Email unsubscribing may seem counterintuitive, but in reality, it’s a good thing for a couple of reasons. First, it helps you keep your email list healthy and engaged, as the people unsubscribing are mostly the ones who were not opening your emails anyway. Now, you can improve your email deliverability, meaning your emails will actually land in people’s inboxes instead of spam folders. Second, it represents your respect toward user choice and their inboxes, helping you build a positive brand image. Third, the unsubscribe process can be an opportunity to gather feedback on why users are opting out. This helps you improve future content to better suit your audience’s needs. Unsubscribing shouldn’t always be considered bad because sometimes users don’t like to receive too many emails. So, instead of feeling demoralized, you should follow the practices mentioned in this blog post. Along with this, we will also learn to set email subscriptions that help your business.
What is an Unsubscribe Email?
Marketing emails also consist of an unsubscribe button in the form of a link to button module that allows subscribers to terminate the process of receiving messages in future with one simple click. Usually, you find them at the bottom of the email.
Why You Should Place an Unsubscribe Button in Your Email?
The idea of subscribers leaving your list can seem scary, particularly when you have sincere list-building goals. But did you know in spite of having an unsubscribe button you can use it to your own advantage.
Let’s get started:
First, you must keep a measure of email marketing metrics, meaning you must assess your open rate. When you have abundant subscribers on your list, there may also be the ones who don’t want to check your email. These subscribers eventually drop your open rates down, negatively impacting your click-through rate. This tells us that you don’t need a large email list, as it isn’t wholly valuable if your audience doesn’t want to engage with your emails. And less engagement means they are less likely to purchase your products.
Here, unsubscribing buttons can help you by eliminating these uninterested numbers of people and freeing up space for the potential subscribers who will be actively opening and reading your email, and checking out your products.
In Canada, having an unsubscribe button in your email is not a compulsion; however, they are mandatory for emails that are considered “commercial electronic messages” (CEMs) under Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).
CASL defines a CEM as any email that promotes a product, service or some kind of commercial activity. So, an email newsletter from a clothing store, a discount offer from a restaurant, or even a political campaign email would all be considered CEMs.
For these types of emails, CASL requires that the sender include an unsubscribe mechanism that’s “readily performed”. This typically means a clear and easy-to-use unsubscribe button or link.
There’s no requirement for unsubscribe buttons in non-commercial emails. This could include emails from friends, family, colleagues, or social updates that aren’t promotional.
What are the best unsubscribe button practices?
You just don’t have to put a mere unsubscribe button in your email, but also follow some ethical practices as well. What are those practices? Let’s find out below:
Permission-based subscription
This means you only send emails to people who have explicitly consented to receive them. They’ve taken clear action, like checking a box or clicking a button, indicating they want your messages.
Opt-In
This is the act of someone willingly signing up for your email list. It’s different from implied consent, where someone might give you their email address for another purpose (like making a purchase) but not necessarily to receive marketing emails.
Identify Yourself Clearly
When you receive an email, the top section usually contains information about who sent it. This is called the email header. The recipient should easily understand who the email is from. Instead of a generic sender name like “info@” or a personal name they might not recognize, include the full name of your company. Provide ways for the recipient to get in touch with you if they have questions. This could include your company email address, phone number, or website address.
A clear sender name and contact information build trust with the recipient. It shows you’re a legitimate business and not trying to hide anything. This practice also avoids spam, as some spam filters might flag emails with vague sender information. It presents a professional image for your company. Moreover, if the recipient has a question or needs more information, they can easily find your contact details.
Be upfront and truthful with your subscribers in email marketing
Avoid “clickbait” subject lines that are sensational or misleading just to get people to open the email. For example, if the email is about a new blog post on healthy summer recipes, the subject line shouldn’t be “You Won’t Believe This Weight Loss Secret!”
In easy words, the content of the email should match the promise made in the subject line. Don’t lure people in with a specific topic and then switch gears to something completely different, especially a sales pitch. By being honest and upfront, you build trust with your subscribers. They’ll appreciate knowing exactly what to expect when they open your emails and are more likely to continue engaging with your content.
Be clear about your intention
Don’t bury the fact that it’s a promotional email. Avoid subject lines or email content that makes it seem like a non-promotional message (e.g., “Important Update” when it’s really a discount offer). Use clear subject lines that reflect the promotional nature of the email.
Example: “Get 20% Off! Summer Sale Starts Today” instead of “Exciting News from [Your Company].”
State upfront that the email contains a special offer or promotion. You can do this in the opening sentence or with a clear heading like “Limited-Time Sale!”
It avoids misleading subscribers and getting marked as spam. Moreover, Some countries, like Canada with CASL, have legal requirements for disclosing promotional emails.
Frequency management
Frequency management in email marketing is all about striking a balance between staying relevant and avoiding annoying your subscribers with too many emails. Don’t overwhelm subscribers. People get a lot of emails these days. If you bombard them with emails constantly, they’re more likely to get annoyed and unsubscribe. Allow them to choose their preferred frequency. During signup, offer different options for how often they want to receive emails (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly).
Create a preference centre where subscribers can adjust their email frequency settings. Occasionally, send a survey asking subscribers if they’re happy with the current frequency or if they’d prefer more or fewer emails. By giving subscribers control over how often they hear from you, you show respect for their time and inbox. This can lead to higher engagement and a more positive overall experience.
Use segmentation
Segmentation basically means dividing your email list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics. This allows you to send more relevant and targeted emails to each group, which can be much more effective than sending one generic email to everyone.
Here is how you can do it:
- Take demographics (age, location), interests (running, basketball), purchase history (recent buyers, specific items), or engagement level (how often they open emails).
- Group subscribers with similar characteristics.
- Tailor the content and offers of your emails to resonate with each segment. For example, you could send an email to runners about a new line of running shoes, while hockey fans might receive an offer on hockey sticks.
Make unsubscribing easy
You should always ask for an update to a user regarding their email preferences. You can do so by placing the “Manage my newsletter subscription” button in a prominent position. You can use humour or use funny testimonials to make users stay. Make unsubscribing effortless for the users to avoid frustration. Remind the users what they are going to miss by highlighting the benefits you offer. Don’t forget to include the social media links to keep in touch with them. Never try to hide your unsubscribe button. Atlast, ask users to confirm their subscription using an email, this is a method to doubly ensure opt-in and have a highly engaged email list.
Wrapping Up
Unsubscribe buttons are vital to your email marketing strategy. Neglecting them can lead to regulatory issues and damage your brand’s reputation. By following the practices outlined in this blog, you can streamline the process of adding unsubscribe buttons to your emails. Stay tuned to Kinex Media for more such insights and tips.