Having users unsubscribe from your emails isn’t a great feeling.

In fact, if it happens at a severe rate, you might be left with too few subscribers for your campaigns to be successful anymore.

The good news is that if you are noticing a drop-off in subscribers, you can do something to fix it. To do this, you need to understand why users are unsubscribing, so that you change up the right aspect of your strategy.

Let’s get right to the 7 top reasons users are saying ta-tah to your email list, so that you can work on keeping your existing list, not to mention growing it with new subscribers. 

You’re Sending Too Many Emails

A survey by HubSpot found that sending too many emails causes 34% of people to unsubscribe from a mailing list.

Let’s be honest, there really is nothing worse than signing up for a mailing list, only for that company to email you every single day. Some might even email several times a day, even on weekends and holidays. 

Quite quickly, that company clogs up your inbox and well, creates stress and annoyance in abundance. 

Literally, the only way you can get it to stop is to hit unsubscribe. 

Solution: Less really is more when it comes to emailing your customers. So instead of quantity, focus on quality. That way, users are far more likely to open your emails and engage with them, rather than send them straight to trash.

We know this sounds scary, but we promise there’s a lot to gain from keeping your subscribers on side, rather than irritated due to over communication. 

Your Emails Aren’t Meeting Initial Expectations

Maybe people signed up to your mailing list because they wanted exclusive deals, or to find really helpful hints that provide value. 

If the emails you are sending don’t match your initial promise, it’s no wonder people are unsubscribing. Similar to clickbait articles, misleading email campaigns disappoint.

Including a survey as to why someone unsubscribed can help uncover the truth here. But, you’ll likely know yourself that a lack of effort or a sudden shift in gears probably isn’t the way to go. 

For instance, email campaigns where by the end of the email, you feel none the wiser about the subject line. Or, where you have to go onto read other links just to get to the crux of the email. For your users, this wastes their time. 

Solution: Have a clear idea of what people want from your emails, and try not to deviate too far from this. 

A Lack Of Audience Segmentation 

Would you send the same text to your partner and your grandmother?

Depending on what the message said... that might not go down too well.

The send to all approach might seem economical. But what it actually does is alienate large swathes of your audience, who find the content irrelevant or plain confusing.

Why would anyone stay subscribed to your email marketing list, if they don’t feel like it actually speaks to them? Instead, your emails need to feel personal and targeted to that individual. 

Solution: In a recent post ‘11 Email Marketing Mistakes And How To Avoid Them, we told you how segmenting your emails can boost open rates by 14.3% while boosting clicks by a whopping 101%.

Why? Well, audience segmentation means sending the right message, to the right person at the right time. This means you know exactly who you are targeting with that message, instead of sending that message to everyone and hoping for the best. 

Misleading Subject Lines

If you’re having to go to insane lengths just to get your subscribers to open your emails, you probably don’t have a solid email marketing strategy just yet. 

A telltale sign is misleading subject lines. When misleading subject lines aren’t automatically marked as spam, they do little to encourage clicks and conversions. 

Imagine telling someone they’ll get a bar of chocolate if they click through to your website. But when they get there, you actually give them a stick of celery. You’d feel pretty cheated, right?

Well, that’s exactly what misleading subject lines do to your subscribers. They can also come across as desperate, and well, annoying. 

Solution: There’s no reason why you shouldn’t experiment with your subject lines. But, consider whether the contents of your email campaign have any relevance. If in doubt, consult with your marketing team before hitting that send button. 

The Content Doesn’t Feel Exclusive

Having someone subscribe to your email list is a privilege. 

So it’s worth asking yourself if your subscribers are being rewarded for agreeing to receive your marketing material. Or, if you’re taking them for granted because if you are, they’ll be the first to realise this and unsubscribe in response.

If everything you’re emailing to people can be found elsewhere, or if your competitors are doing the same thing but better, these are all clear signs your campaigns just aren’t exclusive enough. 

Solution: Make your subscribers feel like royalty by offering special perks and insights for remaining subscribed to your list. 

You Aren’t Mixing Up The Types Of Emails You Send

Imagine eating the same meal each night for dinner. How long would it take you to become bored? 

Sending the same type and format of email over and over makes your subscribers feel like they aren’t gaining anything new by opening your emails. 

When things feel stale, your emails will clutter up inboxes without really doing anything to motivate people. So really, what’s the point in users staying subscribed, when you aren’t offering them anything new or exciting? 

Solution: Mix up your emails every once in a while. Check out our post on ‘What Are The Different Types Of Emails?’ to find out where to start. 

Emails Aren’t Being Optimised Correctly For Mobile

Your subscribers will attempt to read your email campaigns on a whole host of devices. As well as traditional desktop computers or laptops, the likes of mobiles and tablets can also be used to open up emails.

But what happens when your email hasn’t been optimised for different devices? Well, it doesn’t load correctly for that user. 

Given mobile use is ever increasing vs desktop, there really is no excuse not to cater to all device types. 

Solution: Use an email automation platform such as EcoSend to create and test your email marketing campaigns, to ensure they are fully responsive. 

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