With several countries’ anti-spam laws requiring that email list subscribers be given the option to unsubscribe from each message, email list retention is just as important as email list building. Email marketing lists can shrink just as quickly, if not more quickly, than they can grow under an opt-in model. There are several things email marketers can do to improve their email list retention, and avoid having readers unsubscribe. Here are a few tips for better email list retention:
1. Don’t spam subscribers. Be sure to avoid violating anti-spam laws, by keeping email titles clear and honest, and always providing the unsubscribe option. The less there is to hide, the less likely subscribers are going to rush to leave.
2. Offer constant value. If everything sent to subscribers is a commercial message trying to sell or promote something, it will turn off a lot of readers, risking that they’ll unsubscribe. Provide articles, research, or other valuable information only available in newsletters to give subscribers a reason to keep reading, and looking forward to, those messages.
3. Emphasize exclusivity. If readers feel like being a subscriber to a newsletter puts them into some exclusive group or community, they’ll be more likely to stay. Offer exclusive sales or other deals, or special value-added content from articles to lists to reports and e-books to keep subscribers interested and feeling special.
4. Personalize email messages. Make subscribers feel like each email newsletter is talking specifically to them by adding at least their name to every message. Emails can also be more personalized on a different branding level by including personal messages from the sender, a photo of the person sending the email, or even a simple “thank you” message at the end.
Building an email list is an important step in email marketing. Keeping that email list alive and well, and not shrinking, is just as important. Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about current email list subscribers when building an email list.