Here is one of the questions that someone asked recently, ‘how often should you email your list?  We would get to it in a short while.  But before that, who can remember the era when our parents couldn’t wait to hold the morning newspapers in their hands with a cup of tea or coffee right next to them?

Read the big fonts on the front page. Flip through the pages to read the funny cartoons as the good and bad news for the day is winding down?

Scan through to the fashion section to keep up with what’s going on in the industry…

Once that is done, it’s ticked off the checklist for the day as “my news “devotion is done and I can now start the day.”

Since then, reading the news has somehow switched to daily and hourly alerts on our mobile devices…

 

In today’s world, social media has taken over by showing us what going on in the fashion and entertainment industry around the world not just in your country…

It has become so much easier to get news, by way of information and messages into the hands of your readers and prospective clients – that is, if they have a mobile device, and many people do. Maintaining a relationship with your list has become so much easier than looking for a post office to mail a letter to a friend or to receive one.

In a recent post, we talked about the importance of having a subscriber list for your law firm and the consistency of them hearing from you.

So today, I’m going to focus on the question: How Often Should You Talk to Your Email List?

This is one of the questions we do get.

Oftentimes, the fear is:

• People may think you’re “spamming” them
• You don’t want to be seen as a pest
• You don’t know what to say

It could be other things not on my list.

But the truth is that there are facts that are undeniable. You will get fewer people unsubscribing from your list the more often you email them.

Imagine you have a friend that each time he/she calls or emails you, you feel you have received some value from the conversation. It’s the same with emailing your subscribers.

The more you email someone with content or an offer that adds value to their day and ultimately, their life, the more they will look at you as helpful and the more they will perceive you as an authority in your niche.

The best-case scenario is that they will even look forward to your emails (just like you look forward to your conversations with a close friend). The worst-case scenario is that they may not read every email but they will stay on your list because you hit them with content they love every now and then.

Conversely, if you don’t email your list frequently, the more likely they will forget about you entirely.

It is important you also note that you can only enjoy a thriving and engaged email list by giving extremely valuable content each time you send an email.

I’m sure that makes sense right?

Most likely, you will have people that unsubscribe from your list, but those are not people you should focus on. People have all sorts of “rules” for their inboxes (and that’s fine). But most people just pass right by emails they don’t want to read.

Focus on that one or two people who are dying to hear your solution to their problem. Be helpful to that person and watch your sales increase over time.

 

Here are 4 tips to keep in mind when generating content for your emails that will be valuable to your readers.

a. How readable is it?

When a person sees your content, do they consider it to be readable? While this only applies to written content, this is the primary way people consume information, so it’s an incredibly important category.

When considering readability, the most important thing to consider is that users scan until they find the content they need. You can achieve this by doing the following:

• Keep paragraphs short. I’ll advise no more than three sentences in a paragraph, and no more than three paragraphs under one heading.
• When people want to consume information quickly, lists and bullets are helpful.

b. How understandable is it?

Achieving this can be a bit challenging, especially when your subject matter is complex, but it can be done. You can make this happen by:

• Using a variety of media such as video, slideshow instead of written text.
• Always providing a context to explain concepts.
• Using metaphors to simplify complex things.

c. How actionable is it?

This is very important. The purpose is to create content your readers can act upon. You can achieve this by:

• Include a call-to-action that’s clear enough. It could be for them to call a number, reply to the email or click on a link. The point is that you make it clear enough that they know exactly what to do.
• Include a list of actionable items at the top of the content is long.

d. How shareable is it?

One of the best ways to have your content spread is to have your readers share it because people trust their peers more than brands. The easiest way is to allow options to share on social media or any platforms on every content piece you generate.

On this note, I’ll end with a statement I made earlier in this post.

It is important you note that you can only enjoy a thriving and engaged email list by giving extremely valuable content each time you send out an email.

 

To your Success

Luke Ikekkpolor

Your Business Growth Advocate

 

PS:

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