Why Unsubscribe is good.

What other form of marketing has such an easy way to say stop (well mobile with STOP) but everything else is a bit more complicated or not possible.  So make that unsubscribe clear and easy and celebrate.

As marketers we hear and use targeting, personalisation, and relevance on a regular basis. So having a method to allow people to let us know when they are no longer the target market or we have got it wrong is a good thing.

 If someone has registered with you because they are looking to purchase a car and want to receive information on all the cars in their area when they unsubscribe it could be because

1.  they think you are rubbish,
2.  They have changed their mind,
3. They were never serious and just wanted to look
4. They have used the service, thought it was brilliant, found a car, bought it and now no longer require the service.
5. Another reason. 

If the targeting and service is good then the aim is to get as many people to unsubscribe because of point d).  Even if people are unsubscribing for any other reason it is better to get them to unsubscribe as opposed to reporting your communication as spam which will have a negative impact on future mailings.

 So the first challenge is to find out why people are unsubscribing.  This can be done by asking people after they have unsubscribed. Display a page clearly explaining that their request has been processed and would they mind telling you why.  Or offer two unsubscribe links one positive and one standard. Add the example below next to the more traditional process. 

E.g. (using the car theme). 

I have found the car I am looking for, or am no longer in the market; please remove me from your database. 

Or you can take this one step further and find alternative ways to communicate with this audience. They are telling you they are happy with what you have provided so it is great timing to provide them with another product or service or ask for referrals. This would require leaving the normal unsubscribe but offering some other reason for people to tell you they have purchased or finished using your service in a positive manner.

e.g.  For everyone who purchases as a result of using this service we have a variety of special offers in insurance, servicing etc.  Then take them through to another area of the site where they can engage with you in other ways.  This can be directly or with selected partners. Or alternatively you can have a link saying if your are happy with our service please tell your friends, during this process you can offer  a reasonable incentive to do so and also ask them to say what positive outcome they have had as  a result of using your service.

By changing the way you think of unsubscribe there is potentially ways you can positively affect your ROI therefore justifying more spend for future marketing activity to your core business.  In addition you will be providing a more developed relationship with your users, increasing the potential that they will come back at a later date, tell their friends and speak about your business positively.  By gathering extra information you will also gain insight into how to improve your products and services and future marketing.

Sara Watts
Managing Director Data Media and Research.