Unsubscribe Link: How to Turn It into a Powerful Marketing Tool

Unsubscribe is not a new thing to brands that run email marketing campaigns. While it feels sad when people opt out, it’s best not to take it personal or make the process of unsubscribing too long. There are many reasons why people unsubscribe, and making it easier will leave them with a better lasting impression of your company and inspire them to contact you through other means such as social media.

Further, people can change their minds and choose to stay when you make the unsubscribe process better. Actually, the process can improve your email deliverability when you view it as a friend, not a foe.

The following are tips on how you can turn your unsubscribe link into a powerful marketing tool.

Dos and Don’ts of Unsubscribe

• Allow people to opt out because it’s a CAN-SPAM law.
• Use an email template that makes it easy to find the unsubscribe link. Making it hard might infuriate an already frustrated subscriber.
• Effect unsubscribe immediately. Never tell your target customers that it will take 10 days to take effect because these pointless delays will cause you to lose them completely.
• Make it simple, or 1-click unsubscribe. Don’t make it impossible or give them extra work by taking them away to another window. Doing so will cause them to mark you as spam which can hurt your reputation.
• Shun “the sorry to see you go message.” Sending your target audience such an email after unsubscribing can make them feel like you are coercing them to change their mind or mocking them. Instead, just open a new window and show them that you successfully completed their action.

Why Unsubscribe Link can be Helpful

Allows You to Redefine Your Email Marketing Strategy

The first step when designing an email marketing strategy is to build a contact list. You can do this using different channels in compliance with the GDPR law. Still, you have to get customers’ consent before sending them any messages. That means you can’t buy a contact database because it will compromise your entire email strategy. So following the best practices can impact your deliverability because you will only send your messages to those interested in your products, thus growing your engagement rate.

Gives Valuable Feedback

Allowing customers to opt-out can help you gather valuable insight. When you send them the confirmation email that they are no longer part of the mailing list, you can ask them why they opted out as well as suggest an alternative newsletter that they might find more interesting.

This feedback can greatly help you understand why people are disinterested in your content or if you are sending too many email communications. This information will help you adjust your strategy to meet your target audience’s needs, making the unsubscribe link a powerful marketing tool.

Helps You Avoid the Spam Folder

Putting your unsubscribe link where it is visible will help you avoid ending up in a spam folder. People will flag your email as spam when they can’t find the unsubscribe link, which can be detrimental to your reputation. A brand should ensure that its spam complaint is less or equal to 0.08%. Having a rate that is a higher threshold than that may cause your account to be suspended or terminated, which will negatively impact your email marketing strategy.

Reminds Them the Origin of Their Subscription

People may sign up using a third-party platform, so they may fail to recall how they subscribed. Allowing them to opt-out can be a great opportunity you remind the customer how they got into your mailing list. In the end, this can strike a chord with them and help them see the value of receiving your newsletters, thus avoid unsubscribing after all.

Offers an Opt-Down Option

Instead of unsubscribing from your email newsletters, customers can choose how often they want to hear from you. One advantage of giving such an option is that you make them feel in control which will keep them on your mail list. So provide an “update your preference” link alongside the unsubscribe link.

Still, you can give them another option of segmenting their email, which increases engagement rates and helps you send them targeted emails, thus a powerful marketing tool.

Gives Them the Update Email Address Option

Giving your audience an option to switch their email address instead of exiting from your mailing list may help them remain. This is because some customers have an email account designated promotions and newsletters, and giving them this alternative might be the only option to salvage your email list.

Conclusion

It’s important to understand the laws and regulations pertaining to your engagement with customers. This will help you not only comply but also earn your customers’ respect. So allow them to leave your email list and offer them an option to engage with you elsewhere.

When unsubscribing, their feedback can prove to be a powerful marketing strategy because it helps you send them valuable content and still allows them to control how often they want to hear from you.