Today I unsubscribed from over 50 e-mail subscriptions that have been cluttering my inbox for months (years maybe). My Iphone is 2 ounces lighter.
None of them will be missed. All of these companies had a real opportunity...and each one of them blew it. They've had a powerfully direct and instant access of communication to me for years. And how have they leveraged this intimate channel? With irritatingly constant reminders of trivial discounts, promotions, and other "important" updates.
No mas!
I'm taking a stand and I hope you will too. I've allowed these emails to continue to intrude my inbox for this long because of the simple hassle of clicking through to unsubscribe. But we vote with our actions. And in the eyes of the average mass marketer not opting-out is interpreted as an emphatic vote of "YES".
So I encourage you to go through your inbox and unsubcribe from e-mail subscriptions that aren't useful to you, that don't add value, that you won't miss when they're gone (I think you'll be shocked at how many that amounts to). Send a message to all marketers that your trust and attention is too valuable to be treated so casually.
And even if you're not interested in taking a stand, the reduced stress, frustration, and digital overwhelm of a less cluttered inbox is more than enough reason to do it.
I really mean it. In fact, many of you are subscribed to this blog, and I hope you find it valuable. If you don't, I encourage you to unsubscribe too. This is a privilege...and we don't take it lightly.
I just did it and feel much better!! : )
Posted by: Ben Komanapalli | 10/26/2010 at 11:55 AM
Timely!! I've been unsubscribing from emails for two weeks. Three of the offenders KEPT sending me email so I just hit the "spam alert" button on gmail. Don't know if it will help, but I'm happy to get rid of the excess too! NOT one has sent me anything but "BUY BUY BUY!!" All about them, nothing about me.
Posted by: Becky Blanton | 10/26/2010 at 06:44 PM
I did my massive pruning about a year ago.
You'll note that y'all survived the carnage. Thanks for being worth reading.
Posted by: Joel D Canfield | 10/26/2010 at 06:56 PM
I did that some time ago and continue to do so as needed. What I keep I know is something useful to me, my business or others.
Posted by: Sue L Canfield | 10/26/2010 at 06:58 PM
Thanks, Joel.
Posted by: Al Pittampalli | 10/26/2010 at 07:44 PM
Just did this myself. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by: Jeff Goins | 10/27/2010 at 10:26 AM
*People enjoy the characters are not happy.
Posted by: Air Jordans | 12/20/2010 at 12:11 AM
Good post. Very impressive. Thanks for sharing. I agree with you..
Posted by: tablet on sale | 07/20/2011 at 01:14 AM