Ignored your email list? 4 must-do steps to get it back on track

“I know it’s been a while since I popped into your inbox…”

You won’t believe the number of emails I get from email lists I’ve subscribed to, starting with that very statement.

You let a week slip.

That week becomes two.

And then three.

You then start to feel weird about showing up in their inbox again.

You wonder what excuses to give your subscribers. You get fidgety thinking about those unsubscribes.

You don’t know how to write that email after going missing for as long as you have.

Here’s another email I received from a reader:

I am a blogger who has over 20,000 on my E-mail List, but I’ve never, (ever) e-mailed them. I’ve allowed foolish excuses stop me, yet cringe every month when I make that payment to Convertkit (Wasting so much money!)

Paying that email service provider is just one single aspect.

What about all that time and effort you took to build that list and craft that opt-in freebie?

What about all that wasted income potential that could easily have added up to hundreds of dollars?

If you’ve ignored your email list – no matter what size yours is – this post is for you.

I walk you through 4 simple steps to help you get it back on track. I’ve kept it deliberately short so that you can take action today.

You also have a cut and paste email template to send your list so that there are no more excuses.

#1 Own up 

If you already have a list…

a list of any size…you need to fess up and apologize in an email to them.

Would they remember you?

Would they remember your business and what it stands for?

Would they recognize your name with value?

For most of us the answer is maybe or a flat out I don’t think so.

It doesn’t matter.

We all start somewhere but you need to be prepared for what will definitely happen.

The unsubscribes.

They’re going to happen…ALOT.

How bad?

It depends on the goodwill and relationship you had with your list prior to when you went missing.

If your content has made an impact on them…

…if you were relatively consistent before…

…if you also have a welcome email series that has been nurturing subscribers on auto even through your hiatus, you don’t have to worry much.

But if there’s no relationship with your list, then brace yourself for the unsubscribes.

I’m going to give you an email template you can model in just a bit.

But how can you soften the blow?

How can you stop those fingers from hitting that unsubscribe button?

You can do so by offering an incentive.

#2 Offer an incentive

An incentive acts almost like a distraction.

You’re compensating (for going missing) by communicating the value you provide.

You’re reminding them of what they signed up for in the first place.

If you have a main opt-in incentive where most of your subscribers have come in from, offer an incentive that’s related to that.

This way, the incentive you offer will speak to your subscribers.

These are people who’ve raised their hands and told you they are interested in this topic by signing up for it.

So give them more of what they asked for.

This could be an exclusive guide, report, cheat sheet or checklist.

Another incentive you can offer is a free call or service offer.

I’d suggest offering this as a complement to your guide or report.

Because there are limits to the number of free calls you can possibly do.

And you want each and every one of your subscribers to feel like they got value out of what you sent…you want them to have a piece of what you’re giving. That works best with a download of some kind.

Package something up together and then hit send on that email.

Looking for a template?

Use the one below.

I have more of such email templates for different scenarios here.

#3 Don’t falter again. Make a plan

Now that you have that out of the way you need to make sure you never falter with consistency again.

This is where you need an email editorial calendar.

An email editorial calendar is a subset of your overarching email marketing plan and strategy.

Just as you would have an editorial calendar for your blog content, you should have one for your email marketing.

Your blog and email editorial calendar should feed off one another.

Your blog and email editorial calendar should feed off one another.Click To Tweet

Email is part of your larger content marketing strategy.

It’s not an alien arm which rests outside of your business.

Email is part of your larger content marketing strategy. It’s not an alien arm which rests outside of your business.Click To Tweet

Problems arise when you alienate email.

Once you start seeing it as a communication vehicle and an integral part of your business, everything gets easier.

Consider using monthly themes for your emails.

This is how most magazines structure their content.

They have editorial calendars that go with a monthly theme. They organize their content based on that.

For instance, August is back to school, January is about new year resolutions and goals, February is about relationships.

Having a theme makes it so much easier to organize and come up with ideas.

That order or bunch of emails surrounding a theme goes on to become an email campaign.

I suggest having an email editorial calendar for 3 months.

If you send one email a week, that works out to only 12 emails that you need to brainstorm ideas for.

If you need an editorial calendar that doubles up for email and your blog, check out the CREATE Planner here.

Block a time where you do write your emails. This ensures you stay consistent.

Pro- tip: When you do sit down and write your emails, consider each email along these 5 points:

• Goal of email
• Type of Email
• Who within the email list/audience
• Email Action
• Send date

#4 Plug those gaps

Often, not sending emails is just one symptom of larger problems within your email marketing strategy.

There are 4 main areas and each area flows into another.

You need to consider if there are other areas you have let slide.

Are there any gaps in your email marketing flows?

1. List Building

Does your opt-in incentive need a refresh?

Or has it gone stale?

Do you need to create a new opt-in incentive?

2. Nurture

Do you have a welcome email series?

Is your welcome email series still reflective of your business?

Does it need an update?

3. Subscriber to Buyer Conversion

Are you actively trying to convert subscribers to buyers?

And no, this doesn’t mean screaming come buy my thing in the welcome email.

Do you have introductory low risk offers subscribers can buy into…that give a taste of your paid or gated content?

4. List Monetization

How well are you monetizing your list?

A $1 per subscriber is a baseline you should be aiming for.

If you’re not hitting this, where are you missing out on opportunities?

Why aren’t more subscribers buying from you?

These are tough questions to answer.

You may not know all the answers but being aware of these questions will mean you take a conscious effort to look out for these areas in your business.

Get your email list back on track

These 4 steps are the least you can do to get your email list back on track.

Now that you know what these are and have an email template to follow through, will you send that email today?