If you've got a website, you need to have a way to create extra involvement with your readers.
The usual way is to create an email list by offering some kind of bribe - a video, a free report or an mp3 recording.
If you create an good offer, a nice proportion of your website visitors will think "that sounds good" and they'll opt-in.
It's a nice feeling - people think you'e worthy of their attention - although it's not as nice as when they give you money.
With the right software in place, you'll now have them on an email list which you can use for autoresponders and broadcasts.
But that can be where your troubles begin.
Your mind fills up with qyuestions:
- What should I send them?
- How often should I send stuff?
- What if they unsubscribe?
I used to get upset when people unsubscribe.
One part of me felt that I'd let them down.
I'd shared my best ideas and for some, it wasn't good enough.
Another part of me resented the ingratitude. I'd shared my best ideas and yet people weren't grateful. I still have some people sign up for the freebie, confirm because I use a double opt-in and then unsubscribe.
I had someone do that yesterday.
12:31 they opted in, 12:32 they confirmed and 12:33 they'd unsubscribed after getting my free report. They not taken the time to read it and see just how great it is.
That's fairly mean-spirited if you ask me.
But you know what?
That's their problem and not mine.
You can't please all the people all the time.
Your aim is to create fans and that means attracting some but repelling others, just like a magnet.
If your purpose is to create sales, you need to accept that no one ever buys OK unless they are forced into a real hole.
So why do people unsubscribe?
I They are disappointed by the experience. What you offered doesn't live up to their expectations because you over-promised and under-delivered.
2 They are ungrateful ******* who are more interested in taking than giving.
3 You stopped being relevant. They came to you with problem A and you start banging on about solutions to problem B.
4 You have helped them solve the problem and they don't need you any more. Some problems are temporary and aren't expected to re-occur. You stopped being relevant through no fault of your own. In fact you may have given too much away for free.
5 People are serial subscribers and get overwhelmed. Each month they have to purge. Unless you've created a great impression, then you go too.
6 You haven't made a connection. Perhaps because you're scared of losing people on your list, you rarely communicate so when you do, they have no idea of why you're suddenly contacting them and feel you're spam.
7 You make too many product pitches. I like to see a balance between sharing helpful information interspersed with the odd pitch. Some marketers go to extremes with "buy this today" offers, day after day and it does get tiring.
Reasons 1, 3, 6 and 7 are things that you can and should do something about.
In reason 4, peversely it's something to feel proud about. You've helped them so much, they no longer have a need for you.
And reasons 2 and 5 is more about them than you.
In sales the worst thing you can have is the delayed No. The "prospect" has no intention of buying but for whatever reason feigns interest and keeps you dangling, hoping that the next contact will be the successful one.
The simple truth is that you're right for some people and wrong for others. That's why sales trainers encourage you to go for the fast No through effectively qualifying prospects and giving them permission to say No. Sounds sill but some potential buyers find it difficult to say "No thanks. It's not for me."
And what happens if they don't unsubscribe?
They learn to ignore your emails.
What good does that do?
You're still not getting clicks (and money).
OK your fragile ego may be protected from unsubscribers but you suffer from low open and click through rates so you still feel bad.
Your job is to create positive relationships and email can be a very effective way to do that.
It is quick, easy and cheap and much less intrusive than ringing people up.
Try not to let unsubscribers upset you.
I found some interesting information from a survey published by MarketingSherpa.com into subscribers.
68% stopped because the emails weren't relevant.
44% stopped becasue of too many emails from the sender.
31% receive too many emails from all sources.
20% stop because the email doesn't apply to them
13% stopped because the situation changed
3% prefer to use social networks and text messages
My advice is to stay relevant and if that means segregating your list by topic, then do it.
That's a mistake I made in my early days. A number of different landing pages all went through the same autoresponder series.
It was easy for me but I wasn't looking at it from the other person's perspective.
If someone signs up for a marketing report, it is reason to assume that they are interested in more marketing information. It's not so reasonable to make the assumption tha
t they will be small business owners and therefore interested in tips on how to manage employees. Sure it's right for some but wrong for many.
Email unsubscribers are a fact of life.
Don't get hung up on it.
Sure you should check that you don't have one email which is too controversial and offends people.
But don't let the threat of unsubscribes stop you building a closer relationship with those people on your list who are interested.
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