Email Marketing Formula: Use it or Lose Money
Once upon a time, I made a HUGE mistake with one of my subscriber lists.
You’d think after half a decade (at that time) as an Internet marketer that I would have known the email marketing formula like the back of my hand.
Tried-and-True Email Marketing Formula
Here’s the tried-and-true formula for email marketing success:
An Autoresponder Series
+
a Weekly, Bi-Weekly or Monthly Newsletter
=
Repeat Visits to Site and MORE Sales
It’s a Win-Win situation all round. Subscribers receive valuable offers of interest to them and the list owner generates income from purchases through their own, or affiliate links.
The formula is perfect. It works like a charm each and every time – but only when you use it, and use it regularly.
That last point is key and I’ll tell you why.
I started my ‘Singles eScene’ [SeS] newsletter for my dating service review site in 1998. At the time of my serious email marketing mistake, the [SeS] had 103,000 subscribers.
One day, I sent my subscribers an offer to attend a free John Gray teleminar. John Gray, Ph.D., is the author of 15 best-selling books, including ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus‘ and is a relationships expert.
Relationships – something singles are interested in, right?
Then why did more than 14,000 people unsubscribe from the [SeS] within a few days of receiving that message?
There’s only one good explanation.
Too Much Time Between Mailings
I had let more than 7 months elapse between mailings! Most of those subscribers were probably wondering, ‘What the heck is the Singles eScene?’ and/or ‘I didn’t signup for this!’
So, they got busy clicking those unsubscribe links.
OK, there is a bit of a bright side to ‘culling‘ your list. My autoresponder service, Aweber, charges 9.95 per month for each additional 10,000 subscribers. So, by losing 14,000 subscribers, I saved $120 over the coming year.
But the truth of the matter is that my laziness cost probably me much more than $120.
I know that on average, two of every 100 [SeS] subscribers buys an annual dating service membership for $70.00, and four more purchase recurring monthly $24.95 memberships that they keep for an average of 6 months. With a 50% commission rate… I just tossed $4440 down the drain over the next twelve months.
The lesson therefore is simple.
People buy from people they know, like and trust.
So, build your list with your autoresponder series AND regular newsletter broadcasts… and let them get to know, like and trust you!
Want more info?
Rosalind Gardner is a Super Affiliate blogger, author, speaker, and Internet marketing consultant.
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I agree with you, if you make the investment to purchase an email marketing software then you must utilize it properly.
Regards
Dale
I agree with you Rosalind that people buy from people they know.
It’s the relationship that matters.
Nice post.
Thanks for the heads-up, Ros. I’ve really been slackin’ on my monthly newsletter for like… a couple months now.
Gotta get crackin’.
-Jake
Hi Ros,
How coincidental you talk about this today. I was 5 days late putting out
my newsletter on another site, and within a day, had some emails wondering
where it was? Whoops…well, things happen, and it had, and so I was a bit
late with it. Some people want their news, and rely on it to come “absolutely on time.”
As for myself, I recently signed up for what I thought could be some very interesting pointers on the subject of website building. I can use that!
Anyway, this person bombarded me with info 2 or 3 times per day.
I found this suddenly quite irritating, and subsequently, cancelled my subscription.
There’s obviously a difference between too much of a good thing, or not quite enough either.
Hi Jane,
I’ve had the same thing happen when I haven’t sent my newsletter on its usual day — getting emails such as “are you OK?” is a pretty nice indicator that you’re doing something very right.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Ros
But how do you make them open your e-mails? I have an open rate of 9% and it’ very low.
Hi Rebecca,
GREAT question! The first thing to work on are your headlines / subject lines. Study those that you find compelling enough to open and then start using those marketers’ strategies.
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Ros
That’s correct. I have seen the similar in my own experience. I saw few unsubscribe activities after a long elapse time between two newsletter.
Regards
Leo
Thanks for sharing this valuable lesson! I am finding the same to be true with my subscriber list, which has not received an email in over 6 months!
I also appreciate you sharing your statistics on your SeS subscribers purchasing a membership (2 out of every 100). I am currently at the same ratio for my subs perchasing restaurant gift certificates…unfortunately, with much fewer subscribers!
I used to think that was a low ratio, but now I know better!
Thanks Ros!
No worries, Diner Dave. You’re only just starting to rebuild and work that list… it’ll get MUCH better!
Cheers,
Ros
Rosalind, thanks… good simple and true. It’s easy to get caught up on the latest and greatest while skipping the proven principles of relationship marketing. Thx for post, joe
I would say that provided you konw your product is gonna work and how well do you market it and how attractive you make it no use of buying the software ans using it….
If the product is not gr8 then you need to work on that first before you sell it.
Thanks for this information. I just purchased Aweber and am beginning email marketing now. A big conern of mine is when is not enough and when is too often to send a broadcast email. Thanks for your unintentinol answer =].