It’s happened to the best of us.
You spent hours writing and designing your email newsletter. You shared something that made you vulnerable, or promoted a service or product that you created from the heart. You were excited and nervous to hit “send,” but with a deep breath, you did it!
Then, a few minutes/hours/days later, you go on in to the back end of your newsletter provider {ahem Mad Mimi ahem} and come face to face with what you were fearing: UNSUBSCRIBES!
{cue hands to the face a la Home Alone}
I get it — it hurts. You think it means you’re doing something wrong. You’re afraid that you pissed someone(s) off. You go down the black hole of I’ll Never Get Any Business Again! and start planning to run away, figuratively or literally.
I used to feel that way when I first started newsletterin’ it up, and I hear this happen to my clients over and over.
But now I smile when I see my unsubscribes come through, and tell my clients that it’s a positive thing.
To have unsubscribes from your email list, it means …
… that you’re putting yourself out there!
How great! Putting yourself out there day after day is part of growing a business. It also means you’ll (probably) get rejected on the regular. Sure — not putting yourself out there = no rejection. But also — not putting yourself out there = no business. I know you know which one’s preferable.
… that you’re only speaking to The People Who Currently Need You.
That’s the best! It’s such a confidence-booster knowing that the people on the other side of your emails are those who not only asked to be tapped on the shoulder by you, but who need your stuff now. That makes it much easier to get real numbers of sales projections, client surveys, etc. We’re talking quantity over quality here. One of my colleagues just told me that she cleans house once a year on her lists, taking anyone off who hasn’t opened up her emails in that time period. The best part? Her open and response rates go up up up!
… that the unsubscriber could still be following you through other means.
LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, RSS Feed…think of all the other platforms you’re on. I’ve definitely unsubscribed from lists to keep my email less overwhelming, but have absolutely made sure I’m following that person somewhere else. And with all the different ways someone can keep tabs on you nowadays, don’t assume you’ve lost them as a (prospective) client, customer, or fan.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that the people on your email list are those most interested in your biz — so much so that they volunteered to be kept up to date on the regular. Make sure you treat ‘em with kindness and gratitude — whether they’re coming or going!