4 Ways To Win The Hearts Of Email Subscribers

Although social media continues to prevail as a hot topic, email remains as the current most effective marketing tactic that delivers the best ROI.

However, many companies face the issue of either having a bulk of unengaged subscribers, or a growing unsubscribed list. Here are the top reasons why subscribers opt-out as well as solutions to these common problems.

#1: Too Many Emails

The #1 reason people unsub? Too many emails.

Flooding inboxes can overwhelm users and get your emails sent to their trash. This is usually done before they consider clicking on it, and will harm your open rates. Generally, an average unsubscribe rate for each email sent is 0.19-0.52% while a standard open rate is 15-25%.

Fewer than 10% of people say they never want to get emails after they subscribe (duh?they subscribed for a reason) but keep in mind the frequency of which you are contacting them.

Solution: Think about the necessity of any full list email. Is the message you are sending out crucial for every individual, or can the list be partitioned?

Another solution is to give control back to the consumer. Instead of leading readers to a blunt unsubscriber page, create an opt-down option. Think about the message you are sending to that user at this critical moment. You are about to lose their attention, so now is the time to really appeal to them. Make sure your “unsubscribe” landing page provides the individual with agency while also reinstates the value of your newsletter. Lastly, don’t be afraid to appeal to their emotions!

Here is a great example of how Bonobos handles their unsubscribe page:

Bonobos Unsubscribe Form example

#2: Subject Line Spam

The subject line is your first chance to grab the attention of your subscribers, don’t waste it! Too often companies play it safe with their subject lines and lean into classic marketing language.

This causes two problems: 1) Algorithms will be quick to flag your mail as spam and 2) The reader will immediately scan over it assuming you want their money. This will prompt readers to either delete your email, miss the email because it’s in their spam folder, or spark a desire to unsubscribe.

Here is a handy list of keywords that are quick to be marked as spam:

Advertisement, Business, Cash, Cheap, Commodity, Congratulations, Credit, Deal, Debt, Degree, Disclaimer, Discount, Free, Gimmick, Guarantee, Income, Ink, Investment, Joke, Load, Marketing, Merchant, Money, Obligation, Offer, Opt, Opportunity, Outstanding, Payoff, Price, Profit, Promo, Promotion, Rate, Refund, Rich, Sales, Save, Shop, Spam, Spree, Stock, Subscribe, Trading, Wealth, Win, Winner, Winning, and Won.

Solution: Create fun but informative subject lines that are bold, creative and personal. Here is an example of the same message displayed in two different ways:

What not to do: LIMITED Summer Styles Discount For All Subscribers Going On NOW! Save 50-75%!

Instead, try this: It’s heating up! Spring into summer with these hot deals! Code inside!

#3: Irrelevant Content

In today’s fast-paced world, nobody is going to read anything they’re not interested in. This includes your emails.

“Relevant” content is anything that is informative, personalized and important to your reader. On the flip side, irrelevant content is anything that makes users feel unheard and clumped into the masses of your subscriber list. If hit with enough irrelevant content, subscribers will feel no value in your messaging and will dodge a couple emails until ultimately unsubscribing.

Solution: List segments are the biggest hack to making readers feel seen. Subscribers can be segmented by anything from age to their interests. The key here is to try and collect as much data about each user as possible at sign up. A smart add-on is to list a couple interests people can choose from, and then create emails targeting each interest.

Here is an example of a sign-up form that encourages automatic segmentation. Consumers feel in control of the content they receive and the company is better equipped to provide them with personalized content:

Email sign-up example

This is beneficial for more than just targeting emails. With list segmentation, you can minimize customer service time by having specific messaging relevant to engaged users.

For example, if you provide a promo code to your entire subscriber list for a service on sale, you will most likely receive calls from recent buyers demanding the discount be retroactively applied. Instead, only send the promo code to subscribers that have yet to purchase said service. This way, you keep customers and your staff at ease.

#4: Low Interest

Each email should always serve a purpose and remind readers of the value of your company AND being on the list. Studies consolidated by Jilt shows that people unsubscribe when emails are focused more on the company than the customer.

List segmentation plays a role here, but also think about incentives and email design. Promo codes are an amazing way to make subscribers feel valued, but it’s also an easy way for you to track each email’s effectiveness.

Additionally, consider the layout of your email. Is all of the pertinent information “above the fold”? or where the preview cuts off? Have you optimized for mobile users? Are the graphics and text legible and concise?

Take a look at this email Sweet Rose Studios completed for one of our clients below. Notice how all of the crucial information is at the top and the layout is kept simple so readers can easily scan:

Optimized email example