Effective Strategies to Handle Email Churn

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Email files continue to churn, attrition caused by unsubscribes, address changes and general lack of interest – making list growth one of the key, ongoing, areas of focus for any email marketer. Our loyal readers know that interactive conversations and continued engagement are our top recommendations – but we realize that even the best marketers have recipients on the cusp of unsubscribing. Here are a few ways to help hold onto the names you’ve already earned.

Unsubscribes

Unsubscribes must be handled with a sense of urgency, something has obviously caused the action, so put a process in place to either get them back or close the loop on a positive note. Here’s a starter strategy to help:

1) Immediately acknowledge the unsubscribe request

2) Ask why they chose to unsubscribe, offer to reduce the frequency; change the focus of the email campaigns (if you can) or send to an alternate email address.

3) If you have the option, put out a call to the customer to facilitate the process (point #2). The personal touch and genuine interest may give you the edge in winning them back.

4) Suggest a trial (probationary) period for the potential unsubscriber to reevaluate your campaigns; use this time to put them on the win-back campaign series.

5) Give them access to your 'secret treasure trove.' Let them peruse your best deals or best articles. They might buy something or not leave.

Remember, you have a one in seven chance of winning them back and making them a loyal follower.

Bounces (Soft Bounces excluded)

First make sure there isn’t a domain issue. If it’s address specific, assign the recipient to another channel, maybe through a special direct mail postcard. If you have the ability to flag your CSR’s CRM, put together a script to collect their (updated) address during the next interaction. You can always explore the options of using an ECOA (Email Change of Address) service or maybe an append company.

Remember to act quickly and display a sense of urgency in your actions, this will reinforce the importance of your program both to your recipients and your colleagues.