Unsubscribe, Don't Spam: The Kindest Way to Support Small Businesses (and Clean Your Inbox)

Written by: Holly Hartman

Let's be honest — our inboxes are packed.

Between work emails, sales, newsletters, and that one list you swear you don’t remember signing up for, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

But today, I’m here with a little PSA for all of us — especially if you love supporting small businesses:

👉 If you joined a small business’s email list (even for a freebie or a free event), and you no longer want to receive their emails, please click "Unsubscribe" — don't mark them as spam.

Seriously. It's one of the kindest, most supportive things you can do for small business owners.

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Here’s why it matters more than you might realize:

1. Marking as Spam Hurts Small Businesses — Even If It Wasn’t Your Intention

When you mark an email as "spam" instead of simply unsubscribing, it sends a signal to email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook that the business sending it is dangerous or fraudulent — even if you signed up willingly!

Enough spam reports, and small businesses:

• Get flagged or blacklisted

• Have ALL their emails sent straight to junk folders (even for people who want to hear from them)

• Risk getting banned from using email platforms altogether

  
  

That’s a brutal blow when email marketing is one of the few affordable ways small businesses can build relationships with their communities.

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2. You Did Opt-In (Even If It Was Months Ago)

Maybe you grabbed a free guide, joined a free challenge, or signed up for an event.

That little checkbox you clicked? Yep — that added you to their email list.

And honestly, you have every right to change your mind! We all outgrow different content and businesses.

But when you no longer want those emails, clicking “unsubscribe” is the respectful and clean way to bow out.

You don’t have to stay forever — but you don’t need to hit the spam button either.

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3. Email Marketing Is Already an Uphill Battle for Small Businesses

I’ll be real with you: sending emails as a small business is HARD.

• We agonize over not annoying people

• We hope to be helpful, not spammy

• We work to build authentic communities, not just grow numbers

  
  

And full transparency?

I recently had a lightbulb moment during a training with my business coach, Jasmine Myers, who reminded me how much spam complaints hurt — and how many of us (myself included!) simply hadn’t thought about it this way before.

Most small businesses aren’t big corporations with a marketing army.

It’s usually one person (or a tiny team) trying their best to serve you and stay visible.

Unsubscribing is a small but mighty act of kindness.

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4. Pro Tip: Once You Unsubscribe, You Might Not Be Able to Rejoin Easily

Here's something most people don't know:

Depending on the platform a business uses (like ConvertKit, Mailchimp, or others), once you unsubscribe, you might not be able to rejoin their list with the same email address later without special steps.

If you think you might want to hear from them again someday, you could:

• Filter their emails into a folder for later

• Unsubscribe when you're truly ready to break ties

Either way — avoid hitting spam. It could close a door you didn’t mean to slam.

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Bottom Line: Unsubscribe, Don't Spam

If you signed up for it — even for a freebie — and you’re not feeling it anymore, give yourself permission to unsubscribe.

✅ It keeps your inbox cleaner.

✅ It protects small businesses you care about.

✅ It shows basic email etiquette and mutual respect.

And hey — we get it.

Your life is busy.

Your inbox is wild.

Your interests evolve.

No guilt, no shame.

Just a friendly reminder that how you exit matters.

Love small businesses?

Want to lift up women entrepreneurs?

This is one small (but powerful) way you can help without spending a dime.

Click unsubscribe. Don’t click spam.

We notice.

We appreciate you.

And we thank you.

—Written by Holly Hartman

Co-Founder of The WO Network | Women Leaders of Louisville

Empowering Women | Building Community | Advancing Growth