Are people unsubscribing from your emails?

Here’s what may be happening

If you’re a regular email sender (promos, newsletters, staying in touch), you’ve probably noticed when people unsubscribe from your mailing list.

You may feel a little bit sad, but don’t worry, it’s bound to happen.

And it happens to all of us despite how amazing our email marketing strategy is. It’s doubtful that you’ll retain 100% of your subscribers.

But it’s not exactly the worst thing that can happen. In my opinion, if someone unsubscribes from your emails, they were never your ideal client in the first place. They came, they saw, and they left.

You didn’t have what they wanted, and they moved on.

I’m sure you’ve done the same! How many times have you bought something online, only to start receiving emails prompting you to buy more? I bet you’ve culled a few emails in your time.

Why unsubscribes aren’t a bad thing

If people don’t unsubscribe but decide not to open your emails, your emails will start to get picked up as ‘junk’. The more this happens, the more your emails will automatically end up in junk folders, creating spam complaints that could cancel your email sending account.

You don’t want to become known as a spammer!

So if people unsubscribe, they’re doing you a favour. They’re keeping your list full of people who are engaged and want to hear from you.

When people unsubscribe, they are often given options to choose why they’ve left. You can use this info as valuable intel – were you sending too often, was your content not up to par, were they simply not interested, was your email design off?

The top 5 reasons why people unsubscribe from your emails

1. You’re sending too often

This is a major factor why people unsubscribe. They don’t want to feel spammed, and no one loves an inbox continually filling up during the day. You’ll find this happens a lot from companies you buy from online. And if you’ve done a lot of online shopping during lockdown, you’ll know what I mean!

If you’re sending regular emails and finding high unsubscribe rates, try cutting down for a while and seeing what happens. Getting your email frequency right is a must if it’s going to be an effective strategy for you. And it may take some trial and error to work it out. You can also ask people on the unsubscribe link if they’d prefer to receive fewer emails or specific emails rather than totally unsubscribing.

2. Your emails are irrelevant

Email marketing is a strategy. You need to know what your audience wants from you, and you’ve got to make it personal. If you’re using a CRM, you should segment your audience and make sure you’re sending them emails that they’d appreciate.

For example, if you’re running a travel agency and you’re sending people in lockdown emails about booking holidays in Queensland, you’re going to get unsubscribes (and probably make people mad!). However, if you were to send these holiday discounts to those who can travel, they’ll appreciate your email, and you’re likely to get bookings.

3. Your content is boring

Capturing attention starts with your subject header! If someone is scrolling through a full inbox and your subject header grabs their attention, they’re likely to open and read your email. So, once you’ve conquered that hurdle, you need to make sure the content of your email is worthy of their time.

If you’ve got an email marketing plan, you’ll have a legit reason for sending your email (advertising a sale, announcing new services or products, sharing knowledge, announcing holidays etc.) and your content is likely to be well-received and well-written. And with all advertising, remember it’s always about your audience, so think about them, write to them, and show them benefits from taking the time to read your email.

4. People can’t read your email on a mobile (and the design is bad)

So many people are using their mobile as their primary device for emails these days, so if your email isn’t designed for a smaller screen, it’s time you update your design. Most online systems will have templates that are already set up to be mobile responsive, and you can adapt these with your branding and so on.

If people can’t view your email, or read it on their phones, it’s one of the main reasons they’ll unsubscribe. If you’re unsure if your email design will be compatible, keep your emails simple! Have a standout headline, a good picture, compelling copy and a strong call to action. That’s all you really need!

5. People didn’t want to be automatically subscribed

I bet this has happened to you. A company starts sending your emails, and you know you didn’t ask for them. They got your email when: you’ve bought something online, they’ve purchased an email list, or maybe someone else signed you up as a joke (best mates are great at doing this)! If people don’t want to be on your list, they’ll unsubscribe pretty fast even if you’re sending them things they may actually like! One way to make sure people want to be on your list is to have the double opt-in option, so you know for sure, that these people want to hear from you.

So don’t get too down on yourself if you’re seeing unsubscribes

When you send relevant content from people who want to hear from you, you’re less likely to see your list reducing with unsubscribes. However, if you’re sending irrelevant content that’s perhaps a tad to salesy, it’s time to change your email marketing tactic.

Remember that many people are struggling at the minute and if they have lost work or income, they won’t want to receive multiple sales emails as they could be luxuries they can’t afford.

As with all marketing, have a plan and think about your audience – what do they want and how will your email marketing benefit them?