Is your list unresponsive?
Here’s why & what to do…

Are you concerned that only a small portion of your subscribers open your emails?

Do you worry that once they open your emails, only a small percentage actually click through to your blog post or read more about your most recent offering?

Today I am going to share why your list may be unresponsive and what you can do to change it!

What should you expect from your list?

Before we dive into why and what you can do about having an unresponsive list, let’s clarify what it means to have a responsive list.

If your emails are opened by 20-25% of your subscribers, then your list is fairly responsive. Of course, the higher the number, the better.

Keep in mind that as your list grows, your open rate (the percentage of people opening your emails), will likely decrease a bit. This happens simply because, over time, you will end with more people who are just “checking you out” vs. serious about wanting your help.

What about the percentage that purchase from you?

Having a responsive list is not just about your “open rate,” but it is also about what percentage of your list purchases from you when you make an offer.

You can expect a higher percentage to purchase from you when you make a lower-priced offer.

For a lower-priced offering, you can consider a 1-3% conversion rate for sales to be a good rate. If your list is smaller (under a thousand) and you have more of a connection with your subscribers, you may experience the higher end of this range. As your list grows into the thousands, that conversion rate will likely go down.

If you have no list, a small list, or an unresponsive list, don’t fret! When launching a program, promoting to your list is just one strategy you can employ.

Why your list may be unresponsive & what you can do about it

There are a few reasons your list may be unresponsive…

1.  Your list is not targeted

This means that you have a very diverse list that may include friends, relatives, and people with a wide variety of health concerns and backgrounds.

When your list is very diverse, you will find that your emails only resonate with a small portion of your list.

What to do:
Start to get clear on who you want to serve and what problems you want to focus on solving.  This will get you on a path to having a targeted list that is interested in your content and your offerings.

2.  You don’t communicate regularly with your list

If you send a newsletter, ezine, or blog post out to your list less than once a month, this can lead your audience to feel that you’re not consistent or serious about your work.

What to do:
Start sending out regular content to your list on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. This will build trust with your audience and they will become more engaged.

3.  Your list doesn’t find your content compelling

When you send out your weekly or bi-weekly newsletters to your list, it is important that you address questions and issues that your audience is struggling with and wants to know more about. This becomes easier as your audience/list becomes more targeted (as we addressed in #1).

What to do:
Be careful not to simply write about what interests you, but write about what your audience cares about. I believe you can find overlap in these two areas!

The easiest way to guarantee that you are writing compelling content is to draw from the questions and topics that are coming up in your sessions with clients, on private forums you moderate, or when you give live talks.

4.  You haven’t made offers to your list in the past

If you have been in business for several months or more, but haven’t made any offers to your list, it can take some time to “train” your list to take action. The first time you make an offer to your list, you may not see as strong a response as you’d like.

What to do:
Have patience and keep at it!  The second or third time you make an offer to your list, you will likely see a stronger response.

How are you going to take action?
I think it’s fair to assume that all of us want a more responsive list. Share one action you would like to take make your list more responsive.  And as always, post your questions below so we can help you get into action!