How to revive a mostly dead email list
A little over two years ago, I decided to start writing a blog and newsletter again. I had an exhausted email list that hadn't been touched in a long time, and after some work, I honed it into an active and thriving list.
A friend was paying attention to my efforts to grow the list and pull my audience away from social media. Like me, he was disillusioned with the failed promises of apps like Instagram and TikTok and wanted to get back to direct communication with his audience. However, he also ignored his list of thousands and wasn't sure how to kick off a new email marketing campaign for the business, so he asked me for help.
We discussed how to reignite the interest of his subscribers who haven't heard from him, and I devised a simple strategy that we will implement soon. We are taking these actions to turn the list into a revenue-generating tool for his company.
1. Understand the audience and how to provide value for them
His is a retail brand, not a service, so the value is subjective, but it starts with understanding his core customers and why they might still be interested in hearing from him. The more we understand his ideal customer, the easier it will be to talk to and provide value to them.
2. Lean in with grace
The first one or two messages should be about reintroducing the company to the audience. His brand is lighthearted and fun, and the posts should reflect that but not dismiss the subscriber's needs and desires. There will be very little promotion or pitching in the first one or two messages. Instead, we'll remind them why they subscribed in the first place (even if they don't remember themselves).
3. Create a brand story
Brand identity is cool, but what serves best is sharing stories that resonate with the customers. Aside from being casual and fun, we will share brief stories and insights that help people understand the brand.
I recently subscribed to Patagonia's email list (because why not subscribe to a brand where I can't afford anything but wish I could), and the pervasive message that comes in every email is about their commitment to conservation. They are a premium brand that doesn't sacrifice its values to make cheaper products. You probably already knew that, and that's because their brand story is strong.
4. Respect the attention
We will start slow by only sharing a couple of times per month. At this stage, the audience is fragile, and we don't want everyone to jump off the list because we are suddenly inundating them with new messages. We fully expect people to bail in the beginning, and once that churn tapers off, we can talk about sharing more often, maintaining the same level of respect for their attention.
5. Bait the hook
We're also discussing ways to bring new people to the list by providing the standard lead magnets for product brands (discounts, exclusives, etc.). We also discussed creating short-term offers on pricing and reintroducing legacy designs that haven't been in stock.
6. Create a content calendar
Every post, especially in the beginning, needs to be strategic. We want to introduce new products, stories, and ideas at the right time. We'll use holidays, trends, current events, and pop culture as reference points and coordinate the featured products around those topics. This also allows us to create campaigns well in advance.
7. Segment and serve
Because his brand serves a few different niches, we'll start segmenting people based on their interests. That way, we can introduce specialized and exclusive product offerings to them. This requires a reasonable amount of strategy and process, and if done right, it can significantly help keep people interested because they feel like they are being seen and not just sold.
There is a lot of nuance and micro-strategy involved, and as we investigate further, I will share our findings. I will also soon offer email strategy as a service of The Hungry. If you want to learn more, reply to this message and share your thoughts.