Don’t Lose Your Email List by Accident!

If you are sending out email marketing messages, (and you should be!) and using an autoresponder service, such as Aweber (and you should be), then you know that it is a requirement that marketing emails have an Unsubscribe link somewhere. The Unsubscribe is usually placed at the end of the message.

In most instances, the Unsubscribe link includes an identifier or a notice such as “To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit”.

In addition, it is a good idea to send out a text version of your email, even if you are also sending out a prettified HTML version.

OK, now that you have the background…

Last week I received a text email for a list I am on, sent out by a friend. I pay about $30/month to receive the materials that are included in the weekly email.

I was expecting the email and knew that it would include the materials I signed up for. The email arrived late one night and was a plain text email. At the bottom of the email was a link, which I clicked on, expecting it to be a download link for my materials.

I clicked, and then, to my horror, I was sent to a web page the told me that I had successfully UNSUBSCRIBED to the list. Arrrggghhhh!!!!!!

I immediately sent my friend a return email saying, “Mistake! Mistake! My Unsubscribe was a MISTAKE!”

It just so happened that my email crossed paths with an email from her, asking me why I had Unsubscribed! It all ended with me signing back onto the list and her, checking out the email that had been sent. As it happened, for some reason, the email link did not include the standard identifier, saying that the link I clicked was the Unsubscribe link!

The point of this rather long winded story is that it is important to check that your marketing emails are being sent properly and that important items, such as the Unsubscribe link, are clearly marked.

An active and responsive email list is the life blood of an online business and should be treated as such. Losing members accidentally is a problem none of us should have to face!

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