Losing subscribers after each broadcast to my mailing list.

12% is alarming . Very seldom could be the problem.

I will not suggest a certain schedule but do suggest at least once a week contacting you list with something helpful. Warm them up to you and then warm them up to the product you will recommend .

Just sending out a sales email very seldom will result in unsubs .

Usually if the same product is being promoted over and over almost daily
and there is no variation I have had enough an they are deleted
(subscription opt-out)
These are usually the expensive new launches that everyone else is also promoting.

Seldom - maybe they forgot you - you should send emails a few days in a row in the beginning so that you can get your name in their heads and make sure its good content or else they'll just bail out.

This point is overlooked a lot . My having a cup of coffee approach works well for most of my list but is terrible for some strictly business types .

You should make sure you keep in constant contact with them. I personally send an email to my subscribers every 4 days, usually offering free valuable information & videos.

If I have a promotion coming up I will normally be in contact with my list a few days before warming them up to it, perhaps offering a free report or something of value.

I generally as a rule send 3 free & useful emails to my list to every 1 promotion so that they do not feel that they are being sold to.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Steve.

Try mixing in some content instead of all salesletters.

If your subscribers just see your list as a pitchfest instead of an actual newsletter, it's proven they will leave.

Don't just sell, teach.

Hi Andrew,

You never mentioned how many people are on your list, if you had a 100 people for example 12% could be quite a normal reaction because of the low numbers.

From what you have said I thinks its your subscribers are not recognizing the mails your sending out, are many people opening the email and then unsubscribing?

Maybe add a series of follow emails for you list at least once every seven days.

I guess they have forgotten about you. Write to them more often. Don't just bombard them with product promotions but with useful content. Write to them as though they are your best friends.

But then again we live in an imperfect world and we can't please everyone. There's so much that you can do to reduce opt-outs. Once you have tried your best, don't cry over those who unsubscribed. Steven has got a pretty list of possible reasons for this to happen. You don't want them anyway.

12% is way to many unsubscribes. I usually email my list every three days. Still doesn't make sense way over 10% of the list opts out..hhhhhmmm

12% is extremely concerning and should be ringing large alarm bells. Without seeing your e-mail campaign, it is difficult to work out what is the cause.

I have a list of over 25 000 that has been innactive now for a few years. I am about to launch back into that niche so this is the process I am using. (After all it has been that long sice I've contacted them, they probably don't remember who I am.)

1. I have sent them e-mail thanking them for their support and offering a new FREE newsletter (Fresh List) in the niche they originally subscribed for as a "Thank-you" for our business in the past.

2. I have given them a FREE eBook for confirming their re-subscription.

3. I am currently getting ready to send them regular (1-2 days appart) quality content, training and Advice, Including as many FREE resources as possible for the first 14-21 days. (eBooks, Software, etc)

4. After they have re-subscribed for 14-21 days, I will reduce the e-mail flow to about 4-5 days appart. Each e-mail will have some amazing quality content and some will have free resources, some will have budget resources and others will be big ticket. I tend not to have more than 2-3 promotional e-mails per month and usually reserve big ticket e-mails for once every 2-3 months.

That is the essential process that I use. So far I have only had about 25 cancel their subscription (about .1%) which is about where I like to keep my cancellation rate. And this is a list of people who I haven't spoke to for a few years.

There are a few key tips that you might like to consider in your e-mail campaigns:

-Keep regular contact with good quality content
-Freebies make happy subscribers
-If you're going to promote a product, believe in it, Use it, and give them the reason they need it and why you're not just selling them something to make money.
-Have some fun with your list. Give them somewhere to feel like their part of a group/community (a blog is a great way to do this.)

If all else fails, try asking your subscribers what they think of your newsletter/ezine. Ask them what they like the most, and the least. Use this information to guide your future mailings.

Hope This Helps

Dave

Hi Andrew,

I'll offer my take purely from the standpoint of a subscriber. I don't
have a marketing list.

I really think most people have identified what the issue most likely
is - not having a solid enough relationship due to several reasons.

- Infrequent contact

- Weak relationship from an imbalance of promotional/non-promo
emails. (Too many promos, not enough non-promos.)

I subscribe to a lot of people for various reasons. One thing I've
noticed for a very long time is that most marketers, I've come in
contact with, are lacking in the relationship building department.

I'm not a freebie-seeker at all, and I routinely ignore a freebie
report only because most do not contain valuable information, for
me at least.

So it's not like the non-promo emails need to contain some kind
of "freebie" offer. But I'd say they do need to make some kind of
valid and useful point. Even the kind of thing that makes you
think, "hmmm, I didn't know that." Doesn't have to be earth shattering.
It's hard to come up with earth shattering once a week.

I'm not quite sure what's going on about this next point. Maybe it's
just coincidental. But in the past several weeks I've received emails
from marketers who have not contacted me in a long time. I've
also received emails from marketers who I unsubscribed from months
ago and in some cases over a year ago. One of the latter category
was from perhaps the most famous copywriter on the planet.
Of course I sent him a sarcastic email about it, and I unsubscribed
again.

And it's funny, maybe, because I originally unsubscribed because he,
and his spouse with a separate list, were emailing me multiple times
a day with promos. Sure, his stuff is good. But I really got very tired
of it.

So all these "rekindled" relationships got the immediate squash from
me.

I'll confess something, I was on your list a long time ago, and I
unsubscribed because you sent promos too soon after I bought
your WSO. I'm really not trying to embarrass you- please believe
that. I am trying to give you straight feedback about your question.

But this is something 99% of marketers do, in my opinion and
experience. You buy from them, and they think it's a total green
light to start sending promos. It's not a green light. It's like I've
given you my phone number and it's ok to call me. I don't know
you well enough to go out on a date, not just yet. So you can
call, we'll talk and get to know each other a bit.

That's exacly what it's like.

But the good news for you is now you know. You probably knew
this before, but maybe didn't quite realize what you were doing. Or
maybe you thought you were building relationships when actually
you were not. A misperception, so to speak.

So, in your emails - just be your self. Be cool. Talk about the common
reason people are on your list, the reason they're on your list. If it's
marketing, or seo in your case, then talk about that. Talk about news
in your industry, new developments, implications for new developments.

Just be normal and try to give one piece of information that could be
of value to people. Maybe talk a little about your self, something from
your life, etc.

I used to write emails for a well-known marketer, a few years ago. He
would send the greatest emails, and his list just loved them. He told
me he had few unsubs - ever. One thing he did was share experiences
from his life. He also would tell embarrassing stories about himself. You
know, dumb things he did unintentionally, of course.

Talking about those things de-mystified him to his list. In my opinion,
it made him seem "just like them." Right? And when you achieve that,
you're all buddies and good friends. Right?

And you'll buy something from a good buddy who you trust. Right?

Right.

Offer your subscribers to give you Feedback...

Sometimes I send a short email asking my subscribers if they have found anything online that is helping them make more money. And if they have found something to SEND IT TO ME to take a look at it myself. (yeah... they send me their ads real quick to

Then in exchange... I send them something that I've found.

Just a thought...

One thing is for sure... you can never stop looking for new subscribers. The hunt is on at all times.

Hope this helps!
Dan

Yes, everyone loses some subscribers. 12% is pretty high though,
I usually lose 2%-5% after each broadcast.

There is some good info on here! I think I will use some myself.

I think the key points have been mentioned a few times already but definitely; good content, regular email with ratio of 1:4/5 promotions as well a targeted mails, as well a frequent contact. I guess interacting with them in someway or another is very good - a survey, or a on going blog etc... Nice Mr Tugwell!

I hope you got a much as I did Irmscher!