How Does Your Email Come Across?

I’ve finally taken my email in hand and started unsubscribing from lists I find annoying or unhepful. I’m surprising myself at feeling a little sad at doing it, especially lists I’ve been on for awhile, but my inbox is simply getting unmanageable. And, no matter how hard I try to find it, so far that magic bit of information I need to make a gajillion dollars on the net has not presented itself. I’m beginning to believe the only way this whole business is going to work is through hard work and attention from me. Oh, well…

The obvious eliminations - marketers only offering the latest launch or package of books I’ve already accumulated through giveaways - wasn’t that hard. I kept track for a couple of weeks of all my email and whether there was any real help or information being offered. If it was only sales, I hit the unsubscribe. Today I also hit that button for just generally being annoyed at the tone.

For example, one marketer told me had a bunch of free stuff for me to download - and then nagged that he really did expect a donation for his time and trouble. Three times before I stopped reading! Hello??? Either give me the stuff or put together a sales package, but don’t whine at me that I should give you money for doing something I did not ask for.

Another list I’ve been on for quite awhile does offer some good information from time to time, but he almost as regularly berates his readers for not taking advantage of an offer or freebie, telling us how hard he’s working on our behalf. I do appreciate the hard work necessary to regularly put out a newsletter, but come on! What am I, twelve years old and in need of nagging? Don’t think so - and I don’t need a mother for this business.

If I have recieved more than one “watch out for my new stuff, I’m sending you an email soon about this next big thing” email, I leave the list. Does that really work? Do people anxiously check their email because they need to see the marketer’s next offering before anyone else? Do I need to hear three or four or five times that it’s coming soon? Not me.

There have been a few “I really need to raise some money” email lists I’ve left. I’m sorry for the circumstance, but I’m on the list because you’ve said you can teach me how to make and grow a business on the internet. When you tell me you can’t come up with a few hundred dollars to pay your rent or your hosting fees or whatever, you just told me you know about as much as I do, and you are not more successful than I am. How can I feel you’re able to give me any good information?

One thing that the gurus tell us is to pay attention to what other marketers are doing and to note both good and bad. These newsletters certainly are providing me with a good list of what not to do.