Today's More Clients is in response to an email from a past client who let me know that I was sending too much email, and as a result she was paying less attention to what I did send.
Ouch!
But I really can't blame her. We all get too much email. And sorting through the junk to get a few gems is a daunting task. But for Independent Professionals like you and I, who send out an eZine, how much email is too much and how much is enough?
My observation is that, on the whole, Independent Professionals don't send nearly enough email. Yes, you heard me right. They actually need to get their message in front of their subscribers, prospects and clients a lot more than they currently do.
As you know, once a week, I send out More Clients and then about twice a month I send out notices for upcoming TeleClasses and announcements for new online products. Some months I send out a little more. Is this too much?
I don't think so. Consider this:
When I send out the stand-alone announcements for the TeleClasses and online products, I get a huge flood of orders. This tells me one thing very clearly: My subscribers want this information. If they didn't, they wouldn't order.
In the process I also get people unsubscribing to the eZine. In fact, for every two people that subscribe in any given month, I get one that unsubscribes. That's just the way it works.
Would it be better to be *ultra careful* and try not to offend anyone with too many emails (and decrease orders dramatically) or send a few more emails and tastefully offer information and promote products that will make a difference to my subscribers?
That's a no-brainer, isn't it?
Still you need to find a balance. Look, if I thought I wouldn't get mass unsubscribes and a backlash from my subscribers, I'd send out an email every single day of the week! Some Internet marketers do this but even I think that's over the top.
My eZine policy is simple: Provide real value with each email. That might be in the form of an article like this, an announcement for an upcoming program or letting you know about a product or program offered by one of my associates (as I will next week).
As long as I know I'm promoting high-quality information and products that makes a difference for Independent Professionals, I have no trouble sleeping at night.
And neither should you.
So by all means, send more email to your list. But keep your standards high (avoiding offensive hype), and the benefits will far outweigh the disadvantages.
Complete More Clients eZine - Too Much Email?
This week, please share the following with us:
How much email should you be sending to your subscribers? What's too much and what's not enough?
the answer to "too many emails" is:
As long as the emails have value to the receiver then its not too many. As a manner of fact, its "not enough"
Shifting through information, the receiver is trying to learn something about marketing, contacting clients, build web pages, understanding why clients respond or don't respond.
Answer their questions and they will come
Posted by: Daryl Evans | April 12, 2006 at 08:02 PM
I agree that we should take risks and accept the fact that people are going to unsubscribe. I'm still at the stage where it "hurts" a bit when people unsubscribe - I wonder what I did "wrong". But so long as I'm getting more subscribers than unsubscribes, I guess everything should work out OK.
Some people do email too often (more than once a week or virtually every day). What I find is that I just start tuning them out - so it's a bit of a self-defeating strategy in the end. Also, I find I go in cycles of whose ezines I'm attracted to and whose I'm not. It really just depends on where I am at the time, and what my most pressing need is. If I'm writing copy, then I'll want to read everything on copywriting; when I'm doing marketing strategies, then I'll read all of the marketing ezines.
I wish I could send my ezine more often. About once a fortnight with perhaps another offer in between times might be good - but I just find it takes so long to prepare! I hope I'll speed up with practice and experience.
Posted by: Jane Hendry | March 14, 2006 at 05:46 AM
For the first time in a long time--and at your urging--I sent out a separate email announcement regarding an upcoming online class. (I usually just announce them as part of my weekly newsletter.)
The result? Five (5!) times the number of enrollees in the class. Granted, it's still not a huge number, but it increased dramatically. Yes, I got a number of unsubscribes (probably three or four), but I figure they probably wouldn't ever use my paid services anyway.
Thanks!
Posted by: Alyson B. Stanfield | March 07, 2006 at 09:47 AM
Hi Robert, I agree with the person who emailed you. I like your actual content emails but you're sending out (or it feels like you are) so many sales pitch emails ie teleclasses, other pitches etc that I'm thinking of unsubscribing, or just putting you in the read if i have time folder instead of my inbox.
If you get one unsubscribe for every two subscribes, prehaps you extreme frequency of emails might contribute to that.
Maybe if you did it less often you'd get a 1 to 3 or 1 to 5 ratio. That way you'd potentially sell more. Many of us have email coming at us from many sources and someone that seems to be overdoing it is likely the first to go.
Posted by: Pete Quily | March 06, 2006 at 02:12 AM
As a newbie to internet marketing, I really appreciate your comments on needing to strike a balance -- to get plenty of valuable content to my customers without overwhelming them. My field is not marketing but creating personal peace and success through loving. Since I'm just learning internet marketing, I have hesitated to bombard my list and have felt quite a bit of confusion over what to send, when, and what to emphasize. (And then there are the techie considerations which I trip over regularly!) Your thoughtful and sensible remarks seem right on target and I will be checking back with you for more guidance.
I know that when I receive email from marketers whose work interests me, I don't have to read it all right away; I can file it for reference later. So it stands to reason that my emails would be viewed the same way. The readers have a choice. If I don't send emails, I'm not giving them a choice. If I do send a few more emails, I'm allowing them to choose back to my offers if they wish.
Thanks for giving me a fresh perspective on this!
Posted by: Ilenya Marrin | February 23, 2006 at 09:17 PM
Hi Robert,
I agree too - We send an average of two emails a week to 3,000 HR and training professionals who buy our brokered training services. We get the occasional unsubscribe but usually when someone is leaving the role and often they give us the name of the new person. We have tripled our business in the past 12 months on the back of targetted e-mail. I agree that the test is if you are adding value you don't have a problem - if you are just spamming for orders then you will annoy your base and people will opt out.
