Newsletters can be tricky. As a rule, people avoid subscribing to a mailing list because it eats up their time, and they don’t know how frequently you will email them. A second but equally big concern is that you will share their addresses with spammers.
Correspondingly, starting a newsletter is a potential minefield. Which addresses should you use? Are you allowed to contact people who have contacted you first? Or should you make people jump through hoops to prove that they wish to enroll to your newsletter?
How can one get around these problems? For me, the best answers has proved to be a two-step process. First of all, I decided that I do have a right to contact people who have already contacted me, but will never email people first: I only email people who have interacted with me in some way. Second, I am very careful as to what I send out. In effect, I use my mailing list to send out freebies and holiday wishes. My main aim is to build loyalty, not make a quick sale.
Specifics, please
I send out up to half a dozen emails annually. Most of the recipients are people who have commented on my blog. My emails contain freebies, and are meant to thank people for engaging with me. That’s probably why they seem to be quite popular. Engagement rate is around 60%, or twice the average, and usually no more than one person unsubscribes each time – if any at all.
Another group of people I engage is those who have friended me on Goodreads. When you get a request to connect, the member’s email is shown. This is the only time you have access to it, so be sure to copy it into your mailing list, as you don’t get another chance!
In the future, I plan to run a Rafflecopter campaign. People use these all the time to gain followers and readers, but a side-benefit that often gets ignored is the ability to extract the email addresses of all participants.
Are you sure I won’t annoy anyone?
Well, to be honest, no. All I have is the positive feedback I’ve received so far from recipients of my mail, and the fact that only three person have unsubscribed so far, out of over some 1,500 emails sent. I do try my best to avoid annoying people, though. First of all, I use Mailchimp for the emails. That way, anyone not wishing to receive my emails for whatever reason finds it easy to unsubscribe.
Second, I only send the kind of information I would enjoy reading myself. No hard sales are allowed on my emails. I struggle to give people information that is either of interest to them, or just plain entertaining.
Should I try that, then?
I made this on Quoizio.com
Yes. I believe a newsletter is a valuable tool in one’s marketing toolbox, but one that has been abused so much in the past, that it should be used sparingly and with special care. Don’t ask people to buy something – remember, the “Show, don’t Tell” rule applies in marketing as well. Show them why they’d be entertained by your work. Give them reasons to love it.
Remember the cardinal rule of marketing; if people like what you’re saying, they’ll buy what you’re selling. And above anything else, use newsletters to interact with people in a genuine way and to make new friends!
Read my children’s book, Runaway Smile, online for free!
A reminder, that I’m still away on business until the 14th. Apologies if I’m late in responding to your comments, as it will all depend on our hotel’s Internet connection!
I hope I’m on your email list! I’ve been collecting emails from book signings – I have a drawing for a signed poster of the cover, and the drawing slip includes the promise of only occasional newsletters and not to share their email. I haven’t actually sent anything out yet, but will this spring.
I’m a little iffy on capturing Goodreads friends – will have to think about that one. But I love the idea of only putting freebies and encouraging stuff in it! Thanks for the tips.
Lol – I’ll check – and thanks 🙂
It sounds to me like you’re doing a great job with it 🙂
It didn’t cross my mind to use blog commenters or goodread friends as part of my email list. That is a very good tip. I will now start doing that.
Thank you Nicholas 😀
A pleasure! 🙂
Reblogged this on isabel pietri and commented:
Here are some good suggestions regarding the use of emails. Nicholas Rossis points out their value as tools for marketing. Enjoy.
Awesome tips and advice. Like the great bard said, The gentle gamester always wins.
Thank you, and well said 🙂
Have a lovely Valentine’s day 🙂
The beauty of an engaging newsletter is that you have a means to deliver an occasional special announcement right into the hands of your audience. Thanks for sharing your tips. 🙂
A pleasure, Chris! I’m learning from the best 😉
Have a lovely Valentine’s day 🙂
I tried once very unsuccessfully to start a contact list with mail chimp for s newsletter. Subscribers were nil to none! I may try again after reading this. Thanks for the tips. ~Elle
Same here. That’s why I resorted to more dubious means, while trying not to annoy anyone 😀
Have a lovely Valentine’s day 🙂
Excellent advice. I subscribed to many newsletters but then had to cut back because I became overwhelmed, not because I didn’t want to stay on the list. 🙁
I know what you mean. I, too, get over-excited, then have to scale back 🙂
Have a lovely Valentine’s day 🙂
I want to read everything, everywhere, but can’t. 🙁
Great advice. I’m still considering this, but one issue is that I’ve no idea what I would do for a newsletter. I just don’t know what I’d put in there to make it worthwhile. One or two of the ones I get seem to be predominantly filler, which doesn’t make me want to pay attention.
It’s really quite simple: what would you enjoy reading? Also, people love free stuff. Just don’t overdo it. I only use it very sparingly, hence its effectiveness.
Excellent sound advice, Nicholas! I, too, treat my email list like the precious commodity that it is. Spamming people will get you nowhere fast.
Well said! Have a lovely Valentine’s day 🙂
You too, Nicholas!
Excellent post with great advice, Nicholas. The only point where I disagree is adding to my newsletter people who friend me on Goodreads. I get loads of new ones all the time but never interact with them after that, so I’d feel very naughty doing it, since I don’t see it as them taking interest in my work as such by simply friending me. People are just expanding their friend base when they do that, as I see it. Definitely great sources are both rafflecopters and the people who engage in our blogs. Also it’s very wise of you not to do hard sales in the newsletters and to even offer freebies. I haven’t issued my first one yet, and I’ll only be emailing my subscribers very sparsely – when I have new releases or promos to share, so not even 5 per year, I expect. I absolutely hate spam and also mind a bombardment of time-wasting emails on my mailbox from a single source. When that happens I can’t unsubscribe fast enough. I wouldn’t do it to others. It’s the best way to gain trust.
Absolutely, it’s all about respect. I feel free to use Goodreads followers, as they contacted me first. Also, Goodreads allows one to message one’s followers, so in my mind that’s okay. No one will blame you for erring on the side of caution, though.
Have a lovely Valentine’s day 🙂