Marketing Profs

Reducing the number of people who unsubscribe from your mailing list is one of the key ways to minimize list churn and in turn make it easier to grow your list.

That doesn't mean you make it harder for people to leave, however. Instead, learn why people leave, offer them other ways to remain in the relationship, and make the process a great customer experience.

Unsubscribes: A Fact of List Life

Email consumers control their destiny—choosing when to opt in and when to say adios. But, unsubscribes can also be a good thing. The alternative is a poor brand experience for the subscriber and spam complaints or deadwood on your list that masks true performance.

Make the process easy. You'll minimize spam complaints and likely retain the customer relationship through another channel.

Why People Unsubscribe

According to JupiterResearch:

1. 53 percent say they unsubscribe when the content is irrelevant.
2. 40 percent say they unsubscribe when email is sent too often.

How to Optimize the Unsubscribe Process

1. Make the unsubscribe and alternatives links stand out in your emails

Display a clearly labeled unsubscribe link prominently in your email message, in an easy-to-read font size, style, and color that match your email design. Don't try to hide it by blending it in with the background color, shrinking the type size, or moving it around each time.

Put it in both your primary or secondary navigation below the fold and near the bottom or in your email administration area if you have one. However, if you have a high spam-complaint rate, add it to the very top of your emails.

2. Deploy a combination unsubscribe/preference page

Create a well-designed, branded page that explains exactly how to unsubscribe, thanks the user for his/her patronage, and offers alternatives to unsubscribing but completes the unsubscribe process quickly for those who really do want to leave.