You may look at your unsubscribe rate and frown, but it’s not as bad as it seems. There are ways you can make being unsubscribed work for you, as I’ll explain in this article.
You can use those unsubscribes to learn valuable lessons to push your business forward in a better way. Email marketing is more than just gaining more subscriptions; sometimes it’s good to narrow down to know who is really listening so you can better understand this audience and talk more specifically to them.
A dwindling list can also, at first glance, be truly a bad thing. However, there is always something about your current branding and marketing that can be learned so that you can step up your game. This applies not only for Email marketing but for all of your marketing and messaging.
Your Email list at first glance isn’t a good indicator of how your business is doing. You need to dig deeper to see where the engagement is and why people unsubscribe.
Narrow Down Who Is Actually Interested
With a fat list of subscriptions, sometimes it can be hard to see who is actually interested in your business.
There might be a lot of people who hardly skim your Email before deleting, and there may be others who don’t bother to skim at all. We all get those Emails that we don’t think twice about before deleting.
These subscribers that aren’t actually interested can greatly affect your metrics so that you can’t zero-in on those actually engaging with your content.
If people are unsubscribing, that helps you narrow down your list to those who want to see more about your business. This will allow you to see your target audience better and learn more about them.
With a better idea of who you are talking to, you can improve your messaging on all platforms, not just Email.
Helps Guide Your Growth
So, you’re losing subscribers. We did just mention how some of those people really needed to leave so you could see what’s-what, but what about the ones you could have had interested if your marketing was better? Time to be honest with yourself and analyze how you are doing.
Take a good look at how well you are segmenting your audience. No one likes an Email that is clearly a blast created for everyone. Segment so you can be more personable to the different facets of your audience. Make sure to send different Emails to these segments.
How is your messaging? People don’t want to see the same thing every week or be constantly bombarded by hard-sell messaging. Read your Emails through and see if you are really bringing all that you can to the table.
Email marketing takes effort and constructive criticism for it to work and for you to improve your skills.
Allow For More Subscription Options
Yes, unsubscriptions are an opportunity in disguise from which we can learn a lot. However, we want to make sure we are providing enough options to our subscribers. Some people may feel that unsubscribing completely is their only choice.
If you allow your audience to choose for themselves how often they see your emails, this is an opportunity to work with what they want. You can also provide a button or drop-down menu in your Emails that allow viewers to “take a break”.
This way they will only get the monthly newsletter, or only get a certain type of content. Subscribers who are burnt-out on certain aspects of your content now have a way to tailor it for themselves. This can also give you a better view of what is actually working for you in your email marketing campaigns.
Don’t Be Pushy
When someone is unsubscribing to your Emails, don’t be pushy. No one wants to be asked over and over if they actually want to unsubscribe. If they truly value your content and business, they can always find you again.
If you are too pushy about letting people unsubscribe, it is bad for future business. The more you annoy your currently bored viewer, the less likely they are to ever buy from your business ever again.
Also, make sure to follow through with the unsubscription as soon as possible. Don’t leave it at “processing” or think, “I’ll do that later.” If they keep on receiving emails they will be annoyed. They’ll probably mark your emails as spam, and you will be doing something illegal. Nobody wants that.
People remember feelings more than anything. If you annoy them enough, they will remember that feeling whenever they see your logo. It’s easier to let these subscribers go when you remember that it can help your business. Take a deep breath, and keep unsubscribing simple and easy.
Keep the Button Visible
We talked about being pushy. Now let’s talk about being confusing. Keep your unsubscription link button visible and make the unsubscribe process as clear as possible. Remember, if they want to unsubscribe, it’s just better for your understanding of your branding and marketing.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that if it’s hard for them to leave, they eventually won’t want to. Making it hard to unsubscribe by taking them to another page, not offering a clear button, or making them log in can feel like you don’t respect your audience.
Just like with being pushy, this annoyed feeling will stay with them and they’ll be less likely to buy from you ever again. Just because they are almost forced to keep receiving your emails, this does not mean that they will turn around and start becoming an engaged member of your brand community.
They will just be annoyed and continue deleting your emails as they come in. It doesn’t harm to add an unsubscribe confirmation too, this will help them feel like they’ve been noticed.
Keep Social Media Outlets Open
Maybe your unsubscribers just have a full inbox or they need to keep it focused on work. For this reason, it’s a good idea to link your social media in the footer of your emails.
Some people simply prefer social media for their entertainment and engaging with brands. You may have lost them on the Email platform, but you don’t have to lose them for good.
Social media allows the audience to view your kind of content on their terms instead of when they are working. Simple as that. Welcome the change and move on.
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