It’s exciting the first time you build an email marketing piece. After you hit send, you want to just sit back and watch the open rate rise and rise. What happens if you start getting a slew of “unsubscribed” notifications in your in-box. Why is that happening? Is there anything you can do?
There are several reasons why people opt out or unsubscribe
Understanding these will make it easier for you to build a plan and create content that will keep your subscribers from clicking unsubscribe.
The content isn’t relevant or interesting
Your subscribers signed up for a reason. When deciding what information to include, ask yourself, “How does this message relate to my business and my subscribers? What value does it bring? Does it solve a problem?” Every email communication should be personal, relevant, and targeted to your list. Consequently, if you build an email that has information that doesn’t interest your group and is of no relevance, your list will quickly shrink.
The frequency is too high
There is no hard and fast rule about how often you should be sending emails.
However, according to Direct Marketing Association’s National Client Email report:
• 35% of marketers send two to three emails a month
• 19% send just one email a month.
• 9% percent send six to eight emails a month
But just because this is the norm for professional marketers, doesn’t mean it makes sense for you or your business. The frequency will depend on how much relevant content you have. Start small. Pick a schedule and stick to it. If you find you have more information than makes sense for the schedule you create, increase the frequency. If you see too many people unsubscribing, reduce the frequency. Once you find the sweet spot, stick to it.
The email is not mobile-friendly
According to Bluehornet, up to 80% of people will delete an email that isn’t optimized for their mobile device. Therefore, if your email template isn’t mobile friendly, the chances of it being effective are low.
On the whole, we don’t want people to unsubscribe. When someone unsubscribes, we lose a most valuable connection. But don’t despair when you see one come in. In some cases, it’s not a bad thing. Subscribers who are only interested in getting a special offer may not be your best prospect anyway.
Learn more about our email marketing services
If you’d like help building or managing your email marketing, contact us by calling (518) 392-0846 or email [email protected].