It’s easy to get disappointed when you notice a jump in your monthly unsubscribe numbers. Why would people, who once asked to receive your content, ask you to stop sending emails to them? You might be compelled to ask them, “why don’t you love me anymore?”
Of course, if you receive a large volume of unsubscribes in short time frame, you will want to dissect your email marketing strategy. Are you sending emails too often? Is the content you are sending of real value to the people in your database? Did you send out an email in a tone that is uncharacteristic of your company’s voice?
If you are guilty of one of the items above, fix it. But if you’re not, try not to take these unsubscribes too personally.
The number of emails that a customer, or a potential customer, receives presents a challenge in and of itself. A 2014 study by The Radicati Group, a California-based technology research firm, found that the average business user sends and receives an average of 120 emails per day. This is expected to grow to 140 emails a day by 2018*.
With that quantity of emails hitting someone’s inbox, people have a lot of messages to sift through and most days, your email just won’t make the cut. You might catch the user on a bad day where they feel bombarded by content and unsubscribe from many sending sources at once.
It is also possible that given someone’s life changes, your marketing message may no longer be relevant to them. 91% of people have unsubscribed from company emails they previously opted into**. People change their mind, people move on, and your database and blast numbers will reflect this natural cycle.
I recently stumbled upon an interesting article by Julie Knudson that shared tips on reducing opt-outs. Although the tips were simple, they propose solutions for the challenges of volume, relevancy, and engagement.
Through our marketing and lead-generation solutions, we can help you build your email lists, but it’s up to you to keep those subscribers. Although you may be able to use some techniques to reduce opt-outs, don’t be offended by natural attrition. It can and will happen, so keep calm and market on!
Best,
Bob Fladung
Director of Advertising
INO.com, Inc.
*http://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Email-Statistics-Report-2014-2018-Executive-Summary.pdf
** http://www.business2community.com/social-media/104-fascinating-social-media-marketing-statistics-2014-2015-01084935