Avoid subscriber's remorse

By Mark Brownlow, July, 2008 |

You know about "buyer's remorse": a feeling of guilt or regret after making a purchase. Subscribers can feel the same way after signing up to your list.

They just handed over that most precious of online jewels: their email address. Now there's that nagging doubt. That uncertainty. That accusing little voice that asks, did you just volunteer to get email you don't really need or want?

Not to worry. After all, if a subscriber does get cold feet they can always unsubscribe.

If only.

We know the lazy unsubscribe is the "report spam" button. And you don't want remorseful subscribers reporting you as spam and hurting your sender reputation.

So how to avoid subscriber's remorse?

The obvious one - and stop me if you're heard this before - is sending relevant, timely, useful emails. Unfortunately, remorse can set in long before you have the chance to establish your value through your future emails. So your "remorse reduction strategy" needs to begin before the subscriber has even opted-in.

Set clear expectations

Make sure the subscriber knows what she's likely to get and how often: uncertainty breeds regret. Include this information on the sign-up page or form.

This isn't just about describing your content and delivery frequency: it's also about making the actual opt-in process clear, so people are sure about what they signed up for. (Especially where there is a choice of emails on offer.)

An empty box you can check if you want to get on a particular list is good. Anything else, like...

...just adds to the uncertainty that leads to remorse.

Don't ask for more information than you really need

Think of information like cash. The more you require, the more you're asking the subscriber to pay to get your emails. Even if the price doesn't put them off subscribing, the more they pay...the more they wonder if it was the right decision.

As a quick rule of thumb:

1. Required information in the sign-up form should be an email address, plus a name (if you want to do personalization).

2. Anything else vital to your email program should only be required if you can also demonstrate the value to the subscriber of giving up this information (e.g. content preferences, zipcode for in-store event alerts).

3. All other useful info should not be compulsory for a successful sign-up. Don't require it in the initial sign-up form.

If your system or service allows, let the subscriber volunteer further information on a second or extended form that appears after the opt-in is obtained. Or collect it later through a survey, subscriber preference center or similar tactic.

(See a recent article by Josh Nash for more on this.)

Ensure any sign-up incentives match the audience

Sign-up incentives (e.g. "get a chance to win a holiday when you sign-up to our newsletter") are a proven way to grow a list. Unfortunately, inappropriate incentives are a great way of killing that same list.

Power has shifted to the subscriber: a few clicks of the "report spam" button can now condemn our opt-in emails to wait fruitlessly outside the inbox.

If your sign-up incentive appeals to anyone outside the exact audience your emails could benefit, then terminal subscriber's remorse will likely set in as soon as these "outsiders" download/receive that incentive.

Subscriber quality (not quantity) matters in email marketing.

Don't force anything on them

Subscribers opt-in to a specific kind of email. The more additional emails you force upon them, the more likely they are to regret the initial subscription. Remember...the higher the "price" you exact for access to your content, the more chance that remorse sets in.

Make "third-party offers from our partners" a separate opt-in, not a condition of getting your newsletter.

Reinforce benefits

Throughout the sign-up process, reinforce the benefits of getting the emails. Review the copy you present at all these initial stages of the email relationship and look for new opportunities to remind people of the value they just "bought" with their email address.

For example, on the web page displayed after a successful opt-in...

NOT: You will receive your first email within the next few days.

BUT: Look forward to the first of many exclusive email-only deals and coupons shortly.

Send an immediate welcome

Don't leave them wondering. Send an immediate welcome email out to new subscribers. There are plenty of articles out there describing what should go in them.

Again, the welcome message is an opportunity to reassure the subscriber and remove uncertainty: remind them of the benefits, reinforce expectations and establish a warm, welcoming tone. Consider also including a clear unsubscribe link: if remorse has already set in, better they get off the list immediately.

Make unsubscribing easy and obvious

People are less likely to bail on a subscription if they see they can get off your list at anytime, without any effort.

Loren McDonald has some good info on best practices for unsubscribes.

Don't throw people in at the deep end

Sending a welcome message is a given. But consider the possible shock factor of dumping new subscribers into your normal flow of emails.

A lot of marketing emails (especially newsletters) include elements that assume the reader is already familiar with the emails, the brand or the associated website.

For example, your normal emailing frequency may prove a turnoff to new subscribers not yet certain about the true value of what you send.

Consider a flow of initial emails that gently introduces the new subscriber to your email program (perhaps at a lower frequency) before merging them into your standard program.

Use double/confirmed opt-in

This one was so obvious, I forgot about it until reminded by Loren McDonald in a comment. Loren notes:

"Use a double opt-in/confirmed opt-in subscription process that requires the prospective subscriber to confirm their subscription. This actually does address the buyer's remorse issue - if they change their mind in the few minutes that passes before receiving the confirmation email - they can just ignore it."

Need more email marketing guidance? Try the email newsletter or blog.