When thinking about email marketing, you probably focus on campaigns, open rates, and other important statistics. How often do you consider unsubscribers? Learning how to boost your subscriber count is important, but it’s also vital that you track your unsubscriber rate and take action to lower it. 

While email subscribers naturally come and go, it’s your goal as a K12 email marketer to keep your list growing and healthy. Aside from regularly assessing your email list for any accuracy issues, you can also take certain key strategies to reduce your email unsubscribe rates. By learning a few things, you can take matters into your own hands. 

 

1. Optimize Your Design

First, take a moment to check in with your design. It doesn’t take a degree to recognize why good design matters. Which email would you rather interact with? One that’s modern, well-designed, and easy to understand or one that’s outdated and clunky? The answer is clear.

Because good design isn’t always easy to define, follow these tips:

 

• Mobile-friendly – First, ensure your emails are easy to read on mobile devices since over 70% of people read email on their phone. 
• Organized – Instead of trying to fit too much into a single email, limit your messages to key information. If you must include a lot, organize everything into clear sections so it’s easy to review. 
• Consistent – Be consistent with your design throughout emails. Using the same colors and branding keeps your emails recognizable. 

 

2. Use Clear Copy

If you’re noticing a rise in your unsubscribe rate, you might need some help with your copy. Your email copy includes things like your email subject line, email content, and even your from field. 

Good copy tells a store and connects with readers. Since you’re writing to an audience of K12 professionals, reach them on their level with the following:

 

• Short and sweet – Your copy should be focused and to the point. K12 professionals are busy. They don’t have time to read through complicated emails. 
• Flow – Do your points flow together and make sense? Always read your copy through to ensure it goes together easily. 
• Story – Finally, find the story. Relate to your users’ emotions to make a powerful impact. 

 

3. Be Transparent

A lot of users unsubscribe because your emails don’t end up meeting their expectations. You can change this by being upfront and transparent from the start. From your landing pages to your welcome email, let your subscribers know what’s in it for them. What can they expect to see from your emails?

In addition, be transparent about data and privacy. This is one of the biggest concerns today. If your users don’t feel like their information is secure, they’ll unsubscribe. Be clear about how you use data on your website and in your email forms, and always be mindful of users’ privacy. 

 

4. Test Your Emails

It’s easy to get complacent when it comes to your email marketing, especially if you’ve done this for a while. Instead, get in the habit of testing your emails before they reach your audience. You might be surprised to learn that your messages are being caught as spam or that they aren’t delivering properly. 

Before each email, do the following:

 

• Proofread – Small mistakes might not seem like a big deal, but they send the wrong message about your brand. 
• Test message – Send a test email through your email to your own email or multiple addresses (preferably different providers). 
• A/B testing – If you’re not sure how to make your emails perform better, start A/B testing. By sending two different versions of your email, you’ll start to recognize how to boost your response. 

 

5. Always Adapt

Email marketing is always changing. What worked a few months ago might not work today. As an email marketer, much of this process is learning as you go. The K12 industry changes rapidly, especially in modern times. Your email marketing needs to keep up with these changes to reduce unsubscribes. 

The best way to adapt is to collect important data like click-through rates, open rates, reply rates, and so on. Store and analyze your data so you can learn from it. Soon, it will become clear which type of content reduces your subscriber count.

 

Keep K12 Email Users Engaged

In the world of K12, time is everything. These busy professionals juggle a lot at once, and they don’t always have the time to engage with emails. How do you keep your current email subscribers engaged and excited about your email campaigns? While there’s no magic formula, you can take these tips above seriously to protect your current subscribe counts. 

With email marketing, growth is always the goal. If you notice a decline in your email count, it’s time to take action. Luckily, a few key adjustments go a long way.