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- Email Unsubscribe Rate: 2025 Benchmarks & How to Reduce It
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When that unsubscribe notification hits your inbox, it stings. As a Business Development Representative (BDR) or Account Executive (AE), every email you send is a potential step toward a qualified lead or closed deal. But when prospects hit that “unsubscribe” button, it’s more than just a lost contact—it’s a signal that your outreach needs work.
Let’s dive deep into email unsubscribe rates and how you can master them to build a stronger sales pipeline.
What Is an Email Unsubscribe Rate?
An email unsubscribe rate is the percentage of recipients who choose to opt out of your email list after receiving a campaign. It’s calculated by dividing the number of unsubscribes by the total number of emails successfully delivered, then multiplying by 100.
The unsubscribe rate serves as a direct indicator of how well your emails resonate with your audience. A high unsubscribe rate can signal that recipients are perceiving your emails as irrelevant or even as spam.
For BDRs and AEs, this metric is particularly crucial because it directly impacts your ability to reach prospects and maintain a healthy sender reputation. Each unsubscribe reduces potential audience reach and impacts return on investment (ROI).
How to Calculate Unsubscribe Rate
The formula for calculating your email unsubscribe rate is straightforward:
Email Unsubscribe Rate = (Number of Unsubscribes / Total Emails Delivered) × 100
Here’s an example: If you send 1,000 emails and 50 are successfully delivered, but 5 recipients unsubscribe, your calculation would be:
(5 ÷ 50) × 100 = 0.5% unsubscribe rate
Important note: Always use “emails delivered” rather than “emails sent” in your calculation. If bounced emails—those that were never successfully delivered—are included in the denominator, the calculated unsubscribe rate would appear artificially lower, obscuring the true engagement level of the reachable audience.
💡 Pro Tip from Salesso:
Track your unsubscribe rates alongside bounce rates using our email verification features. Clean lists = better metrics!
What Is a Good Unsubscribe Rate?
Understanding what constitutes a “good” unsubscribe rate depends heavily on your email type and industry. The benchmark unsubscribe rate across all campaigns was 0.08%. This is good news for email marketers since it shows that only a tiny percentage of people unsubscribe when you send an email.
General Email Marketing Benchmarks
For traditional email marketing campaigns, the averages are very low:
- MailerLite 2025 data: 0.08% overall average
- Brevo 2025 data: 0.15% overall average
- Industry consensus: Unsubscribe rates up to 1% are within acceptable bounds
Cold Email Benchmarks (Critical for BDRs & AEs)
Cold email naturally has higher unsubscribe rates because recipients haven’t explicitly opted in. The average unsubscribe rate for cold sales emails is 2.17%. For cold email outreach:
- Ideal target: Below 2%
- Acceptable range: 1-3%
- Red flag: Above 5%
Industry-Specific Benchmarks
The industry with the highest unsubscribe rate was authors, at 0.21%. Photo and video (0.20%) and home and garden (0.19%) were second and third highest.
Here are key industry benchmarks:
- Technology: 0.1-0.3%
- Business & Finance: 0.03-0.17%
- Healthcare: 0.3%
- E-commerce: 0.27% typical average
An unsubscribe rate below 0.5% is considered good, with anything under 0.2% deemed excellent.
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Reasons for a High Unsubscribe Rate
Understanding why prospects unsubscribe is crucial for improving your email performance. According to a survey conducted by Mailjet, a whopping 53.8% of respondents said they unsubscribe from emails because the content isn’t relevant to them.
Top Reasons People Unsubscribe
- Email Frequency Fatigue 69% of consumers unsubscribe because they receive too many emails from a sender. This is especially critical for BDRs who might feel pressure to “stay top of mind” but end up overwhelming prospects.
- Irrelevant Content 56% unsubscribe because emails are no longer relevant, and 51% do so because the content did not meet their expectations. Generic messages that don’t address specific pain points are instant unsubscribe triggers.
- Overly Promotional Content When every email feels like a hard sell, prospects quickly lose interest. BDRs and AEs need to balance value-driven content with sales messaging.
- Poor Sender Reputation Poor list quality directly leads to high bounce rates, which in turn severely damages sender reputation. When your emails land in spam folders, even interested prospects might unsubscribe out of frustration.
- Mobile Optimization Issues A significant portion of email opens—between 46% and 50%—occur on mobile devices, and approximately 50% of people will delete an email if it is not optimized for mobile viewing.
