Why Do People Unsubscribe from My Emails?!

Why customers unsubscribe, how many is “too many” and what you can do to about it.

You work so hard on your email marketing campaigns! You wrote the email sequence, grew the list, offered incentives and created special offers.

Now you’re ready to see revenue roll in from your efforts! After weeks of work and planning, you send an email blast with an awesome offer.

…But no one’s taking it. In fact, you open your email analytics to see that a bunch of people unsubscribed!

Are you freaking out now? You shouldn’t be. People unsubscribing from your emails can be a good thing.

Let’s talk about why it’s okay if customers unsubscribe from your list, why they do it and how to fix it if a few too many people are opting out.

When Email Unsubscribes Are Good

Why the heck is it good that customers don’t want to see your email ads?! That’s how you make money — and you’ve already spent so much time and money on this project. You need a good ROI ASAP.

While you may think that every person who unsubscribes is a lost customer, they weren’t viable customers for you anyway.

Let’s face it: You can’t sell to absolutely everyone (see why here).

Every product or service is best-suited for a specific target audience. The key is not to sell to everyone, but to sell to the exact right people who will love what you offer.

People unsubscribing from your list are voluntarily freeing up space for customers who better fit your target audience.

What’s the point of sending emails to people who are uninterested?

When customers unsubscribe, they help you trim the fat off a lean list of perfect customers!

But, What if Too Many People Unsubscribe?

There’s a fine line between unsubscribers and… too many unsubscribers.

In general, if you have more than 0.5% unsubscribing from emails, there may be an issue with your emails.

Is your unsubscribe rate way more than this? Contact me to get your emails rewritten and revitalized for better conversions quickly.

8 Reasons Why Customers Unsubscribe from Your Emails

Unless you’re illegally scraping emails off the web, these people signed up to your email list. Psst! They have to consent to be on your list.

Why don’t they want to see your emails if they opted in?!

#1 - Pitiful Subject Lines

If customers aren’t interested in your email subject line, they won’t open the email.

This is your way in. Great subject lines stand out in the sea of emails your customers get every day.

While numbers, emojis, odd words and punctuation will make your subject line stand out, they can also look scammy. So, don’t overuse them.

#2 - Blah Email Headlines

If a customer opens the email, what’s the first thing they see?

The headline or first sentence should answer the question of “What’s in it for me if I buy this?”

Make your big messaging very clear and concise so people understand how you benefit them right away.

#3 - Long Body Text

Make the body of your email compelling — and short.

Most customers won’t read all your email copy, and they’ll bounce away if they see more than a few sentences.

Tell them the most important information and urge them to take action right away.

#4 - Wrong Target Audience

If your email list is generated using a lead magnet, check what kinds of people are signing up.

Are the people who cash in on your freebie also in your target audience?

If people sign up for your newsletter to get the freebie but don’t interact with rest of the email funnel, your lead magnet and emails are resonating with different types of people.

Every part of the funnel must resonate with your target audience, starting with the freebie.

#5 - Underwhelming Offers

If it ain’t good, no one will buy it!

Really think about what your customers need. What problems do they have and — more importantly — what can your business do to solve that problem?

While you may think you’ve got a pretty good offer, your customers have to agree. What you’re offering needs to be extremely valuable for the price you’re asking.

Not sure how to do this? Showing off exceptional value for the price is exactly what copywriters like me do all the time!

#6 - Scammy Gimmicks

Clickbait and scams get initial interest, but then lead to distrust and angry customers.

Worried you’re unintentionally using bad marketing tactics? Find out here.

#7 - Too Many Emails

There’s a fine line between staying in the mind of customers and bombarding them to irritation.

Email marketing frequency is highly dependent on your business, your customers and your offer.

Luckily you can test sending emails 1-3 times weekly and watch your email analytics.

However, as long as you’re sending really valuable content, they won’t get annoyed with you.

#8 - Too Few Emails

Ever get a random email from a company and wonder how they got your email address?

Some businesses make the mistake of not sending enough emails. You sign up in March and then don’t see an email from them until June!

Once someone signs up for your newsletter, you need to tastefully remind them of your connection.

No business should go more than a few days without sending a welcome email.

Waiting too long will make a customer want to unsubscribe right away. Plus, they’ll probably think you stole their email.

How to Reduce Email Unsubscribes from Your List

If your email unsubscribe rates are higher than 0.5%, it’s time for intervention.

Email lists with great conversions can rake in $1000s. But, now is probably the time to invest in professional help.

The sooner you get professional insight, the sooner your email marketing campaigns can earn money while you sleep!

How to Reduce Your Email Unsubscribe Rates

Hire an Email Copywriter

If you tried the email marketing thing… and it’s just not working, get a copywriter! That’s what we do!

Copywriters take what you need to sell and help you get more sales. And surprise: I’m a copywriter. Contact me to talk about your emails.

Survey Your Subscribers

Ask them what they like (or don’t like) about your email system. Make sure you have a mini questionnaire whenever someone unsubscribes. Read their responses and make changes to your email funnel.

Split Up Your Newsletter

If you’re targeting a few different customer segments, create an email funnel specific to each audience.

Don’t just have one funnel for everyone. You’ll get better conversions if your emails are super targeted.

Get a Free Email Review

Sign up for a free email marketing review. I’ll look at your specific email campaign and give you personalized tips on how to make it better.