A Profitable Emails*

There’s been a lot of digital marketing advice that time and algorithms have made obsolete.

Tips and tricks once relevant from the turn of this century are no longer viable. (They haven’t been for a while, just in case there was any doubt in your mind.)

The one thing, though, that has persisted is the power of a healthy and active email subscriber list.

Healthy and active?

Yes, modern filters and algorithms have gotten very efficient at dumping your mass delivered emails into spam folders and trash bins. If people don’t open or interact with your email enough it directly affects your email’s deliverability.

Deliverability is important because it determines if your email even gets the chance to be seen and opened by your subscriber. (And here we thought just getting a subscriber signed up was enough. Ugh. It’s never over or easy.)

So, how do you increase your deliverability?

Get your subscribers to open and interact with your email; whether that’s reading it, clicking a link, or replying.

How do you get your subscribers to interact with your email?

Strike while the proverbial iron is hot.

There’s this magical short window of time right after your subscriber signs up for your email list where your odds of getting interaction are highest.

You’re top of mind. They’re thinking about you. And obviously they’re interested enough in what you’re offering to give you their email address. So don’t disappoint them. Engage. Follow up.

How?

By sending an automatic email every day for the first three days after they subscribe.

Now, some key points to keep in mind:

  • Don’t make them random.
  • Don’t just send the same email three times.
  • Don’t be boring.
  • Do send the thing you promised to send if you made a signup offer.
  • Do pour a lot of effort into crafting these three emails. (They may be the most important three emails you ever send.)
  • Do make the emails worth opening with good content.
  • Do make sure you’re crafting effective subject lines.

It’s big time work to set this up well.

It’s also worth the effort.

The profitability of a healthy and active email list has stood the test of time. It’s lasted while other digital marketing advice has withered on the vine.

Ready to dig in?

You haven’t missed the boat.

The boat never left.

 – Zac Smith, VC

*Yes, I know this is grammatically incorrect but I like the way it sounds. Does it drive you crazy? Hit reply and let me know on a scale of 1-10.