Moreover, a number of published studies provide irrefutable evidence that privacy became the priority during the pandemic.
To put it more bluntly: allowing users to unsubscribe from a mailing list is no longer an option; it is an obligation.
The unsubscribe option is a friend, not an enemy.
This is a link, located at the bottom of the message, that allows users to unsubscribe when they no longer wish to receive communications from your company.
You can see it in our Newsletter mailing for which you accessed this blog:
Unsubscribe links protect the deliverability of your email message and are required by many spam laws around the world.
True, it's painful to see users unsubscribe from your contact list, but it's more beneficial than you think.
We know it may seem backhanded to offer your customers an easy way to leave you, but if you provide them with quality content, most of them won't even see the unsubscribe button.
Still, sometimes even the most engaging content may not be the right fit for some of your subscribers. And if this happens and your contacts can't find the unsubscribe link, you may get flagged as spam.
You don't want that and we don't want it for you.
Benefits of including an unsubscribe link
It's not just about having a clean list; including an unsubscribe link in your messages has many other benefits.
Avoids frustration of the receiver
It often happens that, without even realizing it, we have given our consent to receive newsletters from a website or a brand and we start receiving messages that do not particularly interest us.
It is important to understand people's needs and preferences and allow them to opt out of your mailing list if they wish.
Ends up in the inbox, not in spam
It's as simple as this: including an unsubscribe link gives you a better chance of landing in your contacts' inbox, rather than ending up in the spam folder.
If people don't want to receive your newsletters and can't find an unsubscribe link when they look for it, they will probably mark your email as spam.
You should already know how damaging it is for your reputation to go to the spam folder. If your spam rate is above the allowed threshold, your account may be suspended or, in some cases, even terminated. Therefore, you should always keep spam complaints to a minimum.
Comply with anti-spam legislation
Each country has its own regulations on the inclusion of an unsubscribe link, as it is required by anti-spam legislation.
Since it came into force in May 2018, the GDPR has set the standards and has become a requirement for any brand with contacts in the EU. Fines can be up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is greater.
According to Article 17 of this regulation, "Right to erasure" or "Right to be forgotten", data subjects have the right to request the deletion of their data. Data controllers are obliged to delete them when they are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected, or when data subjects withdraw their consent to their storage and use.
How MasterBase® Can Help: MasterUnsubscribe
At MasterBase®, several years ago, we made an automated unsubscription process available to our customers and established that it had to meet three main characteristics:
- Simple:It should be simple both the incorporation of the link in the HTML of the message, as well as the way to execute it for those who want to unsubscribe from a mailing.
- Insurance:Secure and error-proof enough to guarantee that those who unsubscribe through it will not receive any further mailings, even in the event that, by mistake, they are reloaded into the contact database.
- Cash: And not only effective, but also automatic (almost magical) for those behind the shipment scheduling.
Of course, these characteristics are also assumed for those who unsubscribe, that is, in a single step, without being asked for additional data, with the option (voluntary) to provide feedback and with the alternative of cancelling the process once it has been generated (what we could consider a resubscription).
And so MasterUnsubscribe was born
How does MasterUnsubscribe® work?
1) For those who schedule messages to be sent
Through MasterBase®, activating this unsubscription module is as easy as incorporating the MasterUnsubscribe® code as a hyperlink in the HTML of the message, through the assisted editor.
The following is a step-by-step example:
Identify the text that will be the link to MasterUnsubscribe®.
Select the MasterUnsubscribe® parameter from the customization icon.
This action will paste the MasterUnsubscribe® parameter (#!masterunsubscribelink!#) into the message body.
Finally you must cut and paste this parameter as the hyperlink of the linkable text, in this case "Click here".
The MasterUnsubscribe® parameter will always be the same, so you can set up a template that you will use as a basis for future mailings.
2) For those who want to unsubscribe from a shipment:
MasterUnsubscribe® operates in a couple of simple steps.
The first is to click on the unsubscribe option:
The user will be directed to the MasterUnsubscribe® page, where they will be directed to the box they are requesting to unsubscribe, the name of the company sending the shipments and the internal code for that account.
Once the contact sends the request, the process of blocking shipments is initiated within the indicated period (24 hours). The contact also has the option (voluntary) to inform the reasons for unsubscription.
If the contact responds to this survey they are referred to a confirmation site:
Finally, the contact receives an unsubscription notification in his or her email account, which contains an option to revoke the unsubscription and resubscribe to the mailings, in case he or she would like to go back in the process.
In case of unsubscription revocation the contact will see this confirmation page.
In conclusion
It is essential that companies realize the need for a simple, secure and effective unsubscription process for their contacts. MasterBase® has already done that. That is why this unsubscription module meets the demanding industry standards and best practices for this process. We invite all our customers to learn about and activate MasterUnsubscribe® from our platform.
Taking care of the unsubscription process is the first step to a contact's return. Make sure your communications are the best experience for your audience.
