Unsubscribe Definition: 6 Actionable Tips to Lower It in 2023

Unsubscribe is the act of opting out from an existing email list. Email users take this step to stop receiving emails from a particular sender (business).

Email unsubscribe is considered as reports (spam complaints) on an email campaign by email service providers (ESPs). So it directly impacts your email campaign’s success. A slight change in email unsubscribe rate can affect deliverability, email open rates, and click-through rates.

In this blog post, we aim to define unsubscribe and help you maintain the lowest unsubscribe rates, stay relevant to your audience, and create email marketing strategies. 

Let’s dive in. 

Unsubscribe Rate Calculation Formula

You need two metrics to calculate the unsubscriber rate: the number of unsubscribes and the number of emails delivered. 

You can easily access the exact numbers from your email marketing tool. 

So, the formula is: 

Unsubscribe Rate = (Number of unsubscribes / number of delivered emails) ✕ 100

For example, if a particular bulk email campaign has 4000 successfully delivered emails and 80 receivers have unsubscribed. So, if you divide 80 recipients by 4000 delivered emails and then multiply it by 100, the unsubscribe rate for the campaign is 2%

So, What is a Safe Unsubscribe Rate? 

Higher unsubscribe rate is an indicator of customer dissatisfaction (whatever the reasons are), so it is always best to keep it as low as possible. 

According to data published by SmartInsights, an unsubscribe rate under 5% is considered a safe rate for businesses. 

However, these rates vary based on industries, with B2B (non-retail) companies seeing higher average unsubscribe rates of up to 1.08%. On the flipside, Public Relations (PR) and Human resource (HR) companies see 0.01% on an average. 

Remember that a new mailing list sees very less unsubscribe rates, because receivers need time to decide whether they want to continue building relationships with the brand or not. So, it is best to check the unsubscribe rates once the list settles down. 

How to Reduce Unsubscribe Rate for Maximum Engagement?

Use Double Opt-In Forms

According to the CAN-SPAM act (and other international spam regulations), businesses need to opt-in their email marketing users and also use an unsubscribe link in their emails. Using double opt-in forms ensures that people who are sure about receiving your emails will opt-in and it will reduce the chances of future unsubscribe. 

These forms are used in landing pages and blogs so that people who visit your website can first enter their email and then verify (give consent) to receive emails from your organization. 

Segment Subscribers List

Unsubscribe may happen when you can’t provide value or type of content according to your subscribers’ needs. 

Not all customers want to receive the same kind of emails, so segment your email list based on your subscribers’ preferences. It is best if you let your subscribers choose what kind of email content they want to receive. 

Companies with a wide subscriber base usually categorize subscribers based on demographics such as age, location, gender, country, buying habits, and intent. 

Personalize Your Content

The key to reach your subscribers’ hearts is personalization. If you send generic email templates to everyone on your mailing list, the unsubscribe rate will go higher. 

Instapage data shows that around 74% of email marketers believe that email personalization improves email open rates and click-through rates, resulting in lower unsubscribe rates. 

So, make use of user data such as their position on the sales funnel, purchase history, buying habits, and demographics to create personalized content for each of your subscribers. 

You can use Smartwriter to create intent-based personalized emails for your subscribers. 

Make Emails Mobile-Friendly

HubSpot has found that around 48% of all email opens happen from mobile devices. So, it is very important to make mobile-friendly emails. 

If your subscriber opens your email on their smartphone and it is not optimized for mobile devices, the chances are they will never open your emails and eventually unsubscribe. 

So, make your emails mobile-friendly to avoid higher unsubscribe rates. 

Let Your Subscribers Decide Email Frequency

Flooding your subscribers’ inboxes is never a good option to maintain email sender reputation. It’s best if you let your subscribers choose how many marketing emails they want  to receive and at what frequency. This way, they get to keep a clean inbox and you reach out with your message without annoying them – win for both. 

Ask for Feedback and Maintain Meaningful Engagement

 Even if you don’t see a sudden or gradual spike in unsubscribe rates, it is best if you ask for feedback from your subscribers. Also ask them to share ideas to improve. This way you can create meaningful engagement, lower email bounce rates, improve email deliverability, while providing value to their needs. 

