Do you suffer from an overflowing inbox too? I swear, in one day alone I get at least 25 emails, 15 of which are from some list I’m on. And most of those come before 10 a.m. I hate when my time is wasted, and I feel like deleting the emails I’m never going to read and/or unsubscribing from lists is a time-suck that I shouldn’t have to put up with.
As a result, I struggle with my own email marketing. Yep, I said it. The copywriter and content coach who helps others get a handle on their email marketing also struggles with it. I want to provide value to my audience, and I want to stay top-of-mind so they’ll think of me first when they need a copywriter or content coach. But I also don’t want to be annoying.
It’s such a fine line: finding the right way and right time to reach out to your audience. First tip: Don’t email your list every day. Heck, you don’t even need to email every week. Instead, follow these simple rules of thumb when you’re reaching out.
When They Sign Up
Whether your audience is coming to you for a freebie opt-in or because they’re interested in your products or services, a welcome email is a must. Don’t let them sign up and then hear crickets from you for months on end. (And trust me when I say that I just recently set up my own welcome email—so if you don’t have one yet, don’t get too bent out of shape about it. But do put it on your to-do list.)
Your welcome email should tell readers a little more about you and your business and point them to your social platforms and free resources. It’s not the time or place to sell, but you can, and should, mention what it is you do. Make sure they know where to find you in the future, then say good-bye until next time. Short, sweet and to the point.
When You Have Value to Share
The goal of your email newsletter should be to share value with your audience. Resources, helpful tips, new trends, new ways of doing things, new products (that aren’t yours), new leaders in your industry, etc. But there’s no need to send an email every time you have new information to share with your audience. Get yourself organized and make a plan. Decide what kind of information you’ll share and create a spreadsheet to help you organize it. For example, a health coach might share one new exercise or workout, one recipe, one healthy living tip and one link to their blog in each monthly newsletter.
[bctt tweet=”The goal of your email newsletter should be to share value with your audience. Not to sell.” username=””]
When You Have New Content (sometimes)
It’s easy to set up an RSS feed that will automatically send all your new blogs directly to your audience. But it’s also pretty annoying for the recipient. I’m sure your content is “all that,” but it’s not necessary to send every blog post to your subscribers. Instead, send a once-a-month recap with some of the highlights, but also include other valuable content with it (see above).
NOT When You’re Selling
Raise your hand if you like unsolicited sales calls! <crickets> Yep, I thought so. I even have a “No Soliciting” sign on my front door because I don’t want someone showing up unannounced to sell me something.
That’s exactly what it feels like when a salesy email lands in my inbox. I can sniff them out, just based on the subject line. And 98 percent of the time, I delete them without even looking at them. The funny thing is, I can count on the same few people to always, always, always send me salesy emails. And after deleting enough of them, I simply unsubscribe. And I never buy. It must work for some business owners, but it sure feels icky to me.
[bctt tweet=”Salesy emails make me want a No Soliciting sign for my inbox.” username=””]
If you haven’t evaluated the effectiveness of your email newsletter lately, now might be the time to do it. Create a plan of action for your emails and provide boatloads of value to your audience. If you need help getting started, my Map It Out session might be just the thing you need!
