Confessions of a Serial Email List Builder

Hi Reader,

Here are 9 lessons that will change the way you think about email marketing.

I’ve run a few different email lists on and off for ten years.

I’d hate to do the math but...I’ve sent over seven million emails to my lists.

I started my first email list on MailChimp years ago.

12 months later, I realized MailChimp is more suitable for e-commerce providers and local businesses.

So, in 2016, I moved to ConvertKit.

I change software-as-a-service tools regularly, but I’ve stuck with ConvertKit longer than other SaaS companies.

It’s built for Creators. I like the product. And it’s easy to use, as email marketing tools go.

I’m growing my list organically with the Creator Network too, via recommendations. Last week, a few dozen new subscribers opted in without me doing anything.

That said…

I built a few email lists using different platforms.

(I like trying and breaking things.)

I built a list on Substack.

Substack is good if you want to run a newsletter but don’t care about marketing and selling. It’s also a good choice if you don’t have a website or blog.

Think copy, paste and, send.

When you’re ready, you can turn on paid subscriptions and get paid for running a newsletter.

Ghost is fun, too, but it’s harder to grow a list organically, i.e. bring your own audience or perish.

I stopped running multiple email lists, though.

It’s oddly stressful.

I won’t bore you with the details about privacy laws in Ireland, suffice to say that’s one reason.

Coming up with content for multiple lists is a challenge, too.

The worst thing you can do is grow and list and then forget to email them!

The best newsletter owners create content and press send consistently.

So I merged all my email lists a few years ago.

Now, I run my business with ConvertKit.

Here are nine lessons from my years of smashing Send.

1. Segmentation is a waste of time
​Most newsletter owners do just fine by emailing their entire list.

A few exceptions exist.

Those with thousands of subscribers. Those who spend thousands on paid ads. And those who want to email content to customers rather than subscribers.

2. Subject Line A/B testing is fun, but it won’t do much for your newsletter

Unless you’re selling products in volume, write another email instead of second-guessing subject lines.

Content is the real A/B test. Create and send more of it.

3. Writing under is more challenging but more rewarding
​For a while, I copied and pasted content from articles on my site and used them as teasers for a weekly newsletter. Freelancers wrote these articles. My goal was to drive traffic only.

Some creators I know crush it with this business model. These days, I’ve more fun writing emails like this under my own name. I get more responses too.

4. Running an email list under a personal brand attracts all types of readers
​I receive replies from best-selling authors, ghostwriters, coaches, creators, professors, entrepreneurs, new Dads, pensioners, and even prisoners.

I also get emails from people looking for money and work. I replied to these for a while, but it’s hard to know when to stop.

5. Most creators don’t email their list enough
​I started by sending one email per month, then one per week.

Now, I write daily emails.

That’s overkill unless you’ve a few thousand subscribers.

If you’re going to do it, commit. Writing a daily email gets easier if you practice, kind of like lifting weights at the gym.

I also like this approach because I can learn more about what my audience wants from their responses (or lack thereof).

6. A person sits behind those numbers on your dashboard
​It’s fun watching subscriber counts shoot past 10, 100, 1000, and 10,000.

But remember, each number represents a real person (ok a few are bots!)

They handed over their contact info to you. And you can email them 1:1 and ask what they’re working on and what they need help with.

They’ll reply.

Those responses are a goldmine of content ideas.

7. Don’t stress unsubscribe counts
​When I tracked these numbers in a spreadsheet, I worried my list was shrinking!

Now I don’t mind when people leave. They didn’t like the content and were never going to buy anything from me.

I also regularly remove people who aren’t a good fit or don’t open my emails.

8. You can grow a list in many different ways​
I’ve tried list swaps, SparkLoop, newsletter ads, Facebook ads, joint promos, content upgrades, social media CTAs, referrals…. the list goes on.

The trick to grow a list? Pick one or two strategies that align with your ideal reader and your current offer.

9. Pitch more often​
I felt embarrassed about gasp putting an offer to my list for a few years. Now, I almost always include a relevant call-to-action for an offer.

If you’re running an email list, you’re running a business.

Creating insightful content and talking about what you sell is a fair exchange.

If you need help getting 1,000 extra email subscribers and monetizing your list. Reply to this email with the word “GROWTH”, I’ve something you’ll like.

Write on,

Bryan Collins