06 Jun
Posted by Aaron at FullTiltBlogging.com as Aweber.com Tip, Marketing, Newsletter
I don’t mind my subscribers having it–after all, they see it all the time and some have even started copy-catting me already.
But I don’t want my competitors to start using it. If they do, they will be putting to work one of the most powerful email marketing strategies I have come up with.
You hit “send” and your carefully crafted, compelling email goes out to your loyal subscribers.
When you check with Aweber the next day you discover you have made some sales–Whoopie! But they you notice something else–3% of your subscribers hit the UNSUBSCRIBE link.
You just lost 283 subscribers. That sucks. Those people will never buy from you again–even if you recommend the perfect product for them.
You’re about to discover a simple way to change all that.
In the next two minutes you can take the unsubscribe rate for your next promotion to just a fraction of what it was on your last promotion.
It’s almost automatic.
And that’s the problem. Your subscribers aren’t thinking of you. They aren’t remembering that great article you sent them last week. They don’t remember that you are pro-kitten (unlike kitten hating Darren Rowse). They just automatically unsubscribe.
One way to accomplish this is to hire The Amazing Kreskin to send out powerful brain interrupting neural thought waves each time you send out a mailer, telling your subscribers not to use the link.
Of course, that might get a little cost prohibitive.
An easier way is to create a WARNING MESSAGE
just above the unsubscribe link. (Man, I think that friggin’ flashing is going to send me into a seizure.)
Just making them pause for a moment will eliminate most of them from clicking on the good-bye link.
Not only do you want them to not click the link, you want them to think about the past and potential future value of their subscription. That makes them more likely to open, read and respond to the next email you send them.
So, now that I have whet your appetite, here is my personal anti-unsubscribe message:
*CAUTION*Using the unsubscribe below will
PERMANTELY block your email address in
our system. Use with caution.
Now, go put this at the bottom of all your emails. It will make you money.
I just put up a new report you will want to pick up.
11 Responses
Codrut Turcanu
June 6th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
1Aaron, that’s an interesting TIP.. just imagine this.
There are a few scenarios when not even this tactic would work:
1. when someone doesn’t care about you anymore
2. when someone is not interested in getting e-mails from you anymore 3. when someone you disappointed (by mistake) wants to remove
I suspect your tactic would work like crazy just for those who are still not sure if they should remove or not..
Usually they tend to read e-mails less, or simply delete them.
What you really want is keep your mailings Highly-TARGETED
to your opt-in offer PROMISE, and 99% of folks won’t un-subscribe.
It’s a shame that I do this mistake myself, just like 99% of all the marketers out there.
Remember - the KEY is to connect with your subscribers and send high value targeted to their needs/wants and that value has to be tie in with your opt-in offer (e.g. what you mention in the landing/squeeze page)
Aaron at FullTiltBlogging.com
June 6th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
2Good points Codrut.
There will always be some who will unsubscribe, but this is especially effective when you send out a promotional email–those typically have the highest unsub rate.
Leslie
June 7th, 2008 at 12:17 am
3Heya Aaron
I completely understand the point of the “WARNING” message to append onto your emails: It’s what’s called a “pattern interrupt” in psychology and your post explains the theory-in-practice without the jargon.
However…
Quite apart from Codrut’s points (which are true, of course–particularly the bit about opt-in promise; If you didn’t read that carefully, folks, do so NOW), there’s something I’ve always found a little too heavy-handed about this particular STYLE of message. YOUR message, for example, falls into this category. I find it a bit too much, I’m afraid.
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with using a pattern-interrupt ahead of your unsub-link, but I don’t think it should be so Ray Liota. For two reasons…
1. For a list related to IM, it just seems silly. I KNOW that unless you’re using some kind of IP-block (and if you ARE, please do me the favour of explaining the rationale), I can resubscribe at any time–with another email address if needs be (perhaps you’ve got something set to not accept resubscribes from the same email. That’s cool; takes me 3 minutes to make another one)…
…and…
2. In non-IM-related niches, where people may not be so net-savvy (unless you’re in a tech-niche, obviously–but I was thinking something like the “How to Make a Macrame Dachshund” niche, y’know), don’t you think it’s going to come across as a bit too forceful?
Would be interested to know your thoughts on this.
I see the point regarding using it because unsubs on promo-mailings is highest, but I still think it could be reworded. Perhaps we could pool our thoughts here and come up with something that conveys the same idea, but without the fear-mongering. Yes, I know “people will do more to avoid pain and loss than to achieve pleasure” but something still doesn’t sit right with me about the wording of that warning message.
