Do this to avoid mass unsubscribes when exporting your email list

Use care, clarity and caution when moving your audience.

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Have you ever moved your subscriber list from one email platform to another?

I was recently asked whether it’s best to import your email list or invite your current members to opt-in of their own accord. It’s a good question.

Let me tell you how I responded.

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Handle with care

This one really comes down to how well you feel you know your list.

Do your subscribers regularly engage with your content? Are your open and click-through rates good? Is your unsubscribe rate high?

Take a moment or two to consider how your audience might react to change.

(FYI, 90% of them probably won’t care)

If you do decide to export your list, it’s a good idea to warm your current subscribers up to the idea first. Don’t just import them all across without any warning — that’s a sure-fire way to send a bunch of people straight for the unsubscribe button.

Photo by Dustin Tramel on Unsplash

Try this: send a brief, straightforward email to your list letting them know you’re planning to switch email platforms. Tell them why you’ve made that call. Make sure they know they don’t actually need to do anything at all on their end, you’re just extending a courtesy.

Of course, give them an off-ramp if they want to unsubscribe. Some will, the vast majority won’t. Don’t let the leavers bother you, they were just waiting for a good excuse to use the exit door. That’s perfectly fine.

Next, make sure your welcome email to imported subscribers has been properly set up. Write it as a sort of ‘Part 2’ to your announcement email about the platform switch. Use it to gently introduce your audience to any native features of the new platform and the publishing frequency they can expect going forward. Again, make it clear that they can unsubscribe at that point if they like.

If you want to really ease your audience into the move, send another couple of standard newsletter editions with a postscript at the bottom reminding them about the switch. Make it abundantly clear when it’ll be happening.

Then go ahead and do it.

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Pull the trigger

Again, a small minority will unsubscribe. The vast majority will stick around.

Opt-ins are fine, but in all likelihood it’ll just confuse your audience about which list they’re supposed to be on. It’s quicker and easier for everyone if you just keep everything in one place and work from there.

Above all, do everything with care and clarity, and be sure to continue offering a ton of ongoing value to your audience.

That’s what they care about most.

If you need some help creating a truly valuable newsletter, you should read this next.

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