Optdown vs. Unsubscribe

I recently unsubscribed from an email…and it got me thinking about opting down vs. unsubscribing. Have you ever unsubscribed from an email sent by a company you really like just because you just felt like your inbox was being invaded?  Most of us have.  Two of the main reasons users unsubscribe is because they feel communication is too often, or that it’s irrelevant.  
 
If you’re a company that offers multiple frequencies of communication or different kinds of content, this post is for you. Marigold Engage by Sailthru offers an optdown page, or as some call it, a list management page.  Rather than offer an unsubscribe page with one or two options – generally “unsubscribe from this newsletter,” and “unsubscribe from everything this company sends” – you can first offer users a different level or type of engagement.  This can help retain those users who are simply opting out to avoid the overwhelming feeling they get when looking at a jam-packed inbox.
 
 A user contemplating unsubscribing from a daily email may actually prefer to gear down to a weekly email. If you offer content geared towards different interests or regions, showing users these options before they unsubscribe is an opportunity to retain them in a different capacity.  Say you’ve got New York City and Los Angeles newsletters, and your NYC subscriber is moving to the other coast and no longer feels NYC content is relevant.  If he or she is presented with the option to switch to your LA newsletter at the unsubscribe page, there is a chance he or she will do just that. In today’s market, users expect options. 
 
If you have multiple newsletters, but don’t offer anything other than subscribing and unsubscribing, it may be time to consider working in other options between those two sides of the spectrum.  People like having choices, it makes them feel empowered.  In this context, offering choices also empowers companies to maintain more accurate lists and keep users engaged to whatever degree they are comfortable with. There’s a step-by-step tutorial for anyone interested in implementing an optdown page.  
 
Think of it as a more sophisticated unsubscribe page, and be sure to include “unsubscribe” and “unsubscribe all” options.  To get the full power of this page, you can customize using CSS.