Lots of people wonder about how many emails you should send to your list. How many is too many? How many to make the sale? What's the right number? Here are some lessons from my 20 years of hard-won experience…
Lots of people wonder about how many emails you should send to your list. How many is too many? How many to make the sale? What's the right number? Here are some lessons from my 20 years of hard-won experience…
Thomas
I was on your PLF list for 6 to 7 years before I bought!
Jeff Walker
@Thomas: That’s awesome!
Aaron Koral
Nice video, Jeff! I get the idea that you have to engage your email list customers and not ignore anyone on that list. The right time will come to selling what works to your email list subscribers. By the way, what is an open rate and why is it important to an email list? Thanks!
VERBAETUM
An open rate is the average percentage of times people open the email you send them: Example; say you send an email to your list of 1000 people and only 100 people open it. Well your open rate will be 10% of 1000 people.
Now with Aweber, you can actually know how many people didn’t open your initial email and then send a email to everyone that didn’t open your last email. So that would be a great way to engage each subscriber because you could say something like this in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th message.
Subject: Hey! I see you missed my last message.
Now by doing so you can actually help boost your open rate. And also keep in mind that if your are contacting subscribers often, make sure it’s not always something to buy; but something of value that’s FREE. Because an overload of paid offers can make your open rate go down or even cause a subscriber to unsubscribe.
Stephanie Rodnez
Thank you Jeff! Needed to hear this today!
Bernard
Thanks Jeff for these videos. You inspire me!
Ndifreke Atauyo
Hi Jeff,
I have also adhere to your PFL instructions on the number of mails I send to my list and during the launch period for my web design nigeria – it has been pretty helpful as I usually have no unsubscribe during launches because the emails has great step by step value added content that are helpful to my lists.
Thanks Jeff – you remain my go-to-guy and man when it comes to product launches.
Claudemir Martins
Good video, I’m too excited for my first launch and keep looking at the email list response that makes me nervous… a lot of people and the open rate looks so low. (15%) It’s hard to keep the mind calm during this process 🙂
Valerie
Great content – some of the people on my list have been there since 1998!
One woman told me she stopped opening my emails because they were a painful reminder of how stuck she was. She finally opened and bought.
Thanks Jeff and of course, you continue to rock the T-shirt 🙂
Jeff Walker
Thanks Valerie! 🙂
Royce
You need to ask that ONE guy who took four years to buy, why it took so long. Actually, you should call ALL of them and ask them. They typically are happy to answer. That way we don’t guess—we know—and then we can fine tune our metrics and subsequently, our marketing methodology. It doesn’t take that much and gives us an enormous insight into our individual campaign. AND—it is an incredible boost to our customers—they love talking to us. Opens up opportunities. “Hey Connor (client)—this is Jeff Walker (or Joe with Jeff Walker)—(20 seconds of how are yous…) I saw that you bought a course/book/whatever from me just recently—do you have a moment for a couple questions? I noticed you’ve been getting my emails for four years and just now purchased—can you tell me specifically why you are just now buying? ((You can even give them a list to choose from a) never opened the emails until now; b) didn’t need your product until now; c) Just changed jobs and started my own business and this became pertinent; Your last email resonated; d) etc…)). The point is to take the time to find out—true marketing is Define & Refine. Saves million$ in the long run.
Thanks for doing the Homework
Megan
I find these numbers to be what I’ve been experiencing as well in my first year. Thanks Jeff! I LOVE this blog/email series. You write the best emails in general. The headlines make me open and the copy makes me click. 🙂
Shirley Plant
Great advice- my open rates have gone from 54% to 32% . makes sense to always bring in new people and offer new opt ins and engage with them
katharina
many thanks for all thos great insights, jeff! i much appreciate it.
how soon do you start selling in your emails?
many thanks 🙂
John Lombaerde
In many businesses, the best way to increase business is to revisit old customers who bought from you in the past, but are no longer current customers. This can be much more cost effective than finding new customers.
Most businesses offline and online are in need of a little sales CPR if you will.
Mary Lou Green
This just shows how much content you deliver in your emails, Jeff! Sometimes emails are enough for a while until someone new to online business can figure out who to listen to and what to buy. Your emails help to build trust as well as expertise. Congratulations on your approaching 20-year anniversary! Glad to celebrate with you!
Rosana Ribeiro
Hi Jeff, I have a question but I don’t speak English well. So I hope you understand. I have a blog about online marketing, and yesterday another company also about online marketing emailed me saying they loved my content and they wish to do link building with me. I offer a link to their site in (in / at I have no idea lol) some of my posts and they offer links to my posts in their site as well. I know link building is very important for SEO, but they are my very direct competitor. Should I accept exchanging links or not?
Most likely their company are bigger than mine, so my fear is lose my few clients to them given them my traffic.
PS: I bought PLF from Érico Rocha in Brazil. I bought from him in the very first week.
Thanks I love your content
Pradeep Parik
I have been on your list for a very long time, but only today managed to make it to your blog. I should have come earlier. I like what you say and the way it is presented on your blog.
Which theme are you using on this blog. Looks like a proprietary one. Could you recommend a similar theme I want to use it on my blog.
Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge.
Anne Jennings
Thank you Jeff for spending your time doing these videos.
I liked your comment about building a relationship with your people on your email list.
Best wishes for your new head quarters.
with love Anne Jennings
Jay Castillo
Hi Jeff, after watching the video, i searched my inbox to find out that I subscribed to your list way back in November 2009. I purchased PLF only in 2015, after about 6 years. 🙂
Martin
Hey Jeff,
first i wanna Thank you so much. Before a couple of days i got your AudioBook and i am already through it and starting to implementing these Things for my second Launch in Dez. 2016. The first did`t very well.
I have a big Problem. My eMail List is quit big (5000) but everything else than Powerfull. I have Open Rates about 25%. I also have a few thousand FB-Follower. BUT the engagement and sales are near zero. I try to follow up with an Autoresponder eMail Campaign to Build a good Customer/Prospect Experience and a Relationship. But i get no Increase in Sales or Interaction. I actually create and Membership Area with real Value as my next Give away.
It seems like FB Advertising gives me a better ROI than converting the Paid Traffic into eMail subscriber. I nearly give up on my list. 🙁
How can i increase the Relationship with my List? How do i get more Interaction? Do you have any Resources for that?
I would appreciate an Answer.
Kind regards from an young german Entrepreneur,
Martin
Sharnee
Some salient advice here, never give up on the people on your list. I had a guy reach out to me just this week who has been watching my videos and reading my articles for 4 years as well. He said he had thought about it many times but didn’t know if I could help him. Thank god he finally reached out as I can definately help him and it will only take 2-3 months to do it. Perfect advice here, just love it, Thanks Jeff, Sharnee
Rev Walter Mwambazi
I’ve been on your list three years and yet to buy the actual PLF. Only bought the book so far!
john brubaker
Jeff, In an earlier video this past year, I distinctly remember hearing you say a majority of the people on your list didn’t buy until after 18 months. Am I misquoting you from that one?
Jeff Walker
@John: yes, you’re misquoting. 🙂
Natasha Bazilevich
Hi Jeff, I totally agree about not giving up on potential clients. I personally haven’t bought your product yet, but have been enjoying all the videos and all the inspiration. I’m just starting with my business and you have been giving me ideas and motivation to keep going during hard times. I know that as soon we start making money I will for sure come to your live event! SO looking forward to that!