone of email deliverability.
Email deliverability refers to whether an email ends up where it’s supposed to – in the recipient’s inbox. Low engagement from your email list tells your email service provider that your content is rubbish and you’re not credible.
In short. A dirty list = low engagement = low deliverability = bad for business.
What To Do About Unsubscribes
A slow trickle of unsubscribes is normal and helpful. A self-cleaning list is less work for you – hooray!
So don’t panic. Pay little attention to the unsubscribes.
Instead, strive to put effort into maintaining your list as normal. You can nurture your subscribers and avoid unnecessary unsubscribes by:
- Keeping in touch. Don’t let the leads go cold.
- Focusing on capturing your target audience. This will enable you to send high quality, relevant content.
You can read more on avoiding unsubscribes here. But most of all, just don’t worry about them.
Unless…
When To Worry About Unsubscribes
If your unsubscribe rate jumps from 1% to 20%, you need to start paying attention.
Spikes in the numbers mean something’s wrong and it’s time for some detective work. Here are some prompts to consider:
- When did the spike happen?
- Which email does the increase correlate with?
- What was the email about?
- What was the subject line?
- Was your content relevant?
Take some time, identify the likely source, rectify the mistake and Do. Not. Repeat.
It's Nothing Personal
As long as your unsubscribe rate is low and stable, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
They don’t feel great, it’s true. But they’re part of maintaining a healthy opt-in list. Unsubscribes are simply something you need to get used to.
In the meantime, make sure your handle on your target audience is strong so that your messaging hits home with the right people.
If you’re clear on their hopes and fears, your content can be tailored to meet their needs and solve their problems. And they’ll buy from you.
Noticed a recent spike in your unsub rate? Not sure how to clean up your list? Book a call with me and we’ll take it step by step to get you marketing smarter.
