Working with 100s of women over the years - one thing I know to be true:
People just don't know what they should say to their list. 1 week of not writing to their list turns in to 2, turns into a month, into 2 - and before they know it - it's 6 months down the line and now they're wondering what the fuck they're going to write and worrying about whether their list even knows who they are anymore.
Gah.
Take it easy - take the pressure of yourself. You don't need to explain your absence - most people won't even have noticed you've gone. You don't need to explain any change in direction due to an epiphany you had last month. You just write... and if they unsubscribe? Cool... NOT your people. NOT your monkeys, not your circus. Don't sweat it - and don't bend over backwards to appease to the people who didn't GET you!
It's best not to try and re-engage your list with an offer and a BUY MY SHIT email if they've not heard from you for a while - so here are 10 Ideas of Things to Say to Your List when you've been ignoring them far too long!
None of these ideas require you to plug your services or programs - it's just about getting YOU back on the "newsletter horse" and showing up for your audience and letting them see you in an authentic manner.
- What I Wish I'd Told my 21 Year Old Self
Oh gosh! The lessons we've learned! I'd tell my 21 year old self to stop worrying about what other people think, having a partner was not the be all and end all - and to believe in myself and my abilities. - A Funny Thing Happened at the Supermarket
Doesn't need to be funny "ha ha", but simply through observing people going about their every day life, you'll see something which makes you smile - and somehow their actions relate to a bigger picture which you can draw back as a story for your audience. - How the Pandemic Changed me
Maybe you learned that you like spending an hour in the bath every day listening to an audiobook and knocking back a glass of wine. Maybe you learned your brain doesn't "work" with constant noise and interruptions. Maybe you discovered that actually HELL YES you'd like to hug EVERYONE you meet!
This is very revealing and peels back a layer of YOU so your audience get to find out what makes you tick and the lessons you've learned - it's going to be so relatable to everyone who's had their life turned upside-down over the last 18 months. - The First Sale You Ever Made
What did you sell? Who bought it? Do you still sell that service? How did it make you feel? How did you deliver it? - Great Tech Deals or Apps You Can't Live Without
I'm very consistent about emailing my list - and I always like to share with them a great app or tech deal I see - because running a business is so much easier with tech that works! - When I was 13 I wanted to be a...
Being a grown-up is hard work! So many decisions ALL the time. What you're doing right now with your business is 99.9% certainly something different to how you had your life mapped out when you were 13. Make us smile. Bonus points for a photo of you on stage in glitter fingerless gloves and a conical bra!
- If you came to my house we would...
Write this as though you're speaking to a woman you met online, you get on with and you want to meet up (duh! Easy right!?). What would you say to make her feel welcome? What would you do? What would you serve? What would you chat about?
It might sound silly, but I want you to be able to write to that FRIEND and just get into the flow of writing without pressure. Thing "round robin" without all the nauseous stuff! - Why you do what you do
It's time for your audience to hear your story again. Are you a trauma "coach" because of something which changed your life forever? Are you a yoga teacher because your back hurt and you walked crooked before you took up yoga? Did you lose 100lbs without eating toothpaste and running 15 miles a day? Share your story. I mean sure, it's probably on your "About" page - or maybe it was in a welcome email you sent a year ago or more - but this is a very gentle reminder of you, your values, what you stand for - and again, easy to write and get you back in the writing frame of mind if you've been avoiding it. - A round up of your year to date
Highs and lows. Don't hide the dirty truth - don't be afraid to celebrate your success. Just be real. - The secrets of my handbag
I mean who ISN'T secretly interested in what other women are carrying around with them day-in, day-out? It's silly. It's flippant, but it's also a window into what you're like as a person.
All of these are sure to help build that LIKE, KNOW and TRUST factor with your audience because you are giving them a slice of the real you.
Understand that you're probably not going to get the best open rates EVER... that's cool too. You can send it again to the unopens in a couple of days. Some people might unsubscribe. Again, totally cool because this is all about you finding your OWN brand voice.