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Unsubscribe Definition: 6 Actionable Tips to Lower It in 2023

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December 17, 2022

Unsubscribe is the act of opting out from an existing email list. Email users take this step to stop receiving emails from a particular sender (business).

Email unsubscribe is considered as reports (spam complaints) on an email campaign by email service providers (ESPs). So it directly impacts your email campaign’s success. A slight change in email unsubscribe rate can affect deliverability, email open rates, and click-through rates.

In this blog post, we aim to define unsubscribe and help you maintain the lowest unsubscribe rates, stay relevant to your audience, and create email marketing strategies. 

Let’s dive in. 

Unsubscribe Rate Calculation Formula

You need two metrics to calculate the unsubscriber rate: the number of unsubscribes and the number of emails delivered. 

You can easily access the exact numbers from your email marketing tool. 

So, the formula is: 

Unsubscribe Rate = (Number of unsubscribes / number of delivered emails) ✕ 100

For example, if a particular bulk email campaign has 4000 successfully delivered emails and 80 receivers have unsubscribed. So, if you divide 80 recipients by 4000 delivered emails and then multiply it by 100, the unsubscribe rate for the campaign is 2%

So, What is a Safe Unsubscribe Rate? 

Higher unsubscribe rate is an indicator of customer dissatisfaction (whatever the reasons are), so it is always best to keep it as low as possible. 

According to data published by SmartInsights, an unsubscribe rate under 5% is considered a safe rate for businesses. 

However, these rates vary based on industries, with B2B (non-retail) companies seeing higher average unsubscribe rates of up to 1.08%. On the flipside, Public Relations (PR) and Human resource (HR) companies see 0.01% on an average. 

Remember that a new mailing list sees very less unsubscribe rates, because receivers need time to decide whether they want to continue building relationships with the brand or not. So, it is best to check the unsubscribe rates once the list settles down. 

How to Reduce Unsubscribe Rate for Maximum Engagement?

Use Double Opt-In Forms

According to the CAN-SPAM act (and other international spam regulations), businesses need to opt-in their email marketing users and also use an unsubscribe link in their emails. Using double opt-in forms ensures that people who are sure about receiving your emails will opt-in and it will reduce the chances of future unsubscribe. 

These forms are used in landing pages and blogs so that people who visit your website can first enter their email and then verify (give consent) to receive emails from your organization. 

Segment Subscribers List

Unsubscribe may happen when you can’t provide value or type of content according to your subscribers’ needs. 

Not all customers want to receive the same kind of emails, so segment your email list based on your subscribers’ preferences. It is best if you let your subscribers choose what kind of email content they want to receive. 

Companies with a wide subscriber base usually categorize subscribers based on demographics such as age, location, gender, country, buying habits, and intent. 

Personalize Your Content

The key to reach your subscribers’ hearts is personalization. If you send generic email templates to everyone on your mailing list, the unsubscribe rate will go higher. 

Instapage data shows that around 74% of email marketers believe that email personalization improves email open rates and click-through rates, resulting in lower unsubscribe rates. 

So, make use of user data such as their position on the sales funnel, purchase history, buying habits, and demographics to create personalized content for each of your subscribers. 

You can use Smartwriter to create intent-based personalized emails for your subscribers. 

Make Emails Mobile-Friendly

HubSpot has found that around 48% of all email opens happen from mobile devices. So, it is very important to make mobile-friendly emails. 

If your subscriber opens your email on their smartphone and it is not optimized for mobile devices, the chances are they will never open your emails and eventually unsubscribe. 

So, make your emails mobile-friendly to avoid higher unsubscribe rates. 

Let Your Subscribers Decide Email Frequency

Flooding your subscribers’ inboxes is never a good option to maintain email sender reputation. It’s best if you let your subscribers choose how many marketing emails they want  to receive and at what frequency. This way, they get to keep a clean inbox and you reach out with your message without annoying them – win for both. 

Ask for Feedback and Maintain Meaningful Engagement

 Even if you don’t see a sudden or gradual spike in unsubscribe rates, it is best if you ask for feedback from your subscribers. Also ask them to share ideas to improve. This way you can create meaningful engagement, lower email bounce rates, improve email deliverability, while providing value to their needs. 

