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Email marketers have to accept a certain amount of expected email list depreciation every year, but when that list dwindles down more and more due to unsubscribes, it's time to press 'pause.'

Unsubscribes are, in very technical terms, a huge bummer. Sure, a certain amount of self-scrubbing is good for every email list, but you can't help but wonder if there's something you could have done differently to save some of those subscribers.

Well, it turns out there might be some things you can do to reduce the amount of email unsubscribes you experience. If your email marketing strategy doesn't include some of these measures, consider implementing them now and, tracking the effect they have on your unsubscribe rates. We bet including just a few (or even better, all) of these into your email marketing strategy will result in a significantly diminished unsubscribe rate.

9 Ways to Reduce Email Unsubscribes

1.) Better segment your list. Email segmentation is important because it allows you to deliver only the most relevant, customized content to your subscribers. The more specific your segments get, the better able you are to deliver content that speaks directly to their interests, making you a fixture in their inbox they don't want to get rid of.

(Tip: If you've implemented a lead nurturing program, you can continue to collect information about your subscribers based on their on- and off-site behaviors that will allow you to learn more and more about them, and then deliver more personalized emails that align with their stage in the buying cycle.)

2.) Map your content. Now that you know so much about your subscribers from your lead nurturing, you can manually map your content assets to their behaviors. One way to do so is to create a Google Doc or use an Excel spreadsheet that allows you to organize which content will be sent to which segments of your audience, and at what point. Mapping relevant content to your list segments gives your subscribers the proper email content for their stage in the buying cycle, and ensures everything you send them is as relevant as possible, decreasing your instances of unsubscribes due to irrelevant content. For example, an email subscriber that is in the evaluation stage of the buying cycle would benefit from a case study focused on their industry, or a use case of your product that fixes a problem on which they've fixated. Plus, content mapping lets you identify and fill in holes in your content strategy as you notice shortages in assets mapped to certain segments or stages in the buying cycle.

3.) Offer customized email frequency. Just as you should let your subscribers select the types of emails they receive, you should also let them adjust the frequency with which you can communicate. Let email recipients tell you the right frequency for them -- whether it's multiple times daily or just once a month -- so you don't end up bombarding their inbox or leaving it too scarce for their tastes. This option should be included not only in their editable email preferences at the bottom of every email, but also on the page to which your unsubscribe link navigates as a final effort to save your subscriber. You can send these emails to your inactive subscribers, too, and ask them to identify their ideal sending frequency and email type to reengage them and prevent what is often a looming unsubscribe.

4.) Perform email frequency testing. Not all of your subscribers will tell you how often they like to be emailed by your company, so be proactive and perform email frequency tests to determine the optimal frequency with which to send email communications. If you haven't performed an email sending frequency test, reference this guide to get your first experiment up and running. And remember, each segment of your list will have a different frequency that's right for them.

5.) Offer a different communication method. If an email recipient is ready to unsubscribe, they might love your content but suffer from inbox overload. Give them other options for communication, like SMS, RSS, your social media networks, your company blog, and all the other places you let your audience know about important company developments.

6.) Have a regular email sending schedule. To manage expectations in the long term, you need to set expectations up front. RueLaLa does an excellent job with this; they send their email communications every day at 11:00 EST, on the dot. When your subscribers understand when they will be getting emails from you, there's less of a chance your email will surprise them when they're busy, cranky, overwhelmed, or another negative emotion that drives hasty and vengeful unsubscribes. Set their expectations from the first time they opt in to your emails about when they'll receive emails from you, and do your best to live up to that promise.

7.) Leverage exclusivity. Speaking of RueLaLa, it's not just their impeccable timing that keeps me from unsubscribing from their emails. It's the fact that their offers are exclusive, and if I unsubscribe, I cut off access to offers I may want to take advantage of (not to mention feeling a little less VIP). I haven't purchased from them in a few months, but I won't unsubscribe because I will probably redeem one of their exclusive offers in the future. In the meantime, I welcome their marketing in my inbox.

