04/20/2026
If your email open rates are plummeting or spam complaints are spiking, the culprit might not be your product—it could be "dark patterns." These manipulative design tactics trick users into staying subscribed or clicking links, but they ultimately destroy brand trust and can even lead to domain blacklisting.
From "confirmshaming" language to hiding the unsubscribe button, these short-sighted tricks might win a click today but lose a customer tomorrow. Ethical email marketing, built on transparency and value, is the only way to maintain a healthy sender reputation and drive long-term ROI.
Our latest blog identifies 7 common dark patterns you might be using and how to fix them to build a list that actually wants to hear from you. Read more here: https://dragonflydm.com/dark-patterns-in-email-marketing-are-you-accidentally-annoying-your-subscribers/