Those who have put immense time and effort into building an email list will know just how painful it can be to see your subscriber numbers dwindling away. It's even more frustrating when you can't seem to pinpoint the reason why people are unsubscribing from your list in the first place.
Not only is it deflating, but it can also be detrimental to your business as a whole.
After all, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach and engage your target audience. And if you're losing subscribers left, right, and center, then you're not going to be able to achieve your desired results.
Fortunately, there are a few simple tips you can follow to help you maintain a loyal email list and reduce your customer churn. On top of this, a 5% increase in customer retention has been shown to improve profits by 25% to 95%, so it's certainly well within your best interest to make sure your email list is as healthy as possible.
On that note, here are four ways to keep your email list subscribers loyal:
Build trust and establish credibility
Before people will start engaging with your brand on a deeper level, they need to first trust and believe in what you're offering. After all, why would they want to buy from you or subscribe to your email list if they don't think you're credible?
It's also important to remember that your readers are probably used to receiving tons of spam and unsolicited sales emails every day. So, in order for them to actually pay attention to what you have to say, you need to let them know who you are and why they should be doing business with you.
In order to make this possible, you first need to make sure your email has all the hallmarks of a credible source. This includes things like using custom email signatures, having a clear and concise message, and sending your emails from a personalized domain name.
Additionally, try to avoid using spammy words and sales language in your emails as this will only serve to turn people off. Instead, focus on providing value and creating content that's interesting and informative. If you can do this, people will be much more likely to trust you and stick around for the long haul.
Offer incentives
If your words alone can't keep them around, it's time to offer a bribe. While this might sound a little unethical, providing incentives for people to stay on your email list can actually be a very effective way to keep them from unsubscribing.
For instance, you could offer a discount on their first purchase, a free e-book or report, or even exclusive access to content that's not available anywhere else.
The key is to make sure the incentive you're offering is relevant to your target audience and something that they would actually be interested in. If it is, then there's a good chance they'll be more likely to stay subscribed to your list.
Get personal
In a sea of faceless businesses, being personal and human can go a long way in helping you stand out from the crowd.
When you take the time to get to know your readers on a personal level, they'll be much more likely to appreciate and enjoy the content you're sending them. They'll also be less likely to unsubscribe as they'll feel like they have a personal connection to you and your business.
There are a number of ways you can make your emails more personal. For instance, you could segment your list so that you're only sending relevant content to specific groups of people.
You could also use the recipient's name in the subject line or body of your email as this has been shown to increase open rates (by up to 35%). Additionally, try to avoid using generic terms like "customer" or "subscriber" and instead use terms like "friend" or "insider".
Finally, don't be afraid to let your personality shine through in your writing.
Ask for feedback often
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what your subscribers want, it's important to ask for feedback often. Not only will this give you valuable insights into what they're looking for, but it will also show them that you care about their opinion and that you're willing to make changes based on what they want.
The best way to get feedback is by straight up asking for it. Let your subscriber know you value their opinion and you want to hear from them. You could even offer an incentive for taking the time to fill out a survey or give feedback, such as a discount on their next purchase.
Additionally, you could also use data from your email analytics to make informed decisions about what content to send and when. If you see that people are consistently unsubscribing after receiving a certain type of email, then it's probably time to reconsider your strategy.
Conclusion
Maintaining a loyal email list can be a challenge, but if you are willing to put in the work by providing value, staying personal, and asking for feedback, it is definitely possible. So don't be discouraged if you see a few unsubscribes here and there. Just focus on creating a great experience for your subscribers and the rest will take care of itself.
