EP 78: The unsubscribe paradox every marketer gets wrong

A 0.1% unsubscribe rate isn't the flex most marketers think it is.In this episode of Send It, Jimmy Kim and Chase Dimond take on one of the most misunderstood metrics in email marketing and make the case that obsessing over unsubscribes is quietly making your program worse. They walk through why playing it safe produces generic content, how a low unsubscribe rate can actually be a warning sign, and why the healthiest email programs are the ones willing to lose a few people every week. This one is a mindset reset for anyone who's ever flinched at an unsubscribe notification.EP 78: The unsubscribe paradox every marketer gets wrongHere's what they cover:- Why marketers are psychologically wired to fear unsubscribes- The difference between list size as a vanity metric & list quality as a revenue driver- What a healthy unsubscribe rate actually looks like in context- When unsubscribes are a signal you're doing something right- The three scenarios where an unsubscribe spike is a feature, not a bug- Four metrics that matter more than your unsubscribe rate- The benchmarks for when to celebrate, when to investigate, and when to panicThank you our friends at Omnisend, Inboox and eCom Email Certified for sponsoring the podcast!Omnisend is an all in one eCommerce email and SMS marketing automation platform that enables marketers to engage customers and drive sales through personalized experiences. https://www.omnisend.com/sendit/eCom Email Certified is a hands-on, results-driven program with a step-by-step guide to mastering retention marketing and driving serious results. Access over 25 hours of learnings and become a certified email & SMS marketer. Use code: SENDIT! for $300 OFF https://www.ecomemailcertified.com/Explore Inboox.ai, the AI-powered database of 1M+ real ecommerce emails with full HTML, performance data, and trend insights from the fastest-growing Shopify brands. https://inboox.ai/______00:00 Welcome to the show02:23 The unsubscribe paradox explained04:47 What a healthy unsubscribe rate looks like in 202608:32 The benchmarks for a healthy email program09:55 How fear of unsubscribes strips your brand of personality13:06 Scenario 1: taking a stance on something controversial14:19 Scenario 2: launching a new product or evolving your brand16:23 Scenario 3: intentionally cleansing your list with re-engagement18:57 The four metrics that matter more than your unsubscribe rate20:10 Why the best brands are willing to be polarizing21:39 The unsubscribe rate benchmark cheat sheet25:23 The hot take: unsubscribes are not the enemy, boring is25:48 Recap & final thoughts of the unsubscribe paradox______Enjoying the pod? Subscribe to The eCom Email Marketer Newsletter for your weekly dose of retention strategy, actionable insights, & exclusive industry news! http://ecomemailmarketer.com/______Follow Jimmy & Chase on social!Follow Jimmy Kim at: https://x.com/yojimmykimhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yojimmykim/https://www.instagram.com/yojimmykim/https://www.tiktok.com/@yojimmykim Follow Chase Dimond at: https://x.com/ecomchasedimondhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chasedimond/https://www.instagram.com/chasehunterdimond/https://www.tiktok.com/@chasehunterdimondContact us at [email protected] for sponsorships, appearance requests, interviews, or general information!