Four Truths About Sending Emails (so you can send with more ease and regularity)
Many business owners I talk to don’t enjoy sending out email newsletters.
They tend to fall into one of 3 types:
1) The White-Knuckler — They're sending regular emails to their list but the process feels laborious and there's a perpetual degree of anxiety about unscribes and being annoying
2) The Wanna-be — They talk a good game about email, even write some great ones, but don't actually send any.
3) The Rando Sender — They email once in a while when they're running an event or launching something which exacerbates their feeling yucky about sending emails because they're really only ever sending “sales” emails.
Do you fall into one of these categories?
No shame if you do because there’s a fair bit of guilt, embarrassment, and even resentment about sending or not sending emails going around.
Moreso it's fear and dread, especially about sending too many emails and p*ssing people off or sending emails that get no action other than a bunch of unsubscribes.
I spend a lot of time writing emails, reading other people's emails, and helping clients write and send theirs.
Through all this email marketing, I can confidently share these truths which I hope will get you fired up on email or at least put your mind at ease.
It’s pretty hard to go overboard sending too many emails.
There’s a reason some people and businesses hit your inbox daily. Because it’s been proven over and over that sending more emails = more money. This is very true for businesses bringing new people onto their lists on a regular basis either by paid promotions or they’re actively engaged in SEO and social strategies tied to a funnel.
Listen, no matter how many emails you send, it will always feel like too many.
That's because you’re the one writing and sending them all. You're deep in the words, rewriting and editing and maybe even formatting them.
But your subscriber is not reading every email you send. I mean even with your most favorite newsletters do you read every single one that gets sent out?
Exactly, which leads me to this next truth…
Emails still work even when no one opens them.
Even before someone opens your email, they see your name in their inbox. I call it the “Oh Yeah” Reminder. “Oh yeah, there’s (INSERT YOUR NAME HERE),” they think when they see your email. Sometimes that's all it takes for you to stay on their radar.
Then there’s the subject line which can serve as a stand-alone message. Add to that preview text and bam, you gotcha a baby email that no one even has to open to know what it's about. It becomes another type of "Oh Yeah" Reminder.
(BTW, if you want to amp up your subject lines, I recommend checking out Copy Camp for Headlines.)
You'll definitely get unsubscribes. Every single time.
To quote my friend Ilise Benun's latest business life mantra "Who cares?" Seriously. Who cares if people unsubscribe?
It's not like they're personally telling you "I hate you." They just don't want to get your emails.
I guarantee I'll get unsubscribes from this email. I always do. It's totally fine. There are a bajillion people in this world.
What's interesting about unsubscribes is sometimes they're accidental. Not too infrequently I'll see people resubscribe, or I'll get an email from someone asking to be added back in or telling me they were subscribed with two different email addresses.
If you're not yet comfortable with unsubscribes, I recommend reading Five Ways To Love Your Unsubscribes.
Now for the biggest, bestest, truest truth about email…
The emails you write are for YOU, not them.
The act of writing emails has enormous benefits.
Writing is how you formulate and articulate your ideas. It’s how you make connections between concepts and develop your perspective.
Writing is one of the best practices you can do for your business because writing leads to clarity, definition, and distinction.
Committing to sending these written thoughts out regularly via your email newsletters is an accountability measure.
It means you will keep writing because you said you would. People are expecting to hear from you. You have things to say.
Publishing regularly, regardless of frequency, to an audience of actual humans will gradually decrease your fear of visibility and rejection.
So in the end, even if you have an email list with 10 people and only 2 are reading what you send, you're still reaping enormous benefits and that's what matters most.
…
These four truths about email apply no matter what size or type of business you have and even if you only want to work with a handful of clients each year (I mean how long are you going to rely only on referrals????). I hope you’ll use these truths as guiding principles to help you find comfort and inspiration to fully leverage email marketing for your business.
Are your words winning or costing you clients?
Find out now with the CLIENT CONVERSION QUIZ. Gain instant insight into the gaps in your messaging and marketing so you know exactly where to focus to improve your connections and conversions. Takes less than 5 minutes and it's free!