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

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Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

Author’s Details

Sattwik Das

Sattwik is a Digital Marketing professional at SmartLead. He is a dedicated content writer who focuses on juggling words to bring out meaningful content. He is experienced in well-researched and SEO-optimized content creation, content editing, and copywriting for various businesses throughout the globe. His expertise in SEO, SMM, and SMO with a touch of creativity helps businesses grow and maximize their credibility and sales.

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Frequently asked questions

General Questions

Can I import a CSV file into an already running campaign?

Yes, you can import a CSV file into an already running campaign. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Go to the campaign that you want to import the CSV file into.
2. Click on "Edit campaign" to access the campaign settings.
3. Look for the option to upload a CSV file and click on it.
4. Choose the CSV file from your computer that you want to import.
5. Map the fields and Choose/associate a client. The system will process the CSV file and import the data into the campaign.

By importing a CSV file, you can update the campaign with new leads without interrupting the campaign's flow.

Is it possible to connect Outlook via OAuth?

Yes, it is recommended to connect Outlook via OAuth. OAuth (Open Authorization) is an industry-standard protocol that allows applications to access user data on various platforms, including Outlook, without requiring the user to share their login credentials. By connecting Outlook via OAuth, you enhance security and ensure a seamless and secure integration between your application and Outlook.

How can I connect Outlook using OAuth?

To connect Outlook using OAuth, follow these steps:

1. Open your email accounts module in Smartlead
2. Look for the option to add accounts and select it.
3. Choose Outlook as the email provider you want to connect.
4. Clicking on the Outlook logo will redirect you to the Outlook login page.
5. Enter your credentials and log in to your Outlook account.
6. Follow the prompts to authorize the application to access your Outlook account using OAuth.
7. Once the authorization is complete, your application will be connected to Outlook via OAuth, enabling secure access to your Outlook emails and data.

By following these steps, you can establish a secure and authenticated connection between your application and Outlook, ensuring seamless integration and access to your email account.

Why am I experiencing delays in fetching emails from my ESP to MI?

If you are experiencing delays in fetching emails from your Email Service Provider (ESP) to the Master Inbox (MI), there could be a few reasons for this. It is important to note that fetching emails from the ESP to the MI can take some time due to various factors such as network latency, ESP server load, and the size of the email inbox. Here are some points to consider:

1. Time interval: The Master Inbox usually fetches emails at regular intervals, which can range from 5 to 55 minutes. This interval allows the system to retrieve and process new emails periodically.

2. Fetch replies button: If you need to fetch replies immediately, you can use the "Fetch replies" button available in the Master Inbox. Clicking on this button triggers an immediate fetch of replies from your ESP's email inbox folder.

If the delays persist or you encounter any issues with fetching emails, it is recommended to reach out to the Smartlead support team for further assistance.Please note: 

Filtering or rules: Review any filtering or rules set up in your ESP that could potentially affect the delivery of emails to the MI. Ensure that emails are not being automatically sorted, archived, or blocked based on certain criteria.

Why doesn't categorizing leads, such as "Not interested," stop campaigns for them?

Categorizing leads, such as marking them as "Not interested," does not automatically stop campaigns for those leads. The purpose of lead categorization is to classify and organize leads based on their specific attributes or actions. However, categorizing a lead as "Not interested" does not halt the campaign because the system relies on replies from leads to determine if a campaign should be stopped.

In most cases, when a lead categorizes themselves as "Not interested," they may choose not to reply to the email or take any further action. As a result, the campaign continues until it reaches its completion or encounters other stopping conditions.

It's important to note that when a lead does reply to an email, the system recognizes the response and stops the campaign for that particular lead. Therefore, replies from leads serve as the primary trigger to stop campaigns rather than lead categorization alone.

In some cases,A lead might have to be categorized for various reasons even if they do not intend to reply, such as organizing their inbox or indicating their preference. Such categorization does not automatically stop the lead from receiving further emails in the campaign. In such cases the emails have to stopped manually

What type of business can use Smartlead?

No, you get access to unlimited email accounts and warmup accounts without having to pay per account. This will let you scale your email outbound and without paying a penny more.

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