3 Easy Preemptive Techniques to Reduce “Unconfirmed Subscribers” in ConvertKit

As an online business owner, building and nurturing your email list is simply a concrete, non-negotiable Must Do.

And if that statement put you off, we’re probably not going to get along. #Sorrynotsorry. 

Now, I’m not going to spend the bulk of this post talking about why email marketing is the most effective channel to cut through the noise and speak directly to your audience—because I already did that here. 

No, today, I want to talk about the thrill that comes with seeing new subscribers sign up for your email list en masse—and the very specific sting that comes with seeing how many potential future clients get stuck in limbo as “Unconfirmed”.

My focus on this topic started a couple of weeks ago, when I clicked to my subscriber overview inside of Kit, and, for the first time, basically ever, I clicked to see my Unconfirmed Subscribers…

Unconfirmed Subscribers: The people who signed up for one of my lead magnets but then didn’t click to confirm their subscriptions from the initial email.

My jaw hit the table when I saw that the number of Unconfirmed Subs was almost HALF the number of total people on my list—especially because, as I scrolled through the names, I noticed so many people I know – well! – people who were clearly interested in what I offer, but STILL didn’t click through that link.

The thing about trying to reduce Unconfirmed Subscribers is that you’re legally not allowed to follow up.

So, while I would *love* to put together a little sequence to give these people a good reason to read my stuff…

The only thing I can do is try to help future new subscribers avoid the same fate.​

1. Adding a message to my Thank You pages that encourages people to go look in their Spam folders if they don’t see my email right away.
   
   In the same way that your new subscribers are most likely to buy shortly after they sign up for your list, your prospective subscribers are most likely to remember to go look for your email if you mention it to them ASAP.

   Making sure you mention that they should look for you in Promotions/Spam right there on your Thank You page is the best way to get them to take action right away.

    

2. Enabling auto-confirm for certain opt-in forms only
   
   While I 100% recommend having double opt-in enabled (that is, requiring people to confirm they want to hear from you after they initially sign up for your list)…

   It’s also the reason you have unconfirmed subscribers in the first place.

   Thing is, certain forms are at a higher risk of spam bots than others.

   So, in the future, if I’m running a limited-time workshop, for example, and want to make sure everyone who signs up actually gets all the details, that’s a form where it would be worthwhile to “Enable auto-confirm”.

   Generally, if a form is on your Home page, or another page linked form your main header navigation, you probably want double opt-in on.

   But if it’s hidden on a product page or only lives in your Insta linktree?

   It could be worth experimenting with enabling auto-confirm.

    

3. Auditing my incentive email subject lines / content
   
   Before sitting down to write this email, I looked more closely at my last 30 unconfirmed subscribers:

   1. Which forms did they sign up through?

   2. What appears on that Thank You page?

   3. What incentive email did they get?

   4. What was the subject line of the incentive email?

   5. Did they open that email?

   Again, because I can’t follow up with people who don’t confirm, all of my actions have to be preemptive.

   This means I need to optimize for getting that initial email opened and getting that “Confirm my Subscription” button clicked.

   From what you learn through this audit, you can go on to update your subject lines (e.g. adding something like [Action required!] or [Freebie inside!]). And, within your incentive email, you can make sure you’re being crystal clear about the fact that people won’t hear from you again until they click that button.

The 3 steps above feel like a good start when it comes to reducing “Unconfirmed Subscribers” and increasing the number of people who actually end up on my list.

With that said, tweaking & optimizing my setup will be an ongoing process, and I’m sure I’ll come across new strategies as I discuss this subject with other pros.

In the meantime, here are 3 things I’m NOT doing to fix this problem:

1. I’m NOT turning off double-opt in completely

   I do still want to make sure that the majority of my subscribers are people who care enough about getting my emails that they were willing to click that button.

2. I’m NOT freaking out about spam words
   
   The myth that certain words will trigger spam filters is widespread, but has generally been debunked.

   Sure, sending multiple emails with “Make money FAST” in the subject line might raise red flags, but the odds of that happening are dramatically higher if you’re engaging in generally spammy practices.

3. I’m NOT giving up on email entirely
   
   What I love about email marketing is the fact that, unlike social media, it can feel like you’re really talking to your people one on one.

   But apart from that added intimacy, email has tons of advantages over other marketing channels. In brief, you can measure your reach, you own your list, and you have the ability to send targeted messages based on what people do.

   The old “make $44 for every $1 spent” stat might not be 100% accurate anymore, but people are still more likely to make high-ticket buying decisions in their inbox.

   So, even though it’s frustrating to see new names added to that Unconfirmed Subscribers column, I’m not going to let it break my stride.

Ultimately, getting more of the people who sign up on your landing pages to actually confirm their emails isn’t going to make or break your success.

But as a marketing pro who’s in the business of optimizing for conversions, this is the kind of puzzle I love to dig into to try and improve.

Ready to keep optimizing the backend of your business?

If you’re reading this, odds are you’re the kind of person who pays attention to the details most people ignore.

And while reducing Unconfirmed Subscribers might not feel like a game-changer on its own… stacking small improvements like this across your post-purchase experience?

There’s serious profit in that. 

If you’re curious what other low-effort, high-return tweaks could be hiding in your backend, check out my free, on-demand workshop:
Profit Without Pressure: How to sustainably add 5–6 figures to your bottom line with no new ads, offers, or launches.

Inside, I walk you through:

• the 3 key phases of your client journey,
• 9 profit levers most coaching businesses overlook, and
• how we use voice of customer data (like the kind you’d collect in a form like this) to increase revenue without compromising your client experience.

Watch the workshop now—then come back and tell me what small change you’re implementing next.

xo KP