Why Sometimes You Just Have to Say Goodbye (via Unsubscribe)

If you’re anything like me, you subscribe to blogs, email updates, e-newsletters and the like that have to do with particular subjects. For me, they are marketing, copywriting, design and business – plus a few personal ones about kayaking, running and dogs. And so, I get a ton of emails and updates on these topics.

In all honesty, I read them all – I may not read them all from start to end and I may not read them all the day they arrive, but I do read them and I give them at least a paragraph or two to spark my interest. With some I stop at the first paragraph or two, and others I read straight through, clicking links as I go.

I subscribe to these emails and newsletters for a purpose – to learn new things having to do with my field of marketing, to keep up to date with the latest trends in business and business tools, to keep up with what my clients are doing, what my competition is doing and what local industry is doing. I subscribe to find items of value to what I do in my work and in my life. I subscribe as continuing education and to sharpen my saw, in the words of Stephen Covey.

I don’t subscribe to hear stories about people’s kids, or grandkids, or vacations or personal issues. Was that harsh? Maybe, but my time is valuable and if you got me to subscribe with the promise of enriching my life in some measurable way and then you send me pictures of your kids – with no tie-in to the valuable information you promised me, then you are wasting my time.

If you send me nothing but sales pitches masquerading as valuable new information, you too are wasting my time. Now there is nothing wrong with selling your wares – we’re all in the sales business in one form or another after all, but at least do me the courtesy of sending me what you promised in the first place, which was useful information on a topic of interest to me, before you try to sell me something.

Luckily, breaking up with emailers and newsletter authors that don’t offer any value, or that lure you in with a promise of information and then forget their promise and start sending you junk, is easy to do. Simply click “unsubscribe” at the bottom of the email. And beware of subscribing to any sort of mailing that doesn’t offer such a one-click service – you may never be able to get rid of them.

If you offer subscription emails, blogs or newsletters, don’t get lazy or self-absorbed. It may be very nice that you have kids and their wonderful, or you just took a fantastic vacation. But keep in mind, we’re busy. We subscribed because we want to know more about a topic. Its not that we don’t care about your personal life, it’s just not relevant unless we know you on a personal level. Subscribers may let it slide once or even twice, but with electronic correspondence, it is so easy to say goodbye, you can bet they eventually will.

I put out a e-newsletter myself and of course, I write this blog. When someone subscribes, I’m elated. When someone unsubscribes, I don’t take it too personally, but I do take note. Fortunately, I don’t get many unsubscribers…but when I do, I look back at the last thing I sent out. I examine for what may have turned that person off, sometimes I can understand the unsubscribe and use it as a lesson for future mails, sometimes I don’t see, but it is still a reminder to me to always put out something of value.

You’ll never get pictures of my dog in a newsletter or blog you’ve subscribed to from me, unless that picture is relevant to some valuable information I’m offering. And if you do, I won’t blame you for clicking “unsubscribe.”

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And don’t forget to sign up for my monthly marketing e-newsletter – its always chock full of useful info and usually some free stuff too!