You put a lot of hard work into your email campaign. You craft every message perfectly, take time to cram as much in there as you possibly can without going overboard, and also remember to offer a html version for your lower-tech customers. You’ve really gone above and beyond
Which is why you’re so upset right now as you see how many of your recipients have unsubscribed lately. How could they do this to you after you put in so much work? Are they doing this on purpose to get under your skin and make you cry?
No, they’re not, and you have to learn how to properly deal with these unsubscriptions. They’re going to happen at some point. People inevitably will get tired of your emails or simply not care about what you’re talking about anymore and there’s nothing you can do about it
Well, there is one thing – prepare so the damage isn’t so great
Prepare A Proper Unsubscribe Page
What’s the last email marketing campaign you quit? Go sign up and quit a few to get a good idea. Do any stand out?
One thing to look for is a “please don’t go” message. While you don’t want to beg, you’re obviously not happy about them leaving. Let them know. Include a picture of a sad puppy or a funny video of you contemplating life on the beach (this is also a good excuse to go sit on the beach for work). A simple message will also do – anything to let them know their subscription matters
Another tactic is to offer them something. If they stay subscribed, for example, they can get a one-time coupon code for free shipping. Or even if they do end up unsubscribing from the email newsletter they can still get a link to a one-time coupon so they know you’re not mad at them and still want their business
Alternatives
An important aspect to the email campaign is that it keeps your business in customers’ minds. If all of a sudden they’re not thinking about you because they don’t get emails, you want to offer alternatives after the leave you. To them it seems like you want to stay connected, but to you it’s a way to bring them back for another sale
So after they unsubscribe they should be greeted with a page full of alternatives. For instance, you could say, “Sorry you’re leaving! Instead of emails, would you rather follow us on our Facebook page or Twitter account for great deals and news?” This way they don’t leave forever; they’re just switching formats
Watch the Numbers
One person quitting your email newsletter is fine. Five is normal. Ten is worrisome. Twenty is a real nailbiter. Anything more than that, it’s really time to start looking at what kind of content you’re sending out
While most of the time unsubscriptions are totally fine, sometimes it really is that you’re sending out subpar material. Rather than just hope for the best, take a hard look at your email marketing strategy and see what changes you need to make. Have friends, trusted colleagues, customers and marketing experts look over your current strategy and give you advice.
If they tell you that you really do stink, don’t take it as a slight. It’s just time to revamp! At least you were able to get a fix going before you lost everyone and can now rebuild your audience using fresh material.