Healthy unsubscribe-rate benchmarks
- Under 0.2% per send — healthy, normal churn
- 0.2-0.5% per send — pay attention; trend toward one of the fixes below
- Over 0.5% per send — actively burning the list; stop and fix before the next send
The three causes, in priority
The diagnostic
Run these three queries on your last 10 sends:
- Unsubscribe rate per send (your platform reports this)
- Days between sends (calendar)
- Sends that pitched vs sends that taught (count by hand)
The pattern emerges in 30 minutes of work.
The fix
- Cut frequency by half until the unsubscribe rate drops under 0.3%
- Split the list into 'engaged in last 90 days' and 'older than 90 days'; send to the engaged segment first while you build a re-engagement series for the older one
- Run a 4-week ratio of 3 teach to 1 pitch
Where BayouEdge fits
We run the diagnostic on the first call, write the cadence + segmentation reset, and write the next four sends in the right teach/pitch ratio. Most Houston clients see unsubscribe rates back to healthy inside 60 days.
What to do next
Call James at 832-338-2926. The first call will tell you which of the three causes is yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is some unsubscribe rate normal?
- Yes — 0.1-0.2% per send is healthy. People change jobs, lose interest, declutter. Trying to drive unsubscribes to zero usually means you are not sending enough or not asking for action.
- Should I make unsubscribing harder?
- No, and it is illegal under CAN-SPAM. Make unsubscribing one click and easy. The pain of bad sender reputation if you do not is far worse than the unsubscribes.
- What is the right send frequency?
- For service businesses: every 2-4 weeks. For e-commerce: weekly is often fine if the content varies. Above weekly for service is almost always too much.
- Can I win back unsubscribed contacts?
- Mostly no. Once they unsubscribe, treat them as gone. Re-acquisition is the channel for those contacts — not email.