The hidden value of your unsubscribers

Don’t hide the unsubscribe button

There is nothing more annoying than a company that makes it nearly impossible to unsubscribe from its newsletter. Nobody wants to feel chained to a relationship, not even with a newsletter that lands in their inbox every week.

We are not saying you should put the unsubscribe link at the top in neon letters. But make sure it is visible and logically placed. Keep it simple and friendly; that makes the whole thing far more pleasant for the customer.

It is also no longer optional. Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require large senders to support one-click unsubscribe, and the request has to be honoured within two days. So whatever you offer on the pages below, the actual unsubscribe should stay one step, and everything else optional.

Make your unsubscribe page count

I started on my own New Year’s resolutions early, and one of them was clearing out my mailbox. Along the way I came across plenty of disappointing unsubscribe pages. Fortunately, really, because they inspired this article.

Seriously though: do you want the last interaction with a (potential) customer to be that dull? Of course not. This is your chance to end on a high.

Use your unsubscribe page to show what makes your company unique. Show your core values, your most popular articles or your best-selling products and services. Remind people why you were worth following.

Do they really want to leave?

Maybe they don’t want to unsubscribe completely, and you are simply not offering the right alternative. Perhaps they like some of your content, but not all of it. Ask which topics they are interested in and let them choose to receive only those.

Or maybe your emails always arrive at an awkward moment. Why not ask when suits them better? And if they feel you email too often, let them change the frequency.

It could also be that they love your abandoned basket reminders but don’t care for your newsletter. Let people sign up for different types of communication instead of one package deal.

Just ask why

There is a lot to learn from people who unsubscribe, so ask them why they are leaving. Keep it short: nobody wants to fill in a long questionnaire on the way out.

You can use a free text field or a few preset answers. Depending on the answer, offer an alternative. If they say your content is “no longer relevant”, point them to a page where they can update their interests. If they say you email “too often”, let them adjust the frequency.

Email is dead to them. Now what?

Some people resolve to stop reading newsletters altogether. That makes your job a bit trickier, but not necessarily harder. Have you thought about guiding them to another channel?

Show your Instagram or TikTok feed on your unsubscribe page and invite them to follow you there. Have an app? Encourage them to download it, and make the first question how often they want notifications.

There are plenty of ways to stay in touch with people who unsubscribe, as long as you know why they leave and what they need. Do make sure the alternative is relevant to them. That is where a customer data platform helps: it tells you exactly what someone has responded to before and what works for them.

Turn unsubscribers into insight

Unsubscribers are no reason to panic. They are a chance to improve your email strategy. Understanding why people leave lets you tune your content and approach to your audience, which keeps your list healthy and your communication relevant.

Five habits help you stay in tune with your audience and build lasting relationships through email:

• Offer personalised content.
• Give people control with a preference centre.
• Get your sending frequency right.
• Make your value clear from the first email.
• Avoid spammy behaviour.

Want to get more out of your email strategy? Get in touch.