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RSSMy, we've come a long way as e-mail marketers.
Last week, Sean Muzzy reinforced the importance of quality in selecting third-party e-mail lists. In the old days of e-mail, it often felt like quite the opposite. Yet with time came the inevitable changes to the technical, regulatory, consumer, and competitive e-mail environment. Of all of the innovations, perhaps the most reflective has been the advent of user-level reporting, tracking e-mail metrics back to individual addresses and profiles. As we said, we've come a long way.So why do we still look at unsubscribes the way we did 10 years ago?
After all, with all we do now to keep prospects engaged in one-to-one e-mail dialogues, shouldn't we know more about the ones we lose than that "they were less than 1%"? Before we get too complacent with that low number, remember that if 1 million subscribers are mailed, we're talking about losing 10,000 e-mail addresses.
We wonder how many sales that was--don't you?
If our modern techniques and data-driven strategies are working towards quality e-mail lists, then we need to take a close look at churn and consider ways to save quality prospects.
We've come up with a few categories that e-mail marketers should analyze when taking a closer look at unsubscribes at a unique-user level. Considering who unsubscribed, how they were engaging with our e-mails, and how often they were being e-mailed prior to churn can identify trends to look for in your active lists:
1. Engagement Profile. How active were users prior to unsubscribing (opens, clicks, downloads, feedback, etc.)? Was there a trend of inactivity prior to unsubscribing, or was the opt-out sudden?
2. Demographic Profile. What is the demographic make-up of people unsubscribing? How many more people that look like them are on your in-house file? Are there common characteristics in age, income, geography, or purchasing behavior?
3. Cadence. How often were they receiving e-mails? What kinds of e-mails did they receive (support, newsletters, promotional, third-party, etc.). Where in the e-mail contact stream did they unsubscribe? How many e-mail communications where they opted-in for?
Tactically responding to "attrition indicators" like these will differ from dialog to dialog. Here are a few general thoughts on what marketers can do if they feel a segment of their prospect base may be ready to leave:
1. If there is a spike in unsubcribes at a specific point in a stream, test adjustments in timing, frequency and content.
2. Create segments similar to those who have opted-out and introduce proactive messaging at points where prior unsubscribes have opted-out.
3. If previously active subscribers stop opening or clicking through, consider a cadence adjustment to them for a time. Engage them with an offer or value-based message to re-engage them in the stream. This is similar to the strategic thought behind direct marketing "save" programs.
4. Solicit feedback from segments similar to those that opt-out, and consider asking why opt-outs are leaving, when they do. You can apply these characteristics to optimize your "churn profiles."
As modern e-mail marketing strategies and tactics evolve to focus on quality over quantity, isn't it about time we improve the way we think about that most decisive and personal moment of a customer's journey--the moment when they decide to leave?
To keep up with these advances and other marketers' approaches to e-mail, check out the E-mail Experience Council, which today has a 1 p.m. EST Webinar: "Benchmark Your E-mail Program."
2 people recommend this article.
RSS FEEDS
Sure, volume is relevant for the short-term value, but the learnings go way beyond the volume of saves. Rather the true value in understanding unsub trends, to me, is in assessing the quality of your email relationship with consumers.
All, thank you too for your sharp attention to details (though I'm not a media buyer, as one comment seemed to suggest).
Just wondering outside of the numerous comments about the copy error, does anyone have anything they want to discuss about unsubscribes and email marketing? That is the topic of the column today. I'm standing by, happy to chat. -Andy
Mmmm. No we're not. 1% of 1,000,000 is 10,000, not 100,000. That significantly reframes your rhetorical question. Perhaps it's worth it, perhaps it's not. Depends upon a number of factors: average sale total amount, price and margin of profit per average sale, and the amount of effort/cost necessary to get the information. THEN you can decide whether it's worth chasing this information.
Don Levy Mouse That Roared Los Angeles
Phyllis Fine Columns Editor MediaPost
Wouldn't it be really funny and ironic if someone answered Mediapost - after getting this email ;)