I think I almost joined a cult...
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Reader, have you ever entered a room you knew you didn’t belong in? A few years ago, I had a job interview at a local wellness company for a copywriter position. I wasn’t looking for a job at the time, but it popped up and sounded like the perfect fit. I was one of the final 2 candidates and was invited for an in-person interview. I was super excited because it was also a 7-minute drive from the school I had just gotten my daughter into. It felt like everything was falling into place! …Until I looked around the dark, monitor-lit room at the employees. Everyone looked the same. Same skin color. Similar outfits and hairstyles. The same catchphrases. Some of them even looked alike. Throughout the interview, I felt like they were waiting for me to declare I was “one” of them… whatever that meant, I still hadn’t figured it out. Was this a cult?? I realized this room was not for me. When the door to the concrete, sheet metal-covered building slammed behind me, I opened my car door with a sigh of relief. Sometimes, that’s how our email subscribers feel. I’m not saying you give off culty vibes, but some people will hop on your email list and then realize your mission is not for them. When they unsubscribe, they save you time by eliminating themselves. You no longer feel obligated to create a community where they feel a sense of belonging – they’ve realized your room isn’t where they belong at this time. That’s fine. That’s why I highly recommend scrubbing your email list every once in a while. I recently scrubbed my email list because I noticed I had over 300 cold subscribers. Upon further investigation, I realized most of them came from free resource bundles I participated in a couple of years ago. So I put them through a cold subscriber re-engagement sequence that gave them the option to stay on my list. This is the first time I’ve done a scrub at this scale, and it felt SCARY. Here’s what this automation looks like in Kit: I sent 4 emails that gave them the chance to stay on my list or unsubscribe. Based on their response, they would either go into the reactivated sequence or be archived. I put a 1-week buffer after the last email to give folks time to catch up. I know I always preach about not letting unsubscribes get to you, but not gonna lie… it hurts to see 300 subscribers leave the email list I’ve worked so hard to build these past few years. But I don’t write emails for the subscribers who don’t open or engage. I write emails for the people who are opening and responding because they’re ready to use their messaging to create something bigger than themselves. Even better when they (you) become clients that I adore for the rest of my days! (I see you, I appreciate you. 🫶) The truth is: my emails aren’t for everyone. And neither are yours. What’s important is that they reflect your voice and values instead of repeating unchallenged thoughts. An email list scrub can be especially powerful right before a promotion or campaign. Sending campaign emails to engaged subscribers can help you more accurately track your analytics and make better data-based decisions in the future (AND boost conversions). Because we all want emails that work. An engaged list > a large list any day. That’s how you create a space where your ideal audience says: This room is for me. Had I said what the CEO and creative director wanted to hear? Maybe I’d have a culty job, and my daughter would be happy at that school. But I wouldn’t belong in that room, and I’d feel that. Want to write more emails that build a community filled with your people, but not sure how? Reply to this email and tell me where your roadblock is. Stay kind, -Amanda |