Why Do People Unsubscribe? An Audio Discussion
Email Marketing - Justin Premick - March 6th, 2008 - Permalink
I’m fond of telling people attending our webinars that “nobody wakes up in the morning and decides, ‘hey, I’d like to sign up and get some more email today,’” my point being that they have to give visitors a compelling reason to subscribe.
Unsubscribing, of course, doesn’t work the same way. Sometimes subscribers have a compelling reason to opt out of your email list, and sometimes it seems you haven’t really done anything to drive them away.
So why do they unsubscribe from your list?
Unsubscribe Reasons: Listen to The Discussion
In this ~10 minute discussion, Marc and I highlight several reasons people unsubscribe from your list and talk about what you might do to minimize unsubscribes.
Click the play button below to listen.
Topics Mentioned In This Discussion
Mass Unsubscribes and Email Bankruptcy
Sometimes email users decide to unsubscribe from many lists at once, and/or declare email bankruptcy.
Learn more about how to keep your subscribers even when they declare email bankruptcy.
Learn From Your Unsubscribes
Taking stabs in the dark at why people might be unsubscribing doesn’t do us a lot of good. It’s better to have some data before we start drawing conclusions.
As we noted in our talk, you can and should ask your unsubscribes why they’re leaving. If you’re not, then naturally you’re not going to have any idea why they’re opting out.
Did You Like This Audio Post?
More specifically, would you like to get more posts in this format?
Or do you prefer reading our articles and commentary?
Leave a comment letting us know!
UPDATE: in response to user comments, I’ve added a download link for the MP3 audio of this discussion. Thanks to everyone for your feedback - keep it coming!
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 6th, 2008 at 11:31 am and is filed under Email Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment response, trackback from your own site, or permalink.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Like the audio, but I have moved to an on demand consumption of information. I do blogs through an rss reader. I do audio through podcast. it is rare that I am sitting at my computer and listening to audio.
March 6th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Would like audio in downloadable format. Like Gene, I don’t listen to audio at the computer. Listen to audio/podcasts/MP3’s while driving or working out.
Pls. consider adding an option to download the audio file, instead of listening only on the computer.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I really like the idea of having the option to also download the audio. Personally, I don’t have an MP3 player, so have to listen at my computer. But I do prefer to download audio to my iTunes so I can listen without having to find the page on the website again.
I love all the great tips and awesome support from AWeber! You guys/ladies rock!!
March 7th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Hi Justin.
Read the linked article with interest and am wondering if there’s any progress on adding a ‘goodbye’ message for subscribers?
Ed Rivis of "The Ultimate Web Marketing Strategy" does recommend it too in order to ask ‘leavers’ if they are sure they want to miss out on whatever you are offering.
March 7th, 2008 at 9:39 am
This information was just great. Keep up the good work
March 7th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I enjoyed this audio, very helpful.
I enjoy both text and audio hints.
Thanks
March 7th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Hi Guys,
Thanks for an interesting Audio post and yes please do more of these .
They are more engaging than reading a piece of dull (but useful)text.
Perhaps I can share my own experiences from both sides of the mailing list fence?:- I don’t get many unsubscribes simply because I am not sending anything like enough follow up.Running a services centred web site I don’t have any products to sell at present other than my services and have not yet got into the habit of more, dare I say it, "aggressive marketing".
After the euphoria of an email mini course which gained much in the way of subscribers I’ve slipped back into the old ways.
On the receiving end of e mail from those sites I have subscribed to yes definitely many marketers send far too much email. Since most of us don’t have the time to read all that comes into the in box, getting several e mails in one day from one list just drives me crazy and I will then usually unsubscribe.
Any one out there got a hard and fast remedy for the "sign-up junkie"
I will JV with them!
keep up the good work your service is the best!!
March 7th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I’d prefer to have a print out option. The download of the audio is also of interest. I don’t want to have to sit at the computer to listen to the entire audio.
March 7th, 2008 at 10:34 am
No, I prefer the text. I spend most of my "computer time" at work and head phones are frowned upon. So listening to audio, especially as its not work related can be difficult.
Also, I still have dial up internet service at home (I know, I live in the dinosaur age)and streaming audio and video can be time consuming, becasue of the slow speed.
So its text for me, or at least the choice should be there.
Keep up the good work though.
March 7th, 2008 at 10:45 am
For mee the readable option is better, I’am a Hungarian and I can transate some articles with web translater services when they are in readable form. This is not possible with audio posts.
March 7th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Either way is helpful although the audio at around ten minutes is great. Today was very relevant since I was working on the campaign anyway and it fitted perfectly.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I can never visit webinars due to scheduling conflicts.
