What does opt out mean?
As the name suggests, the term ‘opt out’ refers to the act of unsubscribing and is commonly used in email marketing when a person in an email list asks to no longer receive emails from a brand or marketer.
If you want a more in-depth understanding of this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: How can I reduce my rate?
The keys to reducing your email opt out rate are as follows:
- Make sure those who opt in are qualified – You should only let people who are actually interested in what you have to say or offer into your email list. The idea is to always focus on quality over quantity. It is so much easier to sell to people who actually want your products, services, and/or content than those who do not care anyway.
- Making sure you deliver what you promised – Do not pull a bait-and-switch on members of your email list. Keep in mind that even if you can trick more people into signing up using this approach, there is no way you will be able to keep them subscribed.
- So, if you promise people who sign up to your email list weekly gardening tips, make sure you deliver weekly gardening tips. Do not suddenly start sending out content they did not sign up to receive. If you want to expand the types of content you deliver, ask for permission first and then add those who say yes to a separate list.
- Not bombarding your list with emails – Ask them how often they want to hear from you or give them the ability to control what emails they get from you and how often they do so.
- Providing high-quality, valuable, and relevant content and offers – The more value your email list gets out of staying subscribed, the lower their odds of opting out. To do this, you will need to focus on the needs and wants of your list instead of what you want to say.
Question #2: Am I legally required to allow my email list to opt out?
You are only legally required to allow your email list to opt out in certain countries so this would ultimately depend on where your business is based. Despite this, however, not giving your email list the option to opt out is not only pointless, but counterproductive as well.
First, even if you do not explicitly give your email list the power to unsubscribe, their email client does. All they have to do is flag you for spam and block you to never hear from you again.
Second, most modern email marketing platforms come with this feature built-in to protect consumers from spammers.
Third, when enough people flag you for spam and/or block you, it sends a signal to email servers and internet service providers (ISPs) that you may be as a spammer, which, in turn, makes it more challenging—or completely impossible—for you to reach the rest of your email list and any future members of it.
Question #3: Is there a way to convince people who want to opt-out of my email list to reconsider?
Yes, there are a couple of ways to convince people who want to opt out of my email list to reconsider. Examples include:
Present them with an exclusive, hard-to-refuse offer. This is a great option if you run an online store. All you have to do is present anyone who tries to unsubscribe with a no-brainer offer that is virtually impossible to pass up.
But you can also ask them what content and offers they want to see more of moving forward so you know exactly how to keep them not only subscribed but engaged as well.
Offer them the option to take a short break instead of permanently unsubscribing. This would also be a great opportunity to ask them how you can do better once they come back.
Provide them with the option to make changes to the types of email they receive and how often they do so. This will allow you to prevent them from feeling overwhelmed again in the future.