8.) Make sure your emails don't load slowly. Checking how your emails load in different email clients and on mobile devices should be a regular part of your email marketing routine, because it plays a huge role in the success of your email campaigns. Don't include images that are too big to load quickly, design elements that don't render well on mobile devices, and any other elements that make reading your email a bad experience.

9.) Take the feedback. Despite all of this hard work, some people will still unsubscribe from your emails. Take that opportunity to solicit feedback from them, and then...listen to it, and act on it. You may notice trends on your own, like people unsubscribing more frequently from offer emails versus blog emails. Maybe your blog content is great, but your promotions aren't enticing enough to get people to act. Soliciting feedback from unsubscribes won't help you save that email recipient, but it will help you prevent future subscribers from leaving.

Are your email unsubscribe rates concerning? What have you done to help decrease the rate of email unsubscribes?

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There are a number of ways using Google+ for marketing can have a beneficial impact on your business' search engine optimization efforts. Because Google is so eager to provide plenty of incentives for people to actively use the network, it has tied the platform very closely to all of its Google Search features as well. As a result, there are many ways that using Google+ can help boost your regular performance in Google's organic search results as well as help you generate more traffic from people doing searches on the topics you already rank for.

In fact, because of the strong connection between Google+ and Google Search, businesses can't afford not to create and maintain a Google+ page. Because Google is launching new integrations between Google+ and Google Search on a regular basis, your business' search presence will only suffer without an active Google+ page. Here are 5 ways you can use Google+ to help you enhance your business' SEO.

Add the +1 Button to Your Website

The first major SEO benefit of Google+ is in regard to +1 usage/shares and their influence on search rankings. Just like other types of social media sharing, the number of +1s a particular page receives is a factor in how well it will rank in search for different phrases. This directly affects search rankings, and the number of +1s a page has received is also displayed on results pages, especially if those votes came from people who are in your Circles on Google+. This is just another way maintaining an active profile on Google+ is directly influential to your success elsewhere, because your actions on Google+ will have influence on the rest of your profile and activity. That is the main takeaway from Google’s efforts: you will directly benefit by adopting and using more of the Google+ platform and integrating it with your website and marketing efforts.

Marketing Takeaway: Add the Google +1 button to your website and blog so that people can easily share your blog posts and landing pages with their friends, and help your pages rank better at the same time. You'll also benefit from increased traffic, as our research shows that websites using the +1 button generate 3.5x the Google+ visits than sites without the button.

Get Your Google+ Status Updates to Appear in Search Results

In late December, Google began including specific status updates from Google+ in Google Search results, when they were relevant. This works for both personal profiles and brand pages, making it a very useful addition. While profiles could already appear in search results, the update allowed for specific status updates to appear as well.

Marketing Takeaway: The key lesson here is to think about which keyword phrases you want your status updates to rank for, and make sure you optimize your status updates with those keywords. If you're posting about something interesting and insightful (and why wouldn't you be?), make sure you spend the few moments it takes to be thoughtful about your keyword usage. It will provide more opportunities to get found, and it's yet another chance for your great content from social media to shine.

Leverage the Google+ Author Tag

One of the most visible changes to Google’s search results pages with the launch of Google+ has been the addition of author names, images, and information throughout results pages for editorial content. Google executed a clever strike here by creating a feature that bloggers would be excited to implement. It was an unusually creative move by Google, because to leverage the feature, blog authors must include a link in their post back to their Google+ profile in order to establish authorship. This serves as both an inbound link into the author's Google+ profile page (which is obviously beneficial to Google+’s number and quality of inbound links), and it also ensures that every author who is active and excited about their blog signs up for Google+ and uses the service. 

Marketing Takeaway: The appearance of profile information is great for helping your content stand out in search results. If you’re competing for a popular keyword, adding this kind of color and different appearance to your search result can really help you stand out in a crowd of results. By improving your click-through rate from that results page, you will have the opportunity to get more visitors to your site without necessarily impacting your rank. As long as you rank highly enough that people will have the chance to see you in the results (say, position 5 or better), this will have a great impact on how many clicks you earn from searchers. To start using Google+'s Author Tag for enhanced listings in search, click here and follow Google's instructions.

Take Advantage of Personalized Search

The most recent feature addition to Google+ is 'Search plus Your World,' a new version of Google that mixes personal results from your Google+ network in with your regular search results. This mode of Google will search your social network for results, even including results that only you can see for privacy reasons. In other words, Google's search now includes both regular results and very personal updates from social media. You'll be able to see when you are receiving personal results because they are called out in a special way and always placed at the very top of a search results page. 

Be aware that what you share on Google+ can have an increased reach because of this update. It makes Google+ a great place for sharing content and having discussions, because now that content is easy to find (as opposed to networks like Facebook and Twitter, which currently lack personalized search).

Marketing Takeaway: Because it is connected to the world's most popular search engine, content shared on Google+ now has the potential for a much longer lifespan than content shared on other networks. Think about your keyword strategy and how to best exercise it on your Google+ page. Results from a searcher's Google+ network will also rise to the top of Google search results when they use Search plus Your World. And if your company has built up a large following on Google+, content you've shared with your followers will also show up in those followers' relevant Google.com searches, keeping your business top of mind and increasing its visibility among existing followers across multiple channels.

Get Your Pages and Profiles Found in Search Results 

With the 'Search plus Your World' update, another powerful influence for brands that comes only with Google+ adoption is placement in the top-right corner of Google search results for people and pages who are closely associated with a particular topic or brand. If your Google+ business page is relevant to a particular keyword search, Google will show your page in the results for those searches. Furthermore, if you tie your Google+ personal profile to your brand’s domains (for example, by putting your work email address into your Google+ profile), Google can serve your profile in response to people who are learning more about your brand.

Marketing Takeaway: To make sure your business page shows up for searches on keywords for which you want to rank, maintain a regularly updated Google+ business page and optimize your updates with those keywords. For example, if a searcher searches for 'marketing software' on Google.com, HubSpot's Google+ page might show up in the top-right results box, providing us with more SEO real estate.

To make sure that your profile is able to show up in that top-right box for branded searches, make sure that you’ve added your work email address to your Google+ profile and confirmed the address works, and list your occupation and position in your profile. Remember that Google wants to serve the best possible results, so it’ll only show your profile if it thinks it would actually be helpful for a searcher. If you’re not regularly posting about your brand or really using Google+ often, Google is less likely to show you in the result. Encourage your business' employees to include your business' information and content in their Google+ profile so your business can get even more exposure in search results.

What other benefits have you noticed from using Google+ to enhance your business' SEO?

Image Credit: Widjaya Ivan

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Shared by Tim
Great advice for prosocial

When someone talks about achieving online authority, what do they mean? And why are so many marketers and business owners fighting to be the online authority in their industry?

Being an online authority essentially means you're not only a thought leader on a specific topic, but that you've also taken the time to translate that knowledge in a meaningful way online. And if you're a business owner, you've gone about it in such a way that search engines see it, your prospects and customers recognize it, and as a result, it helps you generate customers and revenue.

It makes sense: People do business with the people they trust. And putting yourself out there, giving your brand a personality, and taking the time to present research, updates, and opinions that help your prospects and customers is how trust is earned. People used to do it in person; they still do, but now their reach can be extended by thousands and even millions by doing it online, too.

As it turns out, one of the easiest methods of doing all this is through content creation. It's how people and search engines find you and determine your relevance; over time, the cream rises to the top. If you're trying to build your online authority -- like most smart marketers are -- these are the ways you can use content to get the job done.

1.) Write and Optimize for Informational Keywords

A great way to gain authority status is teaching someone how to do something. And when your advice works, you'll find you start getting repeat visitors, too. If you're optimizing for long-tail, informational keyword phrases like, "How to train a unicorn," you can also gain prominent placement in search engines to help solidify your authoritative status.

2.) Create Niche Content

Unless you have a huge content creation staff with a wide array of subject matter expertise, focus your content creation efforts on a few topics about which you're very knowledgeable. It's better to do a deep dive into a small handful of topics than speak generically about everything under the sun. Your audience may be smaller, but they'll reap far more benefits (and thus, so will you) from your content if you take this route. Once you have built a good foundation with your content, you can extend the subjects you cover as your audience grows.

3.) Write About Timely Industry Updates

An authority stays up to date on what's happening in their industry and is someone to whom people can turn to learn the newest information. Think of yourself as a journalist; listen to primary sources, research the important changes taking place in your industry, and tell your audience what news and changes mean for them. By filtering out the junk and reporting on the news that matters for your audience, you become the trusted source to which your audience flocks when they need to learn about critical information. And don't forget, search engines favor the online content creators who report on timely information first.

4.) Use Palatable Language

The smartest content creators don't care about sounding smart. It's all about clarity. Sometimes people think authority is gained by using confusing language, but often, it just comes off as business babble or, even worse, just makes no sense. Remember that authorities are resources, and your usefulness will be short-lived if readers don't understand you.

5.) Publish Case Studies

Let your customers do some of the work for you. Publish case studies that explain how your company helped solve a specific problem. Use data, stories, and show concrete results that speak to the problems your audience faces.

6.) Host Webinars

Put a real, live voice behind your content by hosting a webinar. Not everyone consumes content in the same way, so for those who prefer audio learning, it's a great way to present your expertise (and get leads!). If you're not comfortable with live presentations, consider hosting a Twitter Chat instead. They let you have real-time conversations with your audience in a new format, but behind the safety of your computer screen.

7.) Write Long-Form Content

Give your audience the opportunity to read more advanced content like whitepapers, ebooks, how-to guides, and use cases. These all lend themselves to more in-depth analyses than something like a blog post or a social media update. And more in-depth analysis gives you a greater opportunity to establish your thought leadership position. Plus, this type of downloadable content not only helps you generate more leads, but it is also a content format that is easily shareable on social networks, helping you extend your reach.

8.) Contribute as a Guest Blogger

Being a guest contributor to other blogs presents many opportunities for solidifying your status as an online authority. You expand your reach. You align yourself with other influential industry thought leaders. You expose yourself to a new audience that may not know about you. And you have the ability to generate inbound links to your site, giving your site more online authority, too. Plus, as a content creator, you know how great it is to have a little relief once in a while from other thoughtful writers out there!

9.) Generate Inbound Links

Speaking of inbound links, they're a crucial part to establishing the online authority of your site. Like, a huge part. The more inbound links you have to your website from other authoritative sites, the more search engines consider you an authority, too. It makes sense: if other great content creators think you're writing content that's so awesome they just have to link to it, search engines are going to consider your content some of the best to deliver to the SERPs.

10.) Stay Active in Social Media

People are alerted to your content in many ways; some visit your website, some subscribe to email updates and RSS feeds, some are in your lead nurturing campaigns, and some find you in social media. It's crucial you stay active in social media, engage in discussions around important topics in your industry, and share the content you create on the social media networks your audience frequents.

11.) Be a Credible Resource

You may be a marketer by trade, but never stop thinking of yourself as a journalist. When you're researching content, filter out the junk your audience doesn't need to know or doesn't care about. And don't make back alley deals with other brands to promote products and services that aren't helpful. Just remain focused on providing the best information you can for your audience, and keeping your business on the up and up.

How do you use your content to build your online authority?

Image credit: Search Engine People Blog

Connect with HubSpot:

Shared by Tim
Great advice for prosocial

When someone talks about achieving online authority, what do they mean? And why are so many marketers and business owners fighting to be the online authority in their industry?

Being an online authority essentially means you're not only a thought leader on a specific topic, but that you've also taken the time to translate that knowledge in a meaningful way online. And if you're a business owner, you've gone about it in such a way that search engines see it, your prospects and customers recognize it, and as a result, it helps you generate customers and revenue.

It makes sense: People do business with the people they trust. And putting yourself out there, giving your brand a personality, and taking the time to present research, updates, and opinions that help your prospects and customers is how trust is earned. People used to do it in person; they still do, but now their reach can be extended by thousands and even millions by doing it online, too.

As it turns out, one of the easiest methods of doing all this is through content creation. It's how people and search engines find you and determine your relevance; over time, the cream rises to the top. If you're trying to build your online authority -- like most smart marketers are -- these are the ways you can use content to get the job done.

1.) Write and Optimize for Informational Keywords

A great way to gain authority status is teaching someone how to do something. And when your advice works, you'll find you start getting repeat visitors, too. If you're optimizing for long-tail, informational keyword phrases like, "How to train a unicorn," you can also gain prominent placement in search engines to help solidify your authoritative status.

2.) Create Niche Content

Unless you have a huge content creation staff with a wide array of subject matter expertise, focus your content creation efforts on a few topics about which you're very knowledgeable. It's better to do a deep dive into a small handful of topics than speak generically about everything under the sun. Your audience may be smaller, but they'll reap far more benefits (and thus, so will you) from your content if you take this route. Once you have built a good foundation with your content, you can extend the subjects you cover as your audience grows.

3.) Write About Timely Industry Updates

An authority stays up to date on what's happening in their industry and is someone to whom people can turn to learn the newest information. Think of yourself as a journalist; listen to primary sources, research the important changes taking place in your industry, and tell your audience what news and changes mean for them. By filtering out the junk and reporting on the news that matters for your audience, you become the trusted source to which your audience flocks when they need to learn about critical information. And don't forget, search engines favor the online content creators who report on timely information first.

4.) Use Palatable Language

The smartest content creators don't care about sounding smart. It's all about clarity. Sometimes people think authority is gained by using confusing language, but often, it just comes off as business babble or, even worse, just makes no sense. Remember that authorities are resources, and your usefulness will be short-lived if readers don't understand you.

5.) Publish Case Studies

Let your customers do some of the work for you. Publish case studies that explain how your company helped solve a specific problem. Use data, stories, and show concrete results that speak to the problems your audience faces.

6.) Host Webinars

Put a real, live voice behind your content by hosting a webinar. Not everyone consumes content in the same way, so for those who prefer audio learning, it's a great way to present your expertise (and get leads!). If you're not comfortable with live presentations, consider hosting a Twitter Chat instead. They let you have real-time conversations with your audience in a new format, but behind the safety of your computer screen.

7.) Write Long-Form Content

Give your audience the opportunity to read more advanced content like whitepapers, ebooks, how-to guides, and use cases. These all lend themselves to more in-depth analyses than something like a blog post or a social media update. And more in-depth analysis gives you a greater opportunity to establish your thought leadership position. Plus, this type of downloadable content not only helps you generate more leads, but it is also a content format that is easily shareable on social networks, helping you extend your reach.

8.) Contribute as a Guest Blogger

Being a guest contributor to other blogs presents many opportunities for solidifying your status as an online authority. You expand your reach. You align yourself with other influential industry thought leaders. You expose yourself to a new audience that may not know about you. And you have the ability to generate inbound links to your site, giving your site more online authority, too. Plus, as a content creator, you know how great it is to have a little relief once in a while from other thoughtful writers out there!

9.) Generate Inbound Links

Speaking of inbound links, they're a crucial part to establishing the online authority of your site. Like, a huge part. The more inbound links you have to your website from other authoritative sites, the more search engines consider you an authority, too. It makes sense: if other great content creators think you're writing content that's so awesome they just have to link to it, search engines are going to consider your content some of the best to deliver to the SERPs.

10.) Stay Active in Social Media

People are alerted to your content in many ways; some visit your website, some subscribe to email updates and RSS feeds, some are in your lead nurturing campaigns, and some find you in social media. It's crucial you stay active in social media, engage in discussions around important topics in your industry, and share the content you create on the social media networks your audience frequents.

11.) Be a Credible Resource

You may be a marketer by trade, but never stop thinking of yourself as a journalist. When you're researching content, filter out the junk your audience doesn't need to know or doesn't care about. And don't make back alley deals with other brands to promote products and services that aren't helpful. Just remain focused on providing the best information you can for your audience, and keeping your business on the up and up.

How do you use your content to build your online authority?

Image credit: Search Engine People Blog

Connect with HubSpot: