9 Email Marketing Secrets I Discovered After Sending 7 Million Messages
You can pry my email list from my cold, dead hands.
I’ve run several different email lists for over ten years.
I managed lists in niches like writing, fintech, food and drinks, and even NFTs (don’t ask).
I’d hate to do the math…
But I’ve sent over seven million emails to my lists.
I started my first email list on MailChimp years ago.
12 months later, I realized MailChimp is more suitable for e-commerce providers and local businesses.
So, in 2016, I moved to ConvertKit.
I change software-as-a-service tools regularly, but I’ve stuck with ConvertKit longer than other SaaS companies.
It’s built for Creators.
I like the product.
And it’s easy to use, as email marketing tools go.
(You don’t need to use ConvertKit; Substack works fine).
That said…
I mostly stopped running multiple email lists.
It’s oddly stressful.
(I won’t bore you with the details about privacy laws in Ireland).
Coming up with content for multiple lists is a challenge, too.
The worst thing you can do is grow and list and then forget to email them!
I made that mistake with more than one side project.
You see…
The best newsletter owners create content and consistently press send.
So, I merged all my email lists a few years ago.
And I closed down the ones I don’t spend time on.
Here are nine from my years of smashing the Send button.
1. Segmentation is a waste of time
I was coaching a client who wanted to segment her list into buckets.
Cool strategy.
Only problem is she has 757 subscribers.
Most newsletter owners do just fine by emailing their entire list.
Now, afew exceptions exist.
Those with thousands of subscribers.
Those who spend thousands on paid ads.
And those who want to email content to customers only.
If you have a few hundred or even a few thousand subscribers (under 10k), segmentation is more work than it’s worth.
2. Subject Line A/B testing won’t do much for your newsletter
Do you know what skyrocketed my open rates and CTRs?
It wasn’t split-testing my emails.
That’s a classic case of perceived productivity.
You do something.
You get some stats.
But what does it do for your business?
Unless you’re selling products in volume, write another email or make a new offer.
Content and offers are the real A/B test.
Create and pitch more.
3. Writing under is harder but more rewarding
For a while, I copied and pasted content from articles on my site and used them as teasers for a weekly newsletter.
Freelancers wrote these articles. My goal was to drive traffic only.
Some creators I know crush it with this business model.
These days, I’m having more fun writing emails like this under my own name, and I get more responses, too.
4. Most creators don’t email their list enough.
I started by sending one email per month, then one per week.
I write daily emails to my list
That’s overkill unless you’ve a few thousand subscribers.
If you’re going to do it, commit. Writing a daily email gets easier if you practice, like lifting weights at the gym.
I also like this approach because I can learn more about what my audience wants from their responses (or lack thereof).
I also get a kick out of practicing in public.
I have received replies from best-selling authors, ghostwriters, coaches, creators, professors, entrepreneurs, new Dads, pensioners, and even prisoners.
5. A person sits behind those numbers on your dashboard.
It’s fun watching subscriber counts shoot past 10, 100, 1000 and 10,000.
But don’t forget each one of those numbers represents a real person (ok a few are bots!).
They handed over their contact info to you. And you can email them 1:1 and ask what they’re working on and what they need help with.
They’ll reply.
Those responses are a goldmine of content ideas.
6. You can grow a list in many different ways.
I’ve tried list swaps, SparkLoop, newsletter ads, Facebook ads, joint promos, content upgrades, social media CTAs, referrals…. the list goes on.
The trick to grow a list?
Pick one or two strategies that align with your ideal reader and current offer.
Track what lead magnets drive the most subscribers and ROI.
7. Don’t stress unsubscribe counts.
When I tracked these numbers in a spreadsheet, I worried my list was shrinking!
Now I don’t mind when people leave. They didn’t like the content and would never buy anything from me.
I also regularly remove people who aren’t a good fit or don’t open my emails.
I even unsubscribe people if they send me a rude response or pic.
That happens more than I’d like.
8. Pitch early and often
I felt embarrassed about gasp pitching an offer to my list for a few years.
Now, I almost always include a relevant call-to-action for an offer.
If you’re running an email list, you’re running a business.
Creating insightful content and discussing what you sell is a fair exchange.
Pitch more often in your emails. If you’re running a list, you’re running a business. It’s a fair exchange.
The worst thing you can do is grow an email list and forget to email them. Consistency is key.
9. Readers Don’t Think About Your Emails As Much As You Do
A client told me recently they didn’t want to ANNOY readers with their emails.
I get that.
I’d the same worry, when I fired up MailChimp years ago.
The only problem?
Someone else is emailing them right now.
So, you may as well have send some great content to their inbox.
Trust me on this: your email strategy looks busier from your side than from the point of view of your ideal reader.
Remember…
They opted in to hear from YOU.
And if they are annoyed, that’s what the unsubscribe button is for.