I sent out my outlet e-mail yesterday and have now had 3 people unsubscribe! I'm trying to build my business...and it's dwindling! :cry: Thanks to iContact, I know who is opening my newsletters. It's kind of a double-edged sword. Nice to know who's opening, but sad to think who isn't opening it.
Awww, don't take it personal! If I did, I'd probably be out of business!! Keep your head up and sign up for a fair or 5! You'll build a ton of contacts that way!
Don't think about the ones who unsubscribe, they don't normally buy from a newsletter anyway. Focus on building it with new contacts from shows. Let them know it will come 1-2-3x's a month, and you will be surprised of how receptive they will be. I understand the double-edge sword. When I first started with icontact I realized my mom never opened my emails. The ones you expected don't always open, and the ones you don't always expect are the ones that order.
I look at it this way -- at least I'm not clogging my list with folks who aren't interested. I'd rather have a small list of true PC people, than a large list of anybodies.
Don't take it personally. Sometimes I've had people cancel my newsletter as it is a bad time for them personally and they just can't be tempted or know they can't afford anything. After they send me an unsubscribe, I just tell them thank you for letting me know and they have been successfully unsubscribed. I tell people about it at my shows and that if they want to cancel at any time it is fine and I don't take it personally. It is all a numbers, and time game.
It could be the same as what happened to me.. I send out my monthly news letter, and of course I send it to myself..... I got 1 unsubscribe............ It was myself... I don't know how or why.. but I got unsubed from my own mail list without any intervention on my part.
Perhaps (and I know this probably isn't much consolation) the people that unsubbed were people that were never getting your email before (due to email/spam filter), and since you started using iContact, which has excellent deliverability, they started receiving it.... and you're just getting the unsubs now. Hugs! I know it's hard but try not to take it personally. Some people just don't have time or patience to filter through emails, no matter how good the info.
Don't worry! I sent mine yesterday and had 36 people unsubscribe!! The people who unsubscribe aren't your customers anyway - if they're going to unsubscribe, they're not going to order from you most likely. Just move on and get some more solid leads.
Thanks guys! I'm feeling a little better now. It's just hard sometimes when I'm struggling to get bookings and such and I'm trying to do things and they backfire/don't pan out. I'm going to focus on my show for this Saturday. I need to get bookings! My April is empty right now. Now if only my printer would stop acting up so I can print off my stuff I need to make my guest folders! On the bright side, I just got a recruit lead yesterday. A new neighbor asked me about the biz when I brought her a catalog (she asked for it when we met at our little park here).
I always follow up with those that unsubscribe and I PUT that in my e-newsletter so they are aware that I'll do that. I have had people say that they are moving so that's why they did it. After explaining that they could order anyway, they asked to be put back on. As for people not opening it, it's NOT 100% accurate. So they may not seem to open, but maybe they do. I use Constant Contact and have done a list of people that haven't opened any of my last 3 emails. I'll do this for maybe one more month and contact those people to see if they get it/want it. About 1/2 haven't opened anything since January (can't see specifically before then). Also, I've had people that unsubscribe b/c they just don't read it, but they still go to my website and show up at my expos that I'm at regularly. Oh...and don't feel bad if your closest people don't open it. Just tell them you NEED them to. They may NOT b/c they figure they are special and know everything b/c you fill them in personally.
I've noticed that if someone reads your newsletter in Outlook and just uses the reading pane, as opposed to opening it fully, it can show as unopened even though the read it. Also - I've had people's husbands unsubscribe because they didn't realize what it was...
With iContact there is also "unsubscribed" and "do not contact". I've had 3 "do not contact", so I won't be able to do a follow up. Good idea though to follow up with the regular unsubscribes.
I was wondering if that is the case. I had a friend tell me she loves my emails and I was a little taken aback since I knew she never showed as opening them in icontact.
I contact is a service to send out your email newsletters. Yes there is a montlly charge based on your number of contacts.
Don't despair...maybe right now in their life, Pampered Chef is too big a temptation. Mark those people down (especially if you know they normally like PC) and when the new catalog comes out it in the fall, you include them again. If they unsubscribe that time, let it go. A lot of people just hate "junk mail" and if they are using a work address, there may be restrictions on what they are allowed to get.