There’s a big name marketer who uses THIS at the end of his emails:
>>
>> If you would like to unsubscribe yourself from
>> ALL announcement, mini-course, or news lists
>> of [insert name], please click the link below.
>> But be careful as you will no longer receive
>> ANY email from [insert name]:
>>
I’m still not ENTIRELY crazy about this one, but I think it’s better. Will try and come up with one and will re-post when I do.
I haven’t been using such a message even though I’ve SEEN them for years now, but I might try and see how I go.
Nice post.
Cheers,
Leslie
P.S. And then it’s just a matter of TESTING to see which reduces unsubs. So, for example, look at your stats and find out which message in the sequence is getting the most unsubscribes. Look at the message. Is there something in the actual MESSAGE that you can fix first?
Test that. Does the unsubscribe rate go down?
Then test a different version of the “Warning message”, etc.
Test, test, test… because I could be talking bollocks and it might be that Aaron’s message is (already) the perfect message to reduce unsubscribes.
JK Swopes
June 7th, 2008 at 11:13 am
4Cool thoughts, I never considered having some type of interrupt before the unsubscribe. Mainly because I know that when I decide to unsubscribe, it not usually spurr of the moment, but a result of a couple of non helpful mailings over time, or ever.
But I think SOMETHING down there before that link would work, it’s just a matter of trying to find the best wording to use, and what works for you may not work for me, or what works for me may not work for the next person.
I guess crafting it so that it works for your targeted readers is the best way to go, which involves a lot of testing.
Thanks for the tip
Aaron at FullTiltBlogging.com
June 8th, 2008 at 6:16 am
5Leslie,
What company do you use to manage your list? If they aren’t blocking addresses that have unsubscribed you need to do it. One of the easiest ways to generate unfounded spam complaints is to allow people to re-subscribe to a list they have previously unsubscribed from–many will think you continued to send them email after they unsubscribed.
I have tested a few different messages and this one works pretty well. I have not tested EVERY possible message, nor have I tested different unsub messages recently. John Reese (who uses the message you pointed out) and a few others who have multiple subscribe list without multiple unsubscribe need to have a more complex unsubscribe message because there are two unsub links. That adds another factor into the mix so it is difficult to compare the effectiveness of one message v. another.
Aaron at FullTiltBlogging.com
June 8th, 2008 at 6:21 am
6JK,
You make an interesting point:
That may be true for you, but most people would say that even if it isn’t true. Most “regular” people believe they make good decisions and don’t realize how impulsive much of their actions are.
Many people unsubscribe because the current message is not interesting to them. If asked later they (which I have done) they will say it is because of a “pattern” of unhelpful messages, but when you look at the pattern of behavior it doesn’t reflect anything of the kind.
Which is why you regularly see very similar open rates between messages with similar subject lines, but much higher unsubscribe rates on the messages which are marketing oriented v. information oriented.
JK Swopes
June 8th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
7Hmmmm, you could be right! Maybe there is more at work than I realize…
Either way, this is something to consider, as testing is very much a needed part of marketing.
Leslie
June 8th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
8Heya, Aaron
I, like you, use Aweber. In fact, the way I found your blog was via your opt-in bait on the Aweber blog (nice script, btw. Haven’t used it yet… will probably do so soon. What effect have you noticed?)
So, yeah, they’ll block an email address, but do they block IP-addresses? I doubt it because just about anyone on a shared-IP is on dynamic-IP, right? (Or am I completely wrong about that? If so, what am I missing?)
Point being, if I want to re-subscribe, I just do so with another email address.
Your most recent comment (#6) makes a GREAT point about basic human psychology: that we do stupid shit and then justify in ways that make us look less like prats than we really are.
So I don’t at all disagree with what you’re saying there.
But I also think JK has a good point. I just (as in less than as hour ago) unsubscribed from Mike Filsaime’s list(s), for example, because I’m tired of his endless pitches. And his last one trying to get me onto his FORCED continuity (yes, I know I can hit the check-box and say “No” but I think the principle of checked-box-yes (otherwise known as “forced-continuity”) is repulsive and, well, kinda car-salesman-like. ** shrug **
I was only on his list to OBSERVE what he was doing and maybe learn something. But I no longer want to learn this style of marketing; it turns my stomach.
So, anyway, both your point and JK’s point both stand here, I think:
I’m rationalising it (how irrationally, though, I’m not sure–and not in the best position to say, obviously), but it’s also true that Filsaime has offered me sweet F.A. in terms of value over the last however length of time I’ve been on his list. I’ve opened probably most of his emails (regardless of subject line) because of his “name” in the biz. But he clearly thinks he can trade ONLY on that now (and maybe he can! If so, good luck to guy) and doesn’t need to actually offer his readers anything of interest or value other than pitch after pitch after pitch.
