Unsubscribe: 4 Reasons Why Your Email List Is Dying
The Email List
Every online Marketer has one.
Email Marketing has proven itself to be one of the most powerful forms of marketing on the web.
There are countless blog posts online recounting the tales of the power of growing an Email List.
That’s cool.
I have signed up to countless Email lists. I am an avid reader and in the world of high-speed Information, I always want to keep up with current trends in my areas of Interests.
Online marketers would like to think that people become joyous whenever their mail pops up in the Inbox of subscribers, they tend to believe that their subscribers see their Newsletters as the Holy Grail.
Some may even believe that their emails are definitely among the emails that end up in the Starred folders of their subscribers.
But this is rarely the case, many of such emails from marketers achieve a quick scan most of the time.
Majority of Marketers fail to send emails that resonate with their subscribers consistently.
After weeks of scanning, the person will eventually Unsubscribe and heave a sigh of relief.
Despite the fact that Marketers have been adding quick surveys on their unsubscribe page, I am yet to see a significant Improvement in the general pool of mailing lists.
It is as if no one is paying attention.
I believe that this is a result of resorting to excuses as to why people unsubscribe instead of finding real solutions to the problems.
it is easy to blame the loss of subscribers on things like small attention span, but the truth is that we are living in a time where there is an abundance of Information out there, so people have been programmed to receive the best of the best.
The average list will suffer mass unsubscription if the standard of content falls.
You have to move from creating good to Indispensable content.
I look forward to the emails of people like Darius Foroux because he creates content that brings me Immense value.
Focusing On Features Instead of Benefits.
As a marketer, one of the uses of an email list is trying to get people to buy products that you are offering.
However, the major reason why people signed up for your email list is not to buy your stuff.
They signed up because they saw the benefits of doing so.
People like Neil Pater promises subscribers a spike of Traffic while Tom Kuegler offers an insanely useful Medium Guide.
You need to stop obsessing about giving people Information and start finding ways to bring them solutions.
This is what will keep them long enough to become paying customers if that is your goal.
You can employ the Jab Jab Jab Right Hook model of Gary Vaynerchuk where you give so much value up front that when the times comes for people to open their wallets it will be more easier for them to buy what you are selling.
Brian Clark and the Copyblogger Media Team offers a well packaged and extremely valuable course on Internet Marketing for free.
I am yet to see a free online course that beats IMFSP( Internet Marketing For Smart People) in quality.
That is a mailing list that I would never unsubscribe from.
Lack Of Two Way Communication
There are many bloggers out there who have become too busy to engage with their audience.
Interacting with your readers is the fastest way of selling books or courses that do well. When you write a book or create a course based on the feedback you got from your readers, sales are higher.
Gary Vaynerchuk has written five bestselling books and I believe that this is as a result of the level of context that he has built with his audience.
He is on Social Media everyday writing posts and getting feedback from his Audience.
His method of grabbing attention was clearly illustrated in the amazing Feedback based Content Model he shared some months back
When growing your email list, don’t be content with just shipping out valuable content. You need to be interactive and find out the pain points of your readers so that you can better serve them.
Danny Iny of Mirasee started a policy of reading and replying to every mail sent by readers, he also encourages readers to share the areas that they are having issues with, this can also serve as free market research if you set your eyes on sales.
You can also make use of Surveys, social media chats etc. This will enable you to build a highly engaged community.
Growing an engaged community is not an Instant Job, it takes constant interaction that gives you more Insights on the ways by which you can bring value to your audience.
Ignoring Useful Feedback
One the hacks used in growing a solid content base is the use of a content Calendar, in my opinion, a content calendar serves more as an indicator of the work that you should do and not a rigid structure that you have to go along with.
Once your readers start asking questions on certain topics that is where your content calendar should lean towards.
You need to understand that it is not possible for you to be the only option in your Industry or Niche.
The fact that you provide excellent content in your Niche does not make you Indispensable.
Of course, there will always be people who will want to complain just for the sake of it.
In my years of community building, I have noticed that some people will almost always have negative feedback for your content.
Those people are easy to spot, and they rarely make any positive contribution.
But when faithful members of your community start giving criticisms then you are meant to listen. Your business depends on them.
Slacking On Content Delivery
You have to maintain the standard of the content that you put out. Once someone forks over his/her email address it goes beyond a desire for your content.
It shows that the person has developed adequate trust in you to provide the best quality content available.
You are always one mishap away from losing any subscriber base that you have managed to build. It is better to share epic content once a month than for you to share watered down content every week.
Time is a very important resource, especially in the Internet age.
Your readers have so many things jostling for their attention so make sure that any content you are shipping out is relevant and helpful.
Don’t market questionable products just to make a quick buck. It will make it harder for you to sell when you have something truly unique.
Growing an Email list filled with dedicated readers is not Rocket science, you just have to devote yourself to creating helpful content.
This will show your readers that you are dedicated to solving their problems and have a great Interest in their success.
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