A Quarter of Global Consumers Unsubscribe from Emails Weekly – How SMBs Can Boost Email Marketing Strategies

Capterra’s research identifies actionable steps for small and midsize businesses to address current email marketing trends

A Quarter of Global Consumers Unsubscribe from Emails Weekly – How SMBs Can Boost Email Marketing Strategies

Cindy Lien
PR@capterra.com

While email has been a mainstay of marketing toolkits for more than a quarter of a century, it continues to evolve based on consumer behavior. Research by Capterra has identified the top three email marketing trends, as well as actionable strategies that email marketers at small and midsize businesses (SMBs) can take to address these developments.

“In the world of email marketing, more is not necessarily better,” says David Jani, analyst at Capterra. “Amid the overwhelming volume of content online and tighter regulations for deceptive advertising, it’s critical for SMBs to take a fresh look at their email marketing strategy to ensure their value proposition is front and center.”

Capterra’s report identifies the current top three email marketing trends:

Trend #1: Consumers are quick to unsubscribe from emails that don’t serve them.

One of the most difficult aspects about email marketing is getting customers to subscribe—but keeping them is even harder. Capterra’s 2024 Advertising Preferences Survey found that one quarter (25%) of global consumers unsubscribe from digital marketing communications at least once a week. This is most often because they don’t see value in the content or they receive too many communications.

Recognizing that customers can opt out of receiving emails just as easily as they start is a compelling reason to take steps to stand out in this crowded marketing channel.

A recommended strategy to reduce email unsubscribe rates is personalizing campaigns to ensure they’re relevant to the audience. SMBs should consider segmenting their email database and tailoring content to specific subsets. As their email subscriber base grows, businesses should also regularly audit their email database to ensure they’re reaching the right customers for the right reasons.

Additionally, an email marketing campaign should focus on providing value to the customer. It’s easy for brands to overestimate how invested their customers are in their company and see their email communications as an opportunity to talk about themselves. However, a strong email strategy puts the customer at the center, addressing their needs and pain points.

A key component of any email marketing strategy is defining and tracking key metrics such as open rates, click-throughs, and sales. By understanding what success looks like, SMBs will have a clearer picture of how and what they want to communicate to customers, and improvements they should make to future campaigns.

Trend #2: Brands are not providing clear enough reasons to sign up for emails.

Because email is such a valuable marketing channel, it’s ubiquitous among online SMBs. Simply sending regular emails is not a unique proposition. Customers know this, and they expect real value from the email content they receive.

However, according to a Gartner survey, only 58% of brands explicitly describe the benefits of subscribing to their emails at sign-up, and just 24% provide promotional incentives for signing up.

Suggested ways to boost sign-ups to a company’s email database include providing discounts to customers who sign up, sharing exclusive offers or valued information only available to subscribers, and seeking referrals from existing recipients by incentivizing them to sign up a friend.

Trend #3: Ethical email marketing practices are increasingly important for gaining consumer trust.

Some marketers feel inclined to use sensational headlines to attract the attention of customers already inundated with online content. However, brands that resort to clickbait risk losing their customers and may be subject to fines or legal action. Capterra’s 2024 Advertising Preferences Survey found that 34% of consumers would report a company that uses a misleading subject line in email marketing.

Making misleading claims or ignoring customer privacy preferences may temporarily inflate open rates and subscriber numbers, but rarely pays off in the long run. In fact, Capterra’s survey reveals that 33% of consumers globally say they have previously stopped doing business with companies that use deceptive marketing tactics. Businesses can only achieve long-term gains in email marketing performance if their customers trust the brand.

SMBs must remain agile to evolving consumer trends to improve email marketing performance.

The global market for email marketing is projected to expand from $11.5 billion in 2023 to over $46 billion by 2033, making it imperative that email marketers differentiate their company from the competition and break away from the clutter in the colossal playing field. Understanding consumer trends and taking the recommended steps to address them will help SMB email marketers meet and exceed customer expectations.

For additional insights, expert analyses, and recommendations for email marketing software and service providers, visit Capterra.com. Capterra is a free platform that enables businesses to view verified software user reviews, see industry expert recommendations, compare features, and get pricing information.

About Capterra

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