So, you’re right, Aaron, in that people do rationalise things “after the fact” so that they’re more consistent with their own worldview of THEMSELVES primarily(!)… but it’s also true that if the newsletter is crap, then there ain’t no stopping an unsubscribe.
Filsaime has a pattern-interrupt message. THEN he has a whole pattern-interrupt PAGE! Along with a message that says something like “Are you sure you meant to do that? If it was a mistake and you want to re-subscribe, there’s a special bonus waiting for you.”
My response: “Sorry, buddy! Nothing of interest or value in your emails–coz I’ve opened a bunch of ‘em now and… lots left to be desired–so doesn’t matter how many times you try to get me to stay… you can bite me!”
Am I ranting now? ;-P
Leslie
JK Swopes
June 8th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
9I agree with that too Leslie, and I was one of the guys that got the most Mike Filsaime project. Did I know it would be a continuity program, most definitely.
Did I try to opt out and just get the free reports? Yep, could I uncheck the box? NOPE! Lol, I refuse to work like that, but, I also think he probably has some other tips and tricks I could learn from, just not the forced continuity stuff.
I know I won’t be staying in that program, but, the free reports are probably pretty killer, and the affiliate I went through is paying for the shipping so, it’s really FREE! lol, but I agree, there’s been many that I stayed on because of their name, but after months of nothing but pitch after pitch after sell after $10, 000 coaching offers, I just let them go.
I did a post on my blog about it a while back
http://imwithjoe.com/organization-and-productivity/unsubscribe-me-please
But seriously, I think the more we are around, the more we learn and the more we find what we do and don’t want to implement in our own marketing. It really comes down to the individual. If I ever have a membership program, you will know it, it will not be hidden, you will know what you are getting into.
Uh Oh….Leslie, I think you got me ranting too! Shall I end here for now?
Seems like a good “interrupt” spot!
**Back to your regularly scheduled blogging…….
Leslie
June 8th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
10Me?
Rant?
Never!
—————————————
ROTFLMFAO!
—————————————
Nice points, JK.
I bought Butterfly Marketing about 2 years ago: good stuff. Nothing new these days, perhaps.
Bought the 7-figure thingy last year. Good. Not great. Lots of waffle. First 2 (maybe 3) DVDs are a waste of your time (plus one or two more mid-way–just affiliate pitch from the stage). Some interesting points sprinkled throughout, but mostly teaser and rah-rah.
Nice that you ARE actually getting it for free (that’s actually a completely separate rant that I have. Save that puppy for another time, eh?).
Didn’t know about the INABILITY to opt-out of the continuity program (didn’t even look at the offer coz I’ve already got both of ‘em, like I said). But that’s just another mark against his name in my opinion.
Yes, he’s in business. I KNOW that, He’s not Mike Filsaime: Charity Extraordinaire. I know that.
But all this tosh about FREE! FREE! FREE! from him and his affiliates. And TECHNICALLY it CAN BE, but only if you’re quick to cancel, right?
Now, I’m not saying you should sign-up for low-cost offers and then just cancel. That’s not cool. The marketing principle is fine. Take the old “CD of the Month Club” for example. They send you 3 for a buck then after that they send you one every month for the regular price.
What they DON’T do is send you 3 CDs for a buck and then automatically enroll you into a $150-a-ticket “Concert of the Month” Club.
No, they enroll you in a CD per month program. Which is what you were interested in in the first place.
Splitting hairs?
Maybe.
As always, you folks’ll let me know if I’m talking bollocks.
Anyway…
…guys, I gotta pick this conversaion up tomorrow; It’s just gone 3am here! Time for bed!
Take it easy and enjoy your Sunday!
Leslie
JK Swopes
June 8th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
11Hahahaha, yes, I agree. I guess I just come to realize that people do things the way the want, and I have the opportunity to mimic that, or go my own way.
I know many things that do the continuity thing, just around the IM circle it gets such a bad rep. I think it’s all about how it’s presented. Anytime I promote something that will have upsells or continuity, I tell my readers.
“Now, you can get _______ for free, but, there will also be upsell offers and/or you will be enrolled in a membership that you can cancel, but the free gifts you can keep”
That way, they can make that decision going in, and they won’t be looking at me crosseyed because I promoted it to them.
Like I said, at least he put it out front, and I fully expected one, but when I saw the box, I thought I would be able to uncheck it
Oh well, I’ll just cancel it a little later, unless, of course, the magazine is top notch….but that’s my choice, and something I was wiling to deal with to get the other two products, which I didn’t have already.
Good points, now go to bed!
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