When Should You Email Your List?

“The Money is in the List!”, right? That’s what we’re told, but unless you know how to monetize that list, it becomes more of a draining obligation than a profitable asset.

Some of the most popular questions asked by List Owners include how often they should email their list, what they should send to their subscribers, and what days (or times of the day) are best for sending out those emails…

Don’t Lower Your Own Profit Potential!

You should never base your emailing schedule on what is best for YOU, by either day or frequency. I realize that some days are better than others for you to sit down and write or publish your newsletter. And a weekly mailing (week after week after week) might seem like a heavy obligation to you. But publishing your newsletter or emailing your subscribers when it is best for you, or only as frequently as you prefer, could be seriously minimizing your profit potential as a list owner!

The Most Responsive Day & Time to Send Your Email

So what is the best day of the week, and best time of the day, to send an email to your subscribers? It really depends on your niche or target market. But here is how you can find out: Look at the stats or the date-stamps for your newsletter sign-ups and note what time and day you get the largest number of subscribers over a period of time.

People are creatures of habit, so the most active day of the week and time of day for sign-ups is also a great time for sending email to your list! (Of course, this happens automatically if you set your list up as an autoresponder )

For me, this is Tuesday morning between 8am and 10am CST – well, for my Internet Marketing list, I should say. Each niche is different, so if you own multiple lists you should consider the best day/time for each of those lists individually.

How to Manage Your List Without Going Crazy

So how do you stay on top of it all, managing both frequency and quality? Here are some tips that will help you keep your sanity as a List Owner, and make your mailing list more responsive at the same time:

Know Your Intentions
Different mailing lists have different objectives. Some are used to build relationships and develop trust with potential clients or customers (monetized with your own products, or “soft sell” recommendations and reviews). Some lists are specifically for after-the-sale follow-up communication, customer service (and backend sales). And others are simply sales tools (think JCPenneys or Victorias Secret for example, where people sign up to hear about sales and special offers). Every list needs a main objective, and this determines what/when you email.

Yes, I am stating the obvious – but you cant imagine how many people set up a subscription form on their website with absolutely no clue why they did it, other than being told ‘every website needs a list’.

Scheduling, Planning & Preparation
Instead of scrambling each week or each month to figure out what to send out to your list (eek – Panic!), know ahead of time what you are going to send (at least in general) and keep a set emailing schedule. For example if you decide that Tuesday mornings are the best time to send an email to your subscribers, but you dont have time or inspiration on Tuesday mornings, set aside a block of time on Saturday morning or Monday evening to prepare your mailing.

Use the Resources!
One of the greatest resources available to List Owners is the Autoresponder feature. You can actually use this tool for more than just automated responses or “Out of the office” messages. If you set your newsletter up as an Autoresponder, you can have your email messages go out in a timed sequence. This is great for reaching your subscribers on the same day of the week, or hour of the day, that they originally signed up for your newsletter too – which means you are more likely to catch them online and checking their email. Investing the time upfront to set your emails up in an Autoresponder will free you from the ball-and-chain feeling you might otherwise feel with your list.

There are other resources at your disposal to make use of as well, such as: stats, personalization, automation, templates, spam checkers, ad tracking, web form generators and more. If you dont have all of this available to you through your program or service, you should give Aweber a test-drive! If the money is truly in the list (and it is) then you need to be in a position to test and track the response, conversion and every other little detail.

What You Should Send to Your Subscribers

Every single issue doesnt have to be a labor of love. Realize that, accept it, and continue on even when you dont feel inspired to spend 3 hours writing the ‘big whopper’

So what should you include in your mailings? First, go back to your own sales copy. What did you offer as an incentive to subscribe to your list? Did you tell your visitors that they would get certain types of tips, maybe free resources on the topic, or did you offer them freebies and deals? Jot down a quick list of everything you offered or promised and post that by your monitor… because this is what you want to make sure you are delivering, first and foremost.

But what about those days that you are drawing a complete blank? You could always send them to someone else’s website. (*Gasp!* are you serious?! – Yes.) News, resources, freebies, great deals, an interesting perspective… these are the types of things that your subscribers will appreciate you for! Remember, every email you send is not just to “make a buck”. It is to offer a service, build a relationship, be a good resource, and encourage them to keep opening your emails in the future for more great nuggets!

Keep in mind that your subscribers dont have time to read a mile-long email every single week anyway. They will appreciate the quick tips, short emails, and quick resources – I assure you!

Speaking of which, consider your frequency cautiously. More does not always mean better. There is a delicate balance between emailing often enough not to be forgotten between issues, and emailing so often that you outright annoy your subscribers!

For more great tips on building & managing a profitable email list, sign up for the List Building Intensive. It is a FREE online course that discloses the “secrets of building super-huge super-profitable subscriber listsâ€.

You can also get a Free Report from Lisa Preston, developer of Instant Niche Emails, that will help you create the kind of messages your subscribers will want to read!

Happy Emailing!