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If you’re building an email list (and don’t forget to build your list and back it up regularly) you want to make sure that subscribers don’t leave. Email can be one of your most profitable marketing channels. You worked hard to get those signups, and you definitely don’t want to lose them after all that effort.
How to reduce email unsbscribes
While you can’t prevent all email unsubscribes, and some email list churn is inevitable, there are a few things you can do to reduce the number of people who unsubscribe from your email list.
1) Be upfront about how often you will email them
If you promise to email once a week, but start sending twice a day, your subscribers will get frustrated, and annoyed, and leave. Don’t send long newsletters if you promised short ones (or vice versa).
2) Tailor your newsletters to your audience
If they signed up for information about yak shaving, send that. If they wanted gardening and landscaping tips, send information about caring for azaleas.
If you have different groups of people, or businesses, on your list, and it’s big enough, separate your messages. Send tips about the azaleas to the home gardening folks and information about new tree care tools to the arborists.
3) Stick to one theme per newsletter
It can get confusing if you’re talking about flowers one minute, then going on to protecting your bird feeder from squirrels, and then on to lawn care.
4) Ask for feedback
Invite them to ask questions, give feedback, and talk to you. Include a note at the bottom inviting feedback, and promising that all replies go to your personal inbox. Send out a survey every once in a while asking them what they like best (more azaleas!), and least (fewer squirrels – it’s hopeless!).
5) Get permission
Don’t sign people up because you met them at an event, exchanged business cards, or sent them some promotional material. These are some of the worst ways to grow your newsletter. Plus, people who got on your list without consent are more likely to leave (and leave quickly).