This post is heavily weighted toward empirical assessments and won’t be peddling you an academic approach or the answers to your next media campaign, ‘disclaimer’.

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I’m getting tired of email for some very basic reasons and while I know I can find an easy fix with tools like http://unroll.me/ I still wanted to check out the underbelly of email marketing to find out why it’s so messed up. 

Out of 80 brands and services I catalogued, ranging across fashion, lifestyle, FMCG and hospitality (yes I signed up to that much clutter) only 3 demonstrated what I would deem articulate marketing.

While email usage is on its descent (especially for the 16-24 demographic) it still accounts for a much higher CTR (click-through rate) and much higher conversion rate than glorified social media. With time that’s likely to change but for the purpose of immediacy and the purpose of sales, email should be getting greater attention.

Email isn’t particularly social, we’re not glazing over that wedding, seeing what sandwich somebody instagram’d or what airport somebody might or might not be flying from. We’re more acute to being chaperoned into clicking through and buying or booking something of sorts and the hard data supports that hypothesis.

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So here’s the deal, with the vast majority of emails you click a link to unsubscribe and boom, that’s it, no more emails and a company has instantly cut off a potential sale with zero effort to buffer the current subscribers decision.

Keep that thought because here is what http://www.secretescapes.com/ are up to when you wish to stop receiving their emails

Personality is just oozing from Secret Escapes’ pores here, combined with seamless functionality to simply slide to what you want and when you want it. They’ve even thrown in some fun images to hit their message home and slap you around the face! Brilliant.

Http://www.jetsetter.com/ aren’t too far behind their rival in Secret Escapes and have dished out their own, cosy unsubscribe feature that promises to deliver some serious agility as to what, where and when you get those travel inspirations for the weekend break you still can’t afford. They’ve opted for some slick, selection boxes but it does come across as slightly stale.

Arguably a daily, flash sales platform in travel requires some serious email features but at least they’ve still made the effort, something I can’t say for vast majority of brands and services.

Conversely, I would challenge their gross negligence in applying some nice, big imagery, it is travel, evoke some emotions, no?

Too right! This is something http://www.ahalife.com (niche lifestyle retail) has implemented and they’ve even gone as far as telling me when I should expect my next email from them, how polite.

Http://www.my-wardrobe.com the online UK fashion retailer has a rather awesome mash-up/mood board of sexy shoes and dresses as you unsubscribe but that’s it. It automatically cuts you off, even if you like what you see and need a rethink or alternative options, it’s too late, you’ve been cut. I will also add, as a keen, male shopper and with them surely knowing I’m a guy from my profile settings and purchase history, it may be more productive to use male garments and shoes for the backdrop, just a thought.

 So there you go, 3 articulate methods but could still be improved upon and 1 half way there, on a whole a glittering failure on the unsubscribe front! 

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 However, it should go even further and here is why. If I can request what day and roughly what time I receive my parcel via a courier from the other side of the world, I should be able to ideally select not only a day but preferably a time slot as to when I get my email messages.

So here’s the breakdown. 

·      Emails are not social, they’re personal and should chaperone

·      On unsubscribing build in beautiful, buffers

·      Emphasise aesthetics and evoke some emotion

·      Make sure to keep it clutter free and simple to navigate

·      Provide some options and be compromising

·      Be polite and offer some days and also times to email 

Because remember, your recipients don’t seek out your address, turn up unexpected, kick down your door and continue to sell you whatever they just so happen to have on them. Keep that in mind, as that is why we’re all unsubscribing.