There are many reasons why people unsubscribe that have nothing to do with the content of your emails: They are getting too much email in general. They lost interest in the general topic you cover. They are switching to another email address. They’re going on vacation and don’t want lots of mail while they’re gone. Or any of many other reasons. I know most of the time I have unsubscribed from a list, it was not because I was “fed up.”

I prefer to focus on the ones who are still with me rather than worry about those who left.

For similar reasons I found Qwitter to be a complete waste of time. Since people don’t give a reason why they unfollowed, you really can’t tell. A lot of people don’t know what they are doing on Twitter and seem to follow/unfollow people randomly.

In either case, email list or Twitter, the main thing should be that the total size of your audience is going up.

Chris Lockwood’s last blog post..Can you make this webinar?

There are many reasons why people unsubscribe that have nothing to do with the content of your emails: They are getting too much email in general. They lost interest in the general topic you cover. They are switching to another email address. They’re going on vacation and don’t want lots of mail while they’re gone. Or any of many other reasons. I know most of the time I have unsubscribed from a list, it was not because I was “fed up.”

I prefer to focus on the ones who are still with me rather than worry about those who left.

For similar reasons I found Qwitter to be a complete waste of time. Since people don’t give a reason why they unfollowed, you really can’t tell. A lot of people don’t know what they are doing on Twitter and seem to follow/unfollow people randomly.

In either case, email list or Twitter, the main thing should be that the total size of your audience is going up.

Chris Lockwood’s last blog post..Can you make this webinar?

Thanks again!

Thanks again!

Now turn the tables: With Qwitter putting a spotlight on unfollowers, how will your own choices about who to unfollow change?

Now turn the tables: With Qwitter putting a spotlight on unfollowers, how will your own choices about who to unfollow change?

Awesome piece. Like @Kinchie said, I applaud your sincerity and pledge to “out-care” the competition.

As an email marketing expert, I have a few thoughts on your comments about the decline in unsub rates. I’d agree that the numbers are going down (not based on empirical evidence, but in reviewing my own personal habits as well as the metrics from our clients). However, I think that the spam button is only one “replacement” for unsubscribing. I believe that many subscribers simply hit the delete button. This is often times the precursor to marking a message at spam. It is a signal that your message is not relevant, timely, and/or targeted.

Too often, as marketers we forget to focus on the “emotionally subscribed” (http://idek.net/B_) group. To continue your “in-store” analogy, this is like the customer who has historically shopped at your store, but now just walks by…maybe some window shopping….but never enters.

This is when it is critical to re-engage. A few pretty good examples from Sidestep (http://idek.net/A6) and Shop.org (http://idek.net/B~).

In your section “Unsubscribes on line 1,” I really like the idea of tracking unsubs by those who’ve purchased before. Based on my comments above, I’d also look at the emotionally subscribed who are prior purchasers. This is your key group. Why are they no longer buying? Where they one and dones? Are they buyers who wait for a sale? This is the group – I’d argue – that you want to understand best.

Finally, I am also a huge @garyvee fan. A true inspiration – http://twitter.com/jaybaer/statuses/972585745. After reading this post, I signed up with Qwitter and already have one person who “unfollowed” me after I posted about going in my hot tub last night. Again, I agree with @Kinchie on this one. I certainly care, but I’m not sure it will change my Twitter behavior. I use Twitter for many reasons – social, business, political, environmental, etc…

Wow. That was a long comment by me. If you’ve made it this far….just want to say, after all my words – GREAT POST!

dj
twitter.com/djwaldow

Awesome piece. Like @Kinchie said, I applaud your sincerity and pledge to “out-care” the competition.

As an email marketing expert, I have a few thoughts on your comments about the decline in unsub rates. I’d agree that the numbers are going down (not based on empirical evidence, but in reviewing my own personal habits as well as the metrics from our clients). However, I think that the spam button is only one “replacement” for unsubscribing. I believe that many subscribers simply hit the delete button. This is often times the precursor to marking a message at spam. It is a signal that your message is not relevant, timely, and/or targeted.

Too often, as marketers we forget to focus on the “emotionally subscribed” (http://idek.net/B_) group. To continue your “in-store” analogy, this is like the customer who has historically shopped at your store, but now just walks by…maybe some window shopping….but never enters.

This is when it is critical to re-engage. A few pretty good examples from Sidestep (http://idek.net/A6) and Shop.org (http://idek.net/B~).

In your section “Unsubscribes on line 1,” I really like the idea of tracking unsubs by those who’ve purchased before. Based on my comments above, I’d also look at the emotionally subscribed who are prior purchasers. This is your key group. Why are they no longer buying? Where they one and dones? Are they buyers who wait for a sale? This is the group – I’d argue – that you want to understand best.

Finally, I am also a huge @garyvee fan. A true inspiration – http://twitter.com/jaybaer/statuses/972585745. After reading this post, I signed up with Qwitter and already have one person who “unfollowed” me after I posted about going in my hot tub last night. Again, I agree with @Kinchie on this one. I certainly care, but I’m not sure it will change my Twitter behavior. I use Twitter for many reasons – social, business, political, environmental, etc…

Wow. That was a long comment by me. If you’ve made it this far….just want to say, after all my words – GREAT POST!

dj
twitter.com/djwaldow