5 Easy Ways to Stop People Unsubscribing from Your Mailing List
Contrary to popular belief, effective email marketing that nurtures casual readers’ interest and turns them into loyal customers, is not rocket science. As long as you stick to some easy-to-follow rules, you can be sure that the majority of your subscribers will stay on your mailing list and continue to engage with your content.
So, what are these rules? Read on to find out!
1. Stop Using Lazy Tricks to Get Subscriptions
I mean, seriously. Many eCommerce stores use a simple trick and offer their new subscribers a discount code upon signing up to a newsletter. This is lazy marketing and will not take you very far. Soon after receiving the discount code most people on your list will simply click the unsubscribe link.
If saving some cash in your online store is the only incentive you can offer them in return for their email address, maybe it’s time for you to think your business strategy over. Which takes us to:
2. Offer Quality Content in Your Newsletters
This may sound surprising, but people subscribe to newsletters sent by their favorite companies simply because they want to get emails. They want to feel they’re a part of ‘the family’ and receive the latest news on products, offers and industry in general. You need to stop thinking about your marketing newsletter as if it was a simple marketing message with a call to action.
Instead, treat it as your own news service. Pretend that your company is not selling clothes, coffee or whatever it is that you sell. Think of it as if you were offering fresh content on these topics. You’ll be surprised how far this will take you. Not only will people stop clicking the unsubscribe link, but also more of them will become your clients.
3. Personalize Your Email Newsletters
This may seem a no-brainer, but in fact may companies just don’t get it. Most of your subscribers want to receive personalized messages – and when I say ‘personalized’, I don’t mean simply addressing them by their first name.
What I mean is customizing the contents of your email depending on the preferences, needs and habits of particular subscribers. If a person never buys hats but seems to love warm sweaters, don’t send them emails with expert tips on wearing a hat. It will simply annoy them. They will treat your email as spam and hit the unsubscribe link.
4. Make Your Newsletters Data-Driven
If you already personalize the content of your emails, make sure you do it properly. Don’t just track your subscribers’ behavior on your website and bombard them with related offers. Just because someone has checked an item in your online store doesn’t mean they want to get 5 consecutive emails about this item (especially if they’ve already bought it elsewhere!).
Instead, be smart about it and help your subscribers widen their knowledge about their options as far as the complementary products are concerned. Use your email as a tool that will help them make an informed decision about using your up-selling offer. This is where you need to invest in tools that allow for a smart segmentation of your contact list and advanced personalization of your emails.
5. Provide Your Subscribers with Something Exclusive
If people have given you their email address to receive your updates and quality content, why not give them also something exclusive in return? They do expect it from time to time.
Depending on their product preferences or purchasing habits, offer them a special discount on a specific category of products or free delivery. Not only will they stay on your mailing list, but also they’ll be opening every new email you send to them with excitement.
Conclusion
The world is changing, but as far as email marketing communication is concerned, personalized quality content is still king. Make sure your eCommerce store has tools that allow for advanced segmentation of your contact lists, as well as for advanced personalization of the emails you send. Being data-driven in your marketing communication is the best way of lowering the number of unsubscribed contacts to a minimum.
