Hey friendo…
So it’s the end of the old, and beginning of the new again. Fittingly, I’m doing my best to clean the slate, catch up with my plans, and all that good stuff you’re supposed to do.
Part of that whole rigamarole is of course cleaning house… in my email inbox.
Hoo boy. I had no idea I was on so many mailing lists I had no idea I’d even joined. That often happens when people offer a list only for a bribe – people get it and then forget about you. But I’ll save that topic for another time…
Anyway. So while I was doing my end-of-year inbox cleaning – and wow did I find some gunk – I did come across one particular mailing list that was… well, a little different.
I did remember well how I’d gotten onto that particular marketer’s list. I was intrigued about the regularly useful content, the obviously talented marketer, and frequent mailings. I was a happy, attentive subscriber for quite some time.
In fact, I was so attentive that I’d started to eye a couple of this marketer’s products, thinking it’ll soon be time to join his customer file. Seemed like a good fit for what I do.
However… as time wore on, something nasty just stuck out like a rotten tomato on an otherwise delicious pasta plate.
For some unknown reason, at LEAST every other subject line – getting more and more frequent with every week that passed – included a decidedly negative word that rubbed me the wrong way. And not just negative, directly derisive of some people.
Now, I’m all for using divisive language to segment your audience and whatnot… but NOT at the expense of alienating subscribers that could otherwise become customers.
Sure, there is the brand of marketer that says ‘I don’t give a rat’s ass what people think, I do my thing and if people like it fine’. But given the choice of making money or sticking to that odd maxim… I bet every single one of them would take the money.
So. There I was, being tugged into two directions: wanting to get more involved and possible buy a product or two – and being constantly annoyed and really rubbed the wrong way by the same marketer’s choice of attitude.
And to be clear – this guy’s a pro’s pro, no beginner by any means.
In the end, “when there’s doubt, there’s no doubt” – I unsubscribed.
photo credit: quinn.anya
Now, it IS possible that:
- I was not within his target market after all (not likely, because I actually dug the tips)
- I had a bad hair day (once or twice yes, but dozens of times? nuh-uh)
However, given the fact that I actually WANTED to BUY from this guy, does it even matter?
In reality, he pushed away a fully potential customer. Don’t be like that guy.
Be the one who DELIGHTS the subscriber, making them WANT to hear from you instead of dreading the next mailing.
THAT is the REAL purpose for your existence in your subscriber’s inbox. Some way, somehow, you make their life better. That’s the reason why you have an audience. Period. End of story.
Speaking of which. 🙂
If you didn’t catch the 2010 Holiday Edition of my PDF newsletter The Copyist, not to worry. You can still check it out right over here. Enjoy!
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