Herding cats with keyboards

Adventures with email lists and why I'm failing

Photo by The Lucky Neko on Unsplash

I sent out my author email on Wednesday.

You might have got it!

You might not, but either way, this post is all about what worked, what went horribly wrong, and why I’m probably going to go from 900 subscribers, down to 441 😭

It’s brutal isn’t it?

Email list building, trying to connect with readers, trying to get their attention, make friends, have a list that’s lively and responsive. Like herding cats - also, that subject line meant I could include a picture of kittens, so, you’re welcome.

Email data is a harsh, harsh reality if you’re brave enough to look at it, and that’s what I’ve been doing. Because in case you were on another planet this past week, you’ll have known that Facebook and Instagram went down on the same day.

What did this mean apart from less time to scroll?

It was a strong reminder that what you’ve built up on social media platforms can disappear at any moment.

A brilliant person I’m following was locked out of her Facebook for a whole day, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but as she’s in the middle of a launch it was vital that she was able to still speak with her audience as it’s where her private group is at. So what did she do and how do I know this? She sent me an email.

She isn’t dependant on any one platform and is still able to harness the power of her people.

THAT’s why it’s sooooo important to have an email list. To have control over your own audience, and why I’m reconnecting and building up mine.

What for?

I have a book coming out in November. I want people to pre-order. I want sales. I want reviews.

They are big asks. Massive asks, and I need friends, lots of friends to do that. That’s why I’m putting a lot of effort into making a really strong email list. Providing value, making connections, so when I do make those asks, my audience will go, ‘sure!’ instead of ‘unsubscribe.’

Which brings me to the massive down-take of subscribers and data that made me wince. I’m about to bare all with my email list data here, and it’s not pretty.

So, as Bette Davis would say, ‘fasten your seat belts, this is going to be a bumpy night read.’