Embracing The Unsubscribe Link Location

One of the greatest fears for organizations that have a substantial email program is that of list attrition and stagnated growth in the subscriber base.  List attrition happens when subscribers issue a spam complaint, bounces or “naturally” unsubscribes.  A “natural” unsubscribe occurs when the subscriber takes the time to find the link, clicks on it and proceeds with whatever unsubscribe process the company has put into place.

Companies view the unsubscribe as a threat and a failure to the long-term viability of the program.  Truth be told, some companies are just plain scared of subscribers leaving their list, because someone in the organization believes that bigger lists are better.  Over the years, the common practice by organizations is to place the unsubscribe link at or towards the bottom of the email.   Some make it clearly visible, while others find ways to hide it either in the legalese, via a smaller font or in the case with a few companies I have seen by lightly shading the link to blend into the background of the email.

As professionals, we all know that the act of a subscriber issuing a spam complaint against the company is far more damaging to the sender’s reputation than a “natural” unsubscribe.  I have long thought that if a subscriber wants off your list, you should make it easy for them to get off.  Keeping them on and unengaged in your program can lead to reputation issues.  Issuing a spam complaint is easier for the subscriber because most if not all spam buttons are at the top of the email client.

Companies should make it easy for people to “naturally” unsubscribe which is why I recommend that organizations place their unsubscribe link both at the top and the bottom of their email.  Before you as the reader haul off into some tirade that I am anti-marketing and what I have just said is email blasphemy, hear me out.

If someone wants off your list, they are going to do one of 3 things: hit the spam button, silently unsubscribe or click on a link.  The first two can hurt an organization in the long run and have potential repercussions across the entire program.  When someone leaves your program by clicking a link, they are leaving your program on mutual terms.  They get off the list and they do it on your turf where you then have an opportunity to either save them or learn why.  The “natural” unsubscribe may hurt your list size, but it does not damage your reputation.

Some people would argue that it is best to only place an unsub link at the top of an email to combat existing complaint issues and then, once clear of the issues, eliminate it and proceed as normal.  I equate that line of thinking to a wreckless driver who thinks they can game the system of speeding tickets by driving the limit for the period of time so it doesn’t hurt their states “point” system.  Then, once they are in clear, begin to drive like a maniac again.

Throughout my career, I have personally witnessed and have heard through colleagues that by placing an unsubscribe at the top and the bottom, both the percentage of spam complaints and “natural” unsubscribes have actually gone down.  In fact, I have personally been associated with numbers ranging from 15%-45% reduction of spam complaints.  However, I have also seen some issues associated with the placement at the top from mobile subscribers, specifically Blackberry users who accidentally click on the unsubscribe link in the pre-header when placed on the left hand side.  Long and short is that you need to test placement as well as metrics around its placement.

Implementing an unsubscribe link at the top of email is not a hard thing to do, but it’s a hard sell to executives.  A solid business case centered around the reduction of spam complaints and reputation sustainability leading to revenue preservation must be presented.

In the long run, a unsubscribe is an unsubscribe and the process by which you make the subscriber unsubscribe is one of the last impressions they have of your email program.  Make that experience and impression a good one, even if your organization gets nothing in return.

Last 5 posts by Andrew Kordek

• When Does Relevance Border on Creepiness? Thoughts on Re-targeting. - May 8th, 2012
• “Tell A Friend” Email And The Lost Opportunity - April 20th, 2012
• Think Big….but Start Small - March 14th, 2012
• Email Deliverability Sarcasm Part 2 (and why you should never go on vacation) - February 14th, 2012
• It's All About The Experience. Right? - January 13th, 2012