Keep up the good work - how about a twice weekly newsletter?
Cheers
John
Posted by: John Gleeson | February 21, 2006 at 02:15 PM
Robert,
Like you, I strongly recommend my clients add email marketing to their mix (along with search engine optimization and often blogs and even podcasting, depending on the client).
I usually recommend a monthly newsletter, although some clients only feel they have the time for a quarterly one. Personally, I think quarterly's come so infrequently that I've forgotten about the company or organization by the time the next one rolls around.
I'm not sure if everyone could do a weekly ezine like you do; often, they just don't have enough material. I'm regularly amazed at how many quality ezines you put out. Although not every issue speaks to me, they don't miss often enough that I would consider unsubscribing. (I'm sure you just breathed a sigh of relief, right?)
You're right on the money when you stress that you need to keep the quality high. Every ezine we send out is an invitation for someone to UNsubscribe. We need to continually give them a compelling reason why they should keep reading.
Keep up the good work.
Posted by: Rich Brooks | February 21, 2006 at 10:12 AM
Hi Robert,
I will shake your hand for this article...as soon as I get my hand out of the cookie jar! As an independent professional whose job it is to move clients toward action for their businesses - you caught me! My preference has always been a "soft touch" in terms of numbers of contacts with my own readers. This made me realize I need to do more.
Most professionals want, and attempt, to follow the guidelines of providing substantial content to their readers. I explain to my own clients this is a "win-win" situation. Their lists obtain access to content-laded material and, in return, the business owners gain an opportunity to show their skills and knowledge in their specialties or niches. So why don't I follow my own suggestions?
I have been hesitant to feel I am participating in "assault by e-mail"...as I have been on the receiving end of this process!
Thanks for a most insightful piece. I have already downloaded it. I will never flood my list, but will be sending more now to my readers. I have much I want to share with them and know they will stay subscribed if I respect them, and my contacts are of merit and substance for them.....anyone need a cookie jar?
Posted by: Nelda Choate | February 21, 2006 at 08:57 AM
Thank you!
Like you, I lose at least one subscriber each time I send an email to my list. But then I notice a trickle of new subscribers within 24-48 hours of sending an email and yes...orders! It tells me that people are probably forwarding my emails to friends and I'm happy to have people who don't want to hear my message unsubscribe -- goes back to target marketing, finding your niche, ideal client, etc. If you have people on your list who don't value your information then they probably won't buy anyway, and if they do they could end up being one of the clients you want to fire.
Robert, thanks again for yet another valuable nugget of information (and a bit of validation that I'm on the right track!).
Posted by: Michele Dortch | February 21, 2006 at 07:41 AM
I am in the same camp as Patrick. Yours is one of the few weekly newsletters that I get something valuable from each issue. I also signed up for your last teleclass as a result of one of those extra emails. Keep 'em coming. We could all learn from the way you do it.
Posted by: Alyson B. Stanfield | February 21, 2006 at 07:36 AM
Hi Robert,
I totally agree with everything you said. I send out a newsletter for the National Association of Women Writers to over 9,000 women. I learned about a year ago (by accident) that when I send extra notices (solo mailings) about a tele-seminar or discounts, etc. that revenues increased. Although I get unsubscribes, I also get lots of new subscribers because people forward it on. So it evens out. As long as the e-mail generates significant revenues each time, I know that my customers are getting the products and services they want/need.
Sheri McConnell
President of the NAWW
Posted by: Sheri McConnell | February 21, 2006 at 05:55 AM
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Essentially I agree with you; as long as you are sending out high quality info that is of value to people, it doesn't matter how frequently you mail.
I subscribe to heaps of lists. Some of them do mail me fairly frequently, but if I find the content to be consistently of value, I consider it *my* problem that I don't have time to read it (not the fault of the person sending it).
I just sent out a mailing to my list today, and - as usual - I had a couple of unsubscribes.
Unsubscribes are a GOOD thing, because they improve the quality of your list. Invariably, when I take a look at who has unsubscribed, it's only the 'tyre kickers', anyway.
And the amount of POSITIVE feedback I get from loyal readers always outweighs the number of unsubscribes by at least two to one.
Posted by: Steven Pam | February 21, 2006 at 02:37 AM
I just want to say, of all the regular emails I get, I really look forward to yours. I'm ALWAYS guaranteed good, usable information that seems to know exactly where I'm at right now [how do you do that Robert??].
I have filed every one of the weekly eZines since I started getting them. They are a valuable resource for me and nicely compliment my Infoguru Manual.
Keep up the emails to me Robert - I love 'em.
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick Flaton | February 20, 2006 at 11:42 PM
Hi Robert:
I was just discussing this issue with my coach today, so this is a very timely topic! I probably fall into the category of those independent professionals who are reticent to send too many emails to my list. My ezine is monthly, and I am just now moving to communicate more frequently. I will moderate myself by a) making sure that when I communicate I will provide good information and value and b) I will follow the example of very successful marketers like yourself with big lists. The list will regulate itself with people unsubscribing (which is uncomfortable when you start ... the tendency is to please everyone), so if everyone leaves, I will know I have a problem! I do get annoyed with endless emails, but if they are from people I really like and trust, I tend to forgive and stay on the list.
Posted by: Pamela Stewart | February 20, 2006 at 11:38 PM