How to Reduce Unsubscribe Rates on Educational Email Lists

0

How to Reduce Unsubscribe Rates on Educational Email Lists

You can’t please everyone with every email. People will choose to unsubscribe each time you send information their way.

It might feel like there is nothing you can do about that outcome, although this perspective isn’t entirely true. Since it costs up to 25 times more to acquire new customers compared to retaining existing ones, reducing your churn rate is crucial to your success.

Even a 5% reduction in your churn rate can increase profits by up to 95%. [[1]]

If you’re tired of seeing unsubscribe notifications, here are the steps you can take to reduce or stop them.

Step #1: Set Expectations Early and Often

When you create connections with an educational email list, it’s like the start of a friendship. Your new reader wants to keep spending time with you because the experience is fun, fresh, and exciting. As time passes, you want to set an expectation for how often they can expect to hear from you, and then stick to it. [[2]]

No one wants to be told to meet for dinner on Tuesday, but then you show up on Thursday and wonder why they’re not there or talking to you anymore.

Step #2: Segment Lists by Interest

No one wants to read content entirely irrelevant to what they hope to receive. Subscribers flag emails as spam for four specific reasons. [[3]]

• It gets sent too often.
• The individual feels like they didn’t purposefully subscribe.
• Each email was filled with useless content.
• The content felt impersonal.

Although there are other reasons for people to hit the unsubscribe link, these four tend to be the dealbreakers. Avoid them, and you’ll likely reduce this metric.

Step #3: Use Normal Subject Lines

If you want to be authentic in a crowded online marketplace, the best way to start is through your introduction. That means your email subject lines should take a realistic and straightforward approach.

Avoid using spam triggers, provocative copy, or USING ALL CAPS to get someone’s attention. Bullying tactics drive people away, and words like “discounted” or “free” go to the junk folder. [[4]]

Step #4: Keep Revising Your Copy

When people see the word “unsubscribe,” they can be triggered into that action because of their mental conditioning. One way to preserve your educational email lists (or any lists) is to reword this requirement in your content. It needs to be there, but you can make it less noticeable or offer more options for controlling what comes to the inbox. [[5]]

Before you reach this stage, it helps to remind readers why they initially chose to come your way.

Step #5: Follow Up

When someone unsubscribes, it’s tempting to think they’re gone forever. You might write off the experience as a learning lesson and move forward. What if you sent a resubscribe request instead? If you can keep people engaged with your brand beyond the inbox, you can meet their needs while keeping them around as customers.

People will always subscribe and unsubscribe. Your focus should be on the value you offer. When your content is consistent and accurate, you’ll see measurable results.