I like the Audio because I can multi-task while listening.
I think that video or audio with a written version would be best. That way I can study or copy it to focus on a portion that I did not understand or for a part of it that is of very high value to me. Some times my old ears don’t hear so good and I need the written word as a backup.
March 7th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I think you guys are doing a great job! Listening to your programs - webinar, audio, I have learned so much! You are great teachers. Keep up the good work and thanks!!!
March 7th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Hi!
Different people have different preferences.
It’s nice to have the audio for a change. I liked it.
But an additional transcipt even, if it’s shortened
a bit, would be helpful for many folks.
Thanks.
P.S. Idea for a future topic. What can an email marketer
do to reduce the number of undeliverables?
* Killer content of course.
* Asking for primary email address
* Verified-opt-in.
* …
March 7th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Thanks! Really Great.
I’m new and in sponge mode.
My website isn’t up yet. I’m looking for the best place to point my domain name to. And here’s a simple question, which I could use an answer to. Can my domain name be pointed to more than one sight or is it that you point everything to one sight. This then begs the question Do you just let the company you purchased the domain name host it or is there a better choice for me in my business.
Thanks again. I"ll be listening to more!
March 7th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Hi Guys,
I like any format - text, audio or video. However, sometimes I don’t have the time to read, listen or view online so when the option to download for later viewing is given, I really like that and always go back that evening to complete the email information. Also, when I have the option to download the article etc., I am able to save it for reference where as web pages have a habit of going away.
Thanks
March 7th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
The audio is great! I also would like to keep receiving the text.
Sometimes in reading you can get a different meaning, so a audio can clear a issue.
Audio also makes it nice to download and listen on the go.
March 8th, 2008 at 12:52 am
This is something I’ve never understood with aweber. Why must we receive notifications of new subscribers to enable the feedback of unsubscribers?
I know there’s an option of filtering email but I’d prefer not some "hack".
Thanks
March 8th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Audio is great, but at the very least have a separate feed for the audio so I can add it to iTunes.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I’m just starting out on this internet marketing ‘adventure’, so I’m making sure to learn from the best !
Currently, I’ve purchased Erik Stafford’s course " The Faster Webmaster", and he highly recommends AWEBER autoresponder services. Actually, ( before Erik’s recommendation ) I’d already decided to subscribe to your service…as your firm has an EXCELLENT reputation within the internet marketing community !!!
Now about the audiocast: I found it very educational. I fell into many of the un-subscribe catagories. Good advice ! Thank You !
ps: will be subscribing to to your service in a week or two.
March 8th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Can you develop an option to let readers modify delivery schedule (maybe temprorarily change from weekly to monthly? until further notification? This would be an additional field or popup before finally deciding to unsubscribe?
March 8th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I am a very new member of AWeber. I am surprised and very pleased with all the help you offer. I like the live discussions. I feel I will learn a great deal from you. Thank you for all you put into this.
I for one really appreciate it as I am not very computer savy. I am soaking up all your information.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Great topic, guys - thanks for putting this info together in a new format.
Giving my unsubscribers the option of telling me their reasons for doing so has been helpful. I’m not surprised to find that most unsub for the same reason I’m doing it with my own subscriptions: just too many messages to read.
In my business, my message is to simplify, simplify, simplify - and if that means not getting my newsletter, more power to ‘em.
Because of this, my goal is to find that fine balance between too much communication - and enough communication to stay present in their lives. With only 6 unsubs out of 150, that seems pretty good to me so far.
Thanks!
March 8th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Personally, I liked the audio format. It was not too long and gives good information. Having a short synapses of the topic at hand, lets a person know if this is going to be of value to them.
As others have said, it really is a personal choice.
To Your Success
March 9th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I did appreciate this. I thought the content was very helpful. My only question is how do I go about finding out who is opting out and how do I go about e-mailing them or is there something specific on your site that I can fill out and it will automatically be sent to them.
where on your site is the box to receive comments from those who opt out.
My web designer does most of the work on the site but some of the little things like what you were speaking of today I would like to be able to do it.
By the way your quick response time to all my questions have been great. Keep up the great work.
March 10th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Strange, isn’t it. I like reading the posts, usually in odd moments during the day, when a particular problem doesn’t seem to resolve itself, or when I just need to look away from work for a while, but I rarely, if ever plug in and listen to audio snippet. Does this mean that I am unusual, alone and idolated? I don’t think so, but it does raise the question of how to ascertain the value of audio on a web site.
I have to say in contrast, that I prefer text supported by audio when I buy a course or something similar. because the latter helps to reinforce the former.
