Two Dirty Words

Email. Marketing.

My own personal inbox is sitting at around 3-4,000 unopened emails (I know, don’t @ me!). Every six to twelve months I have a purge and delete en masse, unsubscribing to websites I don’t even recall visiting. Occasionally I will sign up to something thinking I’ll get my discount (or whatever) then unsubscribe immediately (I don’t). It’s not because I have anything against said website/business (oftentimes I actually LOVE the business that is emailing me), if it were not for the overloaded status of my inbox!

I’m told email marketing is paramount for small business, even today when social media dominates. In fact, it’s BECAUSE social media dominates that the email contact list is so vitally important. Who do you think owns all the content posted on Instagram/Facebook? Instagram/Facebook, that’s who! You may have heard the rumours suggesting Tik Tok is to be banned in Australia (as it has been in India). Extrapolating that information, if Instabook went belly-up tomorrow it would take with it all the images, written content, AND the followers of hundreds of thousands of businesses who have come to rely upon these platforms. This is all highly unlikely of course, albeit within the realms of possibility. Uh. Oh.

So by now you should see my quandary, I have an ethical dilemma here. The email list is vital to my business, yet how can I ask people to sign up to something that I personally hate? I’m sure I’m overthinking it, but this is the kind of thing that keeps me awake at night! What are your thoughts on email marketing?

2 Comments

Matt Thomson on July 16, 2020 at 10:36 AM

Hello 🙂

Thanks so much for sharing this, as a fellow maker/designer I feel your pain and struggle with the same thing!

I think half the problem (and the opportunity) is that so many newsletters are rubbish and offer very little value/interest so we right all newsletters off as the same …

The biggest breakthroughs for me were that this actually means its easier to make something people want to read/receive and that people receiving it can (and will) leave anytime they like (so we don’t need to feel like we’re fooling or tricking them).

I also really love Hiut Jeans in Wales, and the way they approach all this. David Hiett one of the founders wrote a super short book called Do Read, which you might find interesting and also very practical, I know I did – haha

The other thing that’s really changed my thinking about this is to actively search out and subscribe to good newsletters you enjoy reading as a great way to get ideas and shown it can be done well 🙂

I guess it’s like if you love handmade products you wouldn’t rely on getting inspired by emails from Kmart …

Hope this is helpful, a fellow reluctant marketer- haha

Matt

admin on July 16, 2020 at 8:00 PM

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, Matt. You have shared some EXCELLENT advice – I will definitely seek out David Hiett’s book (I need all the help I can get, ha!).

Jeez, you made me laugh with the “inspired emails from Kmart” comment. I won’t hold my breath waiting for one of those. Although, with 4,000 unread emails, I may already have one! 😉

Matt Thomson on July 16, 2020 at 10:36 AM

Hello 🙂

Thanks so much for sharing this, as a fellow maker/designer I feel your pain and struggle with the same thing!

I think half the problem (and the opportunity) is that so many newsletters are rubbish and offer very little value/interest so we right all newsletters off as the same …

The biggest breakthroughs for me were that this actually means its easier to make something people want to read/receive and that people receiving it can (and will) leave anytime they like (so we don’t need to feel like we’re fooling or tricking them).

I also really love Hiut Jeans in Wales, and the way they approach all this. David Hiett one of the founders wrote a super short book called Do Read, which you might find interesting and also very practical, I know I did – haha

The other thing that’s really changed my thinking about this is to actively search out and subscribe to good newsletters you enjoy reading as a great way to get ideas and shown it can be done well 🙂

I guess it’s like if you love handmade products you wouldn’t rely on getting inspired by emails from Kmart …

Hope this is helpful, a fellow reluctant marketer- haha

Matt
- admin on July 16, 2020 at 8:00 PM
  
  Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, Matt. You have shared some EXCELLENT advice – I will definitely seek out David Hiett’s book (I need all the help I can get, ha!).
  
  Jeez, you made me laugh with the “inspired emails from Kmart” comment. I won’t hold my breath waiting for one of those. Although, with 4,000 unread emails, I may already have one! 😉