How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Prominent Email Unsubscribe Mechanisms

The email marketing world has been abuzz with the news of Gmail adding a prominent unsubscribe link to their emails - is this a good thing or a bad thing for marketers?

The email marketing world was abuzz recently with the news of Gmail adding an unsubscribe link next to the “from” address in emails that are viewed in its client (see below). The “company line” is that this is good for email marketers – that people who might otherwise click the “Report Spam” button will instead use this link to unsubscribe, thereby not causing a smudge on the email sender’s reputation.

Figure 1: Unsubscribe Link Added by Gmail

screenshot-of-curves-gmail-unsub-link-with-arrow

And this is a good thing. But some marketers have expressed concerns about use of this new unsubscribe mechanism by less disgruntled readers – people who would never consider reporting the email as spam, but who might, due to the prominence of this new unsubscribe mechanism, go ahead and remove themselves from the list anyway.

The Gmail announcement comes at an interesting time for me personally. I’ve gone from someone who was dramatically opposed to prominent unsubscribe links in email messages to being a proponent of those same links, in most cases.

So I thought I would share a client case study which was instrumental in my change of heart, as well as some innovative work my agency, Alchemy Worx, is doing for clients around prominent unsubscribe mechanisms (much more prominent than the ones Gmail is adding!). And maybe, just maybe, after reading this article you’ll come to love prominent unsubscribe mechanisms as much as I do!

Back in September 2010 I was on a panel at ExactTarget’s Connections Conference; the topic of prominent unsubscribe buttons came up. One of the other panelists supported it – I was firmly against it. It made for good theater; we moved from the usual dating analogies into “morning after” analogies – with me suggesting that a prominent unsubscribe mechanism was akin to your new friend waking up to find you holding the front door open for them.

Fast-forward three-and-a-half years. My sparring partner has changed companies; his former employer no longer includes a prominent unsubscribe mechanism at the top of their emails – and here I am advocating the practice.

Back then the prominent unsubscribe struck me as a show of insecurity; using it suggested that you weren’t firmly convinced that the content you were providing was valuable to readers. If the sender doubts the value of their email messages, why should recipients disagree?

But today my thinking has changed. I see a prominent unsubscribe mechanism as a sign of confidence. In this day of segmentation, targeting, and the importance of relevance, you don’t necessarily want to be all things to all people. So make no apologies and make it easy for people to remove themselves if your email has become “bacn” to them.

David Carpio, email marketing manager at Zeeto Media and an Alchemy Worx client, sums it up very well: “In today’s world, where engagement metrics play a large role in whether your email messages reach the inbox or not, it’s important to be transparent and not hide behind the deceptive practices of the past that cause legitimate marketers to be lumped into the same group as spammers.”

Carpio and his team at Zeeto began testing prominent unsubscribe mechanisms last summer, in their welcome message. Zeeto’s entire list is made up of opt-in subscribers, but some are more interested in a long-term email relationship than others. So for those just in it for the immediate sign-up incentive, they offer them a way off right away.

They waded into the prominent unsubscribe arena with a simple button. Once that proved effective, we helped them design mechanisms for their other email messages (daily newsletters and such) which were more in line with their brand: playful, fun, and very kitten-friendly. We’re in the process of testing them now, but some examples follow.

Figure 2: Unsubscribe Links We Developed for and Are Testing With Client Zeeto Media

unsub-zeeto-montage-27-feb-2014

The copy is meant to be playful – it provides a way to unsubscribe but attempts to get the reader to think twice before they do. The buttons, when we use them, are bullet-proof, meaning that they appear as buttons even if images are blocked. Unfortunately, the kitten image won’t appear if images are blocked, but the copy works almost as well without it.

And note: The new Gmail unsubscribe mechanism is actually much less prominent than what we’ve designed for Zeeto.

One more note: Some email marketers wonder whether Google has overstepped its bounds; they’re asking if the practice of adding an unsubscribe link like this is legal. I’ll leave that to the lawyers. My focus is on helping my clients make their email marketing more effective and more profitable.

Until next time,
Jeanne

Homepage image via Shutterstock.

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Whitepaper | Mobile US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

Whitepaper | Digital Marketing Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

Report | Digital Transformation Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

4w

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource