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Its the dreaded notification of another “unsubscribe”.

We question ourselves and wonder what we did wrong.

“Why are they leaving?” “Did I offend them?”

“Am I emailing too much?”

Don’t torture yourself.

Your unsubscribe rate is NOT the enemy.

Unsubscribes are actually a good thing.

In this issue, we're blowing the lid off one of the most sacred myths in email marketing—and showing you how to actually improve your results by flipping the script.

Let’s break it down…

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Stop Trying to Reduce Unsubscribes (Do This Instead)

Let me ask you a hard question…

What if the thing you’ve been taught to fear in email marketing… is actually the key to better performance?

For years, we’ve been told: “Keep your unsubscribe rate low. Protect your list. Guard your audience with your life.”

Sound familiar? And at face value it makes sense right?

But here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: Low unsubscribe rates can signal a weak email program. And chasing that vanity metric might be quietly suffocating your results.

Let me explain…

The Toxic Belief That’s Tanking Your Engagement

Most email marketers treat unsubscribes like a personal failure.
A blemish.
A problem that must be “fixed.”

So they:

• Send fewer emails (just to be safe)

• Tiptoe around bold messaging (to avoid friction)

• Bury the unsubscribe link in the fine print

• Try desperate “win-back” campaigns for dead weight subscribers

All in the name of retention.

But here’s what no one tells you: trying to keep everyone subscribed means keeping no one engaged.

What Unsubscribes Really Tell You (That Most Marketers Ignore)

Unsubscribes aren’t rejection.

They’re clarification.

They’re your audience filtering itself—telling you who’s not your ideal customer.

And that’s pure gold, because…

• Deadweight subscribers drag down your open rates

• They hurt your sender reputation

• They dilute your metrics and waste your money

• And worst of all… they erode your confidence

Let them go.

In fact, you should make it easy for them to leave.

Here’s why 👇

The Paradox of a Healthier List: Fewer People, More Results

One of our clients—a B2B software company—came to us clinging to a “big” list of 187,000 people.

They were obsessed with growth.

But their metrics told a different story:

• 11.8% open rate

• 0.8% click rate

• 0.05% conversion rate

• Spam complaints and inboxing issues

Once we flipped their mindset and implemented the Subscriber Quality Framework, things changed.

• The unsubscribe rate rose (to 0.7%)

• The list shrunk by 31%

• But open rates jumped to 28%

• Clicks soared to 3.2%

• And conversion rates? 8x higher

They traded volume for value—and won.

Here’s What The Best Email Marketers Do Differently

They don't optimize for list size.
They optimize for alignment.

They treat unsubscribes as feedback, not failure.
And they understand this key principle:

Which brings us to the system you should be using instead:

The Subscriber Quality Framework

Instead of fighting unsubscribes, use them. Shape your list around who’s actually engaging.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Measure Alignment, Not Just Volume
   Is your list made up of people who want what you sell—or just freebie chasers?

2. Segment by Engagement
   Create a “disengaged” segment for anyone who hasn’t opened or clicked in 90+ days.

3. Send a Re-permission Campaign
   Ask them directly: “Still want to hear from us?” Make it easy to opt out.

4. Make Your Unsubscribe Link Visible
   Sounds counterintuitive, but frictionless exits lower spam complaints and boost trust.

5. Clean House—Regularly
   Remove subscribers who haven’t engaged in 3+ months (after a re-engagement effort).

This keeps your audience lean, responsive, and highly profitable.

Here’s What To Do This Week

You don’t need a full overhaul to start improving your list quality.

Here are 3 quick wins you can implement today:

✅ Move your unsubscribe link up—mid-email, not just the footer.
✅ Calculate your active engagement rate (opens + clicks from last 90 days ÷ total list).
✅ Tag your silent subscribers—and plan a re-permission email within 7 days.

Remember: if they’re not engaging, they’re not helping.

What Most Email Platforms Won’t Tell You

Your email tool doesn’t care about quality.
It gets paid based on quantity.

Which means: bloated lists are profitable for them—even if they’re deadly for you.

But for your business?
The most valuable audience you’ll ever build is one that chooses to stay.

Letting the wrong people unsubscribe isn’t a failure.
It’s the beginning of your real list.

Cheers
The InBoXer Team