While unsubscribes are an inevitable part of the subscriber lifecycle, spam complaints aren’t.

Better to unsubscribe than complain: As hard as it is to see subscribers go, it is infinitely better that they do so by unsubscribing than by hitting the spam complaint button. Spam complaints jeopardize delivery not only of the current campaign, but may affect future campaigns as well.

Spam complaints can result from usability issues with your unsubscribe process that make it too hard or time-consuming to unsubscribe. They also happen if recipients don’t remember signing up in the first place and distrust that you’ll honor their unsubscribe request.

The cost of spam complaints on your email marketing program may make certain kinds of campaigns unprofitable in the long run.

The takeaway: make your unsubscribe process obvious, transparent and -- above all -- easy.

Next: Conclusion