- Forgetting the Connection This is particularly relevant for cold outreach. If recipients don’t remember how you got their email address, they’re more likely to unsubscribe immediately.
How to Reduce Unsubscribe Rate
The good news? You can significantly reduce your unsubscribe rate with strategic improvements. Here are proven tactics that work for sales professionals:
Hyper-Personalization Beyond First Names
Moving beyond basic personalization is crucial. Advanced personalization, which involves incorporating unique insights relevant to that specific prospect, can double reply rates.
Best practices:
- Research prospects using tools like ZoomInfo or LinkedIn
- Reference specific company news or industry challenges
- Mention mutual connections or shared interests
- Use trigger events (funding, job changes, company expansions)
Deliver Value, Not Just Pitches
The focus of email content should be on educating, informing, or solving a problem for the reader, rather than aggressive selling.
Value-driven content ideas:
- Industry insights and trends
- Helpful resources and tools
- Case studies relevant to their business
- Actionable tips they can implement immediately
Optimize Email Frequency and Timing
A sequence of 4-7 follow-up emails can triple reply rates compared to just 1-3 emails in cold outreach. However, these should be spaced out appropriately.
Smart frequency strategies:
- Space follow-ups 3-7 days apart
- Limit to 6-8 touches maximum
- Use different angles in each email
- Monday and Tuesday have the highest open and click-through rates
Maintain List Hygiene
Email lists decay, with an estimated 20% of emails expiring annually. Therefore, cleaning should occur at least once a year, and more frequently (every 3-6 months) for active cold outreach lists.
List maintenance checklist:
- Remove hard bounces immediately
- Verify email addresses regularly
- Segment based on engagement levels
- Remove consistently unengaged contacts
🔧 Salesso Power Feature:
Our advanced email verification ensures 99.8% accuracy, dramatically reducing bounce rates and protecting your sender reputation. Plus, our domain warm-up service helps you avoid spam folders!
Use Double Opt-In When Possible
For new sign-ups, double opt-in ensures that only genuinely interested prospects are added to the list, significantly reducing spam complaints and bounce rates.
A/B Test Everything
Continuously test different elements:
- Subject lines (length, personalization, emojis)
- Send times and days
- Email content and structure
- Call-to-action placement
Build Sender Reputation Gradually
Gradually increasing email sending volume from a new domain or IP address is essential for building a positive reputation with Email Service Providers (ESPs).
Domain warm-up best practices:
- Start with small volumes (50-100 emails/day)
- Gradually increase over 2-4 weeks
- Maintain consistent sending patterns
- Monitor deliverability metrics closely
The Bigger Picture: Why Unsubscribe Rates Matter for Your Pipeline
Reducing unsubscribe rates isn’t just about improving one metric—it creates a positive domino effect throughout your entire sales process.
Improved Email Deliverability
When fewer individuals unsubscribe, it indicates that the remaining audience finds the content more relevant. This positive engagement signals to ESPs that emails are valuable, thereby improving sender reputation and leading to better inbox placement.
Higher Response Rates
Engaged subscribers are significantly more likely to respond. When emails are personalized, valuable, and consistently land in the inbox, a direct increase in positive replies and qualified conversations can be observed.
Better ROI
Email marketing consistently demonstrates a strong ROI, with studies indicating returns as high as $42 for every $1 spent. For BDRs and AEs, this means more qualified leads at a lower cost per acquisition.
Predictable Pipeline
A clean, engaged email list ensures more predictable lead flow. This alignment and effective lead qualification contribute to shorter sales cycles, higher conversion rates, and a more predictable revenue stream.
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Key Takeaways for BDRs and AEs
- Cold email unsubscribe rates are naturally higher than traditional email marketing (1-3% vs. 0.1-0.5%)
- Focus on value over volume – 53.8% of people unsubscribe because content isn’t relevant
- Personalization is non-negotiable – Advanced personalization can double reply rates
- List hygiene directly impacts deliverability – 20% of emails expire annually
- Frequency matters – 69% unsubscribe due to too many emails
- Mobile optimization is crucial – 50% of opens happen on mobile devices
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How often should I clean my email list?
Q: Do unsubscribe links hurt deliverability?
Q: How do I reduce unsubscribes without reducing email frequency?
Reduce Unsubscribes With Quality Email Lists
Start with verified, targeted prospects who want to hear from you instead of random contacts