6 Often Ignored Basics for Keeping People on Your Email List – Part 1
Wouldn’t it be great if nobody ever unsubscribed from your email list? They would just open your emails, read them beginning to end, reply to you with great interest and forward them to their friends. We can fantasize about a world where every subscriber becomes a paying customer, and everybody loves you and your company forever.
But let’s get real. That’s not how it works.
Unsubscribes are a part of life in the world of email marketing. Sometimes people unsubscribe because they’re not in the market for your products or services. That can be a good thing because you won’t be sending emails to people who aren’t interested in what you’re selling.
People unsubscribe for other reasons. They could be in the market for your products – and they might buy them if your emails were engaging. If you have a high unsubscribe rate – the all-industry average is 0.1% — and you want to change that, here are some tips for reducing your rate and keeping your subscribers on the hook.
Tip #1 – Stop Sending So Many (or So Few) Emails
How often are you emailing your subscribers? There’s a sweet spot that allows you to stay on their minds without irritating them.
I’ve sometimes subscribed to some lists that email me every day. That’s too much and that’s going to drive me to unsubscribe if only to keep my inbox under control. I’ve also had the reverse experience, where I sign up and the emails come so infrequently that by the time a message arrives, I’ve forgotten why I subscribed in the first place.
So, where is that sweet spot? I think the magic number is once a week. Send your emails on the same day and at the same time and subscribers will know what to expect and when to expect it.
Tip #2 – Keep Your Emails Relevant to the Recipient
People are a lot less likely to hit that unsubscribe button at the bottom of your email if the emails you send them are relevant to them. That means two things: Segmentation and Personalization.
Segmentation involves sending an email only when it is relevant to the recipient. Some marketers allow subscribers to self-segment by selecting products and topics that interest them. Others segment based on past behavior. For example, someone who bought a particular product from you might get signed up to receive emails for related products.
Personalization is about making your subscribers feel seen and heard. It can be as simple as including their first name in an email and as complex as collecting birthdays and sending personalized greetings on their special day.
Either way, the point is that your subscribers don’t want to feel that you see them as numbers. They’re people and personalizing your emails can help them feel special.
Tip #3 – Make Your Subject Lines Irresistible
Are people unsubscribing because they think your emails are boring? Maybe! Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it.
The subject line of your email is the recipient’s first impression of your email. If you have a dull subject line, they might not even open your email. If they do open it, they might not bother reading it – and opt to scroll down to the unsubscribe button instead.
The key, then, is to craft a snappy and irresistible subject line that will spark the recipient’s interest and make them want to open and read the email. Stay away from spammy words and instead, give them a short and sweet hint of what waits for them in the email itself.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this article where I give you the final 3 tips.
