One of the major topics of conversation around email marketing is list development; how do you grow your email list?
It’s a valid and important consideration, granted. But what happens when your email subscribers unsubscribe?
Nothing. Well not nothing, but its necessary to put it in context.
It Cleans Your Distribution List
Generally speaking, when someone opts out of your email list its because they are not interested in what you are offering. If they aren’t interested, why would you want to spend time trying to market to them?
Of course other factors could be at play; the frequency of your messages may be too much or too little, the layout could be a problem, the message may be off target. But these factors will likely impact your conversion rate (how often subscribers do what you want them to do) more than your unsubscribe rate.
To be successful at email marketing, you want to have a large robust list of subscribers. But the end goal should be quality not quantity. So a good list scrubbing every so often should be happening anyway. If your subscribers are “helping” you along the way its a good thing.
It Let’s You Focus on Your Current Subscribers
The people who unsubscribe give you information about who you’re NOT selling to, which let’s you get clearer about who you ARE selling to.
When you have a solid, segmented list of subscribers you are able to send more targeted messages. Again, segmenting is something that should be happening anyway, so when you notice that one particular segment is opting out its a good thing.
Bottom line? When a few of your email subscribers unsubscribe they are just getting out of your way so you can focus on someone who is more likely to do business with you.