I know, I know. You are looking for a yes or no answer to this question and I'll give it to you, but you gotta keep reading to find out my answer.
Let's start at the beginning ...
What's an email opt out?
An email opt out is when a user who is part of your email list decides they no longer want to be a part of your list and doesn't want to receive any more emails from you. They are "opting out" of your marketing plan.
How does someone opt out of my emails?
If you are following CAN-SPAM compliance rules, it's very easy to opt out. There should be a clear, direct and easy way to opt out of your marketing emails. Ideally, it's one click. You can read more about CAN-SPAM compliance and the rules of email engagement here.
Why are opt outs important?
Users need to be able to control what types of emails they receive and from who they receive them. Imagine if every company you ever interacted with could send you as many emails as they felt like and you couldn't do anything about it. We'd stop using email completely!
Tell me already, are email opt outs bad?
No. The people opting out of your emails were never going to take a positive action (click, purchase, sign up, etc.). You've cleared your list of an invaluable name and you shouldn't feel bad about that. The people you are sending to want your content. They want to be reminded about your sales. They want to hear from you. The people who have politely declined will find their way back to you when the time is right for them. Additionally, people who opt out instead of flagging your email as spam are doing you a huge favor by not harming your sender reputation.
But consider this ...
If you are getting high opt outs on every email you send you should take a harder look at your email marketing plan. Annoying your users by sending too many emails or irrelevant emails will turn them away and drive up your opt outs. If you keep this up, nobody will remain on your list and more than likely your complaints will increase. Being marked as spam or as a complaint can hurt your sender reputation which ultimately makes it harder to reach the inboxes of people who want to receive your emails.
Want to learn more about email marketing? Here are some additional articles you may find interesting ...
3 Email Trends You Can Try Right Now
5 Tips for Email Sending Success
Is Email Still a Worthwhile Strategy?
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