Be interested to hear how you come to the conclusion that audio snippets are beneficial.
cheers
March 10th, 2008 at 3:41 am
The number one reason I unsubscribe is when the sender starts selling affiliate links one after the other. It is surprising to see even the most experienced masters are sending email every couple of days to buy an affilkiate product.
March 10th, 2008 at 9:32 am
This audio delivery worked perfectly for me. I saw the link to the left side of the website when I signed into Aweber and listened to it while I was doing other work.
But the content felt short of useful info that I could chew on. In the future, please think about giving us percentages and numerical guidelines : "If you are getting 2 unsubscribes per 1000 emails, that is REALLY low - it may be that you should push more on the sales!" KNowing what you guys see when you look at different accounts would be helpful. Otherwise, the podcast sounds like generalities, such as: "Remember to give useful information!"
March 10th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Thanks to all for your feedback. It’s given me a lot to think about - maybe we’ll start mixing in more audio posts and/or a podcast category (thanks for the idea Chris!) in with our articles.
John,
Great idea for a future post, thanks!
Joshua,
Thanks for the suggestion. I’m not aware of immediate plans to change that but I’ll check with our Development Team about it. For the moment, filtering will have to do.
Ric,
Giving readers the option to change their frequency instead of unsubscribing can definitely be useful, and our Development Team does have it "on their radar."
Ellen,
You can turn on unsubscribe comments at the bottom of the "List Settings" page.
One thing to remember: someone opting out is indicating that they don’t want email from you. Emailing people to try and keep them on the list, in addition to generally not being an effective use of time, can be offputting and give the impression that you make unsubscribing difficult and/or don’t honor remove requests.
The only situation where I can see emailing someone after s/he unsubscribes would be to address/respond to a specific comment that someone left upon unsubscribing. In my experience, those cases are rare.
Once they’re gone, let them go, learn from them if you can, and focus on the people who are still subscribed.
Rob,
I think John said it best above - "Different people have different preferences."
Some people like the portability of audio, plus being able to listen to it while doing something else (whereas text tends to command more of your attention since you have to stop and read it).
Dave,
I’ve always felt that sort of thing varies depending on the purpose of the campaign (unsubscribe rates for our Test Drive vs. this blog vs. our customer and affiliate newsletters aren’t going to be the same because their purposes, content and tones vary).
I’ll see what I can do about getting some benchmark data to start from, though. Thanks!
March 10th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I prefer reading your post rather than listening.
I feel that getting people to unsubscribe is a positive, not a negative thing to happen.
In the case of my business, getting people to unsubscribe when thier circumstances has changed helps me in the long run. I target my customers via email and mailings. Instead of doing a mass mailing of catalogs, I email my customers to let me know if they would like me to send them a catalog, and if yes which type of catalog is most suitable to them.
Those who unsbuscribe usually do not need our products any more, so my list gets filtered with good email addresses rather than being cluttered with usless ones.
March 10th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I like the text. Provides me to read when I have a chance, leave the window open to come back when my time frees up.
Often chat-chat of audio becomes white noise when phones are ringing about me and/or others arrived at my desk for a discussion.
I’m building a marketing site. Unsubscribe page is on my to-do list for this evening. I’ll add a ‘reason why’ submittal form to the page. (Good idea, thanks).
March 10th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
I was not able to get the audio to play, any suggestions?
March 11th, 2008 at 7:19 am
it was nice to have something short to listen to while i could straighten my desk and organize papers. i could listen / learn like this all day while getting my other mindless work done.
thanks
March 11th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Ernie,
To play the audio directly on this page, make sure you have the latest version of Flash player installed. Otherwise, try downloading the MP3 and playing it on your computer using iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Yes! It was very informative!
March 17th, 2008 at 7:37 am
I love the audio posting! I’m an auditory learner and always get more out of listenting to the lectures…
March 20th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Hi!,
Since you asked, I believe that I, personally, prefer the audio version of your discussions/articles.
I have so much now that I HAVE to read that I simply grow weary of it all!
Having the audio allows me to lean back, close my eyes and let someone else do all the work for a change! Keep it up!
March 21st, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Maybe it’s just me and "information overload" but I find audio and video to serve me best.
So here’s my 3 1/2 cents (adjusted for inflation)
1.) Video
2.) Audio
3.) Text
March 23rd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I just don’t have the time to read my mail
April 24th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
It makes me understand more of how i think when i look @ my inbox…
extremely helpful….
P.s wish i could buy you guys cofee and just have you sit and tell me all you know in life for a day….. lol,