The Worst and Best Email Schedules I've Ever Seen
Last year, I received an email out of the blue. It looked an awful lot like spam and that I was close to flag it.
I hesitated though.
The name was familiar and it had been the type of thing I'd check-in for. So I searched my inbox to ascertain if I had anything from these people.
It seems they'd sent frequent emails (if you'll call one per week 'frequent') back in 2016. Then they stopped.
Then I received one email in 2017 advertising a webinar.
One more in 2018 spruiking their book.
Then, in 2019, they started emailing hebdomadally approximately.
I wonder what percentage people opted out or marked them as spam-like I used to be close to.
This sort of careless, clumsy emailing saddens me.
On one level I buy it - sometimes you would like an opportunity.
(Not that I've taken one anywhere near that long ago I started... )
But if you are doing take an opportunity, don't begin again out of the blue. Remind people that you're and why they're on your list. this is often not the time to play cute - your subject should be "I know you haven't heard from us during a while... "
If not something even clearer.
Then reintroduce yourself.
Email is intimate. you cannot disappear from people's lives for 2 years then start again as nothing happened.
Here's something even better than reminding your list who you are:
Never stop emailing.
Not for a flash.
And if you would like an honest relationship with people, forget this once-a-week nonsense. Your circumstances may vary but I can not imagine emailing but 3 times every week.
Daily emails are even better.
Daily emails - isn't that spamming?
Spam, like numerous things, is subjective.
Sure, there are extreme cases. Few folks would argue that Nigerian princes posing for your bank details counts as legit communication.
But for the less extreme cases, it's less clear.
Consider this:
You probably have someone in your life you'd happily see a day. Maybe it is a spouse, a toddler or a BFF. Heck, it'd be a pet.
Daily interaction with them isn't "too much", is it?
Of course not. In fact, the more the higher.
Now consider someone who irritates you. Maybe it is a simple personality clash. Maybe they're just a fundamentally bad, obnoxious person. Meeting with them once a fortnight is perhaps far too often.
Now imagine someone better than all that.
If you recognize someone like this, lucky you.
And this is often someone whom you enjoy hearing from. Partly because they're fun or interesting, but also because they add value to your life.
It might be a golden stock tip, a fresh new recipe or just another thing to smile about.
How much is just too much from someone like this?
If they chose to only reach bent you once a month, how would that cause you to feel? If you knew they might ask you each day but couldn't be bothered, would you resent them for it?
You'd have every right to.
As knowledgeable, it is your duty to assist folks. Whether you are a doctor who saves lives or an adviser who saves embarrassment, do right by your people and get in touch with them often.
If folks such as you and you add value to their lives, three emails each day isn't an excessive amount of. I do know because I'm on lists like that - and I have occasionally sent 20-ish emails over a couple of days. It's all too much if you're clumsy about it.
So that's it, right? Be charming (whether that's funny, inspiring, abrasive, bizarre or whatever comes naturally to you... ) and add value.
No, that's not it.
Because there is a common misunderstanding around what it means to "add value"...
When folks love ads
When some (read: far too many) folks mention offering value, they mean you ought to divulge content for free of charge, without posing for anything reciprocally.
They say folks hate being sold to, so you ought to divulge such a lot free stuff that they... I do not know, feel obliged to shop for or something.
I don't understand the reasoning.
The truth is, folks, love being sold to.
When it is the right offer delivered within the right way, it's exciting. believe the last time you became conscious of the right offer. Maybe it had been a gadget that'll prevent time reception, maybe it had been training in something you've always dreamed of learning.
Whatever it had been, you liked being sold to.
This, then, is your business plan. Create dream offers for your market, then sell that provide to them a day.
By the way, this is often valuable to your readers. Informing them of solutions to their problems counts - as long as it's genuine and you create it clear.
Being funny is effective in itself, as who doesn't like to laugh?
Telling an enthralling story that lets them escape their problems for a short time - well, that's value too.
Adding value isn't for free of charge |freely giving|giving freely"> making a gift of stuff for free. If you're entertaining enough, your presence becomes an asset. How else does one think comedians get paid?
If you create them smile with every email, your readers will never complain about hearing from you each day.
Emails during a nutshell
Summarising all the above, here's the simplest email schedule:
Every day, be entertaining, charming and fun. Add some kind of value to their lives - either by your charming presence or some handy knowledge. Then invite the sale.
Leave any exit and it seriously undermines your ability to email.
Follow the method, and you either sell or build the connection. Win-win.
The Worst and Best Email Schedules I've Ever Seen
Nwhadsh
Sunday, 19 April 2020
