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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.
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