Gaining as many opt-ins as possible is a critical success factor in email marketing campaigns. However, the focus should also be on retaining existing contacts and preventing unsubscribes. In this post, you’ll find six tips for alternatives to unsubscribing.
1. Frequency
There are various reasons why users unsubscribe from a newsletter. The most common reason is that the frequency of delivery is perceived to be too high. After clicking on the unsubscribe link, offer your users the option to adjust the sending frequency as an alternative to unsubscribing completely.
2. Pause
Maybe the user is traveling for a longer period of time? Or is moving? A project demands their complete attention? There are many reasons why users temporarily no longer have time to deal with a newsletter for which they are still interested. Therefore, allow such users to pause the newsletter for a while.
3. Content
Users may feel overwhelmed by the amount of newsletter content. Instead of unsubscribing, offer to adjust the content of the newsletter only.
4. Opt-Down
Various levels of opt-ins can help to enable dialog at least at the service level before communication is completely blocked. Users can unsubscribe from marketing communications, but continue to receive important information about their customer account.
5. Profile update
Perhaps a user would prefer to receive the newsletter via a different e-mail address? For example a company address instead of a private address? Or a special address for newsletters only? In such a case, offer your users to update the email address or directly the entire profile information.
6. Channel
Newsletter subscribers are the most valuable contacts in dialog marketing, compared to e.g. social media fans/followers. Nevertheless, it is better to keep the contact via another channel than to have no contact at all. As an alternative to the newsletter, suggest that users receive your content via another channel, such as social media or an app.
Bonus
Giving alternatives to unsubscribe increases the likelihood that many users will prefer the alternatives you offer to a full newsletter unsubscribe. However, they will not consider this if you make the unsubscribe process difficult or laborious.
Highly visible unsubscribe links are often avoided, but generally have the opposite effect. An easy-to-find unsubscribe link is more likely to boost users’ confidence because they know you’ll make it easy for them to unsubscribe later if they want to at some point.
