This is a great post - and its a brilliant article too. It clarifies some doubts which I used to have (until I joined aweber), and which many of my subscribers still have: List Quality is partially about *getting* unsubscribes:

Its very easy for people to signup to your list, and it needs to be *as* easy for them to unsubscribe. I used to think I was doing something wrong if I got unsubscribes. But what your post reinforces, is that its OK to get unsubscribes as long as your newsletter remains consistent to the theme you set out with, or alluded to, with the squeeze/signup page.

People will only unsubscribe if you’re not providing what they want, and if they don’t want what you’ve got, then you don’t want them on your list anyway (because they’re never going to convert to a sale).

What I’ve learned is that a list is only as good as its conversion rates. If you go into a JV with someone, and tell them you’ve got a list of 10,000, and yet you only give them 100 signups (0.1%), and 10 sales (0.01%), then they’re alot less likely to work with you again (or return the favor), than if you have a *quality* list with a click through rate of 25% delivering 500 signups (5%) and 100 sales (1%).

Successful List Building, of a Quality list, is all about the relationship you build with the people on it. All you can do is be yourself. You’ll never please everybody all of the time so unsubscribes are inevitable, but as long as you remain consistent, and show some personality, you will succeed in keeping those who will be most responsive.

Thanks for the post Justin - it was good and highly thought-provoking

Tim