Category: Email MarketingCategory: Email Marketing

For years we’ve posted fun stuff on social media, but then we treat our email list like an ATM machine.

“I recently saw a Reel of an artist explaining how they weren’t making sales because the Instagram platform was limiting their reach.

I clicked around and found their website (it was a store), and at the bottom they had an email sign up form, so I subscribed.

A few weeks went by, and by the time they sent me something, I had no idea who it was from.

This creative person, this spreader of whimsical words and imagery, posting daily their delights and magic. I subscribed, basically saying “hello, keep in touch.”

But instead of their magic and art, I got a menu.

A list of product images, prices, and the “BUY NOW” buttons below.”

That’s from a post I wrote in 2023, and sadly it hasn’t gotten any better.

This was inspired from today’s “WHAT IS RSS?” Escape Pod Zoom call (we have another call on Thursday, Oct 8th), talking about how everyone is busy, and receiving so much information every day.

Then, if we start using RSS to read our favorite blogs, newsletters, YouTube channels, etc., well, that’s like a magazine. Remember back in the day you could just pick up the magazine and read it?

That’s different than newsletters that come into your inbox, because face it – our inbox is different. It’s not like a magazine, it’s business. It’s family. It’s bills. It’s notices. It’s receipts. It’s everything.

So with RSS, we control what comes in. There are no surprises. The only things that show up are what we add, whereas anyone can email us, and as we all know – it never stops!

And picking up the magazine today or two weeks from now is usually fine, but we usually can’t take a two week break from our email inbox.

RSS can remove weight from your email inbox.

If you ever feel like sending a weekly newsletter to your subscribers is too much, Brick has sent me seven emails in 12 days.

“Don’t just tell people to subscribe to your newsletter,” is something I said on a recent Substack Live.

This sign up box in the footer of the Autonomous website caught my eye:

Workshop Notes
Drops, build logs, and what broke this week. From the workshop floor.

Getting people into your world is the first part of the journey. Them signing up for your email list? Well, that’s on them. But offering something besides “updates” goes a long way.

Words matter. Language has power. Hype your newsletters beyond “updates,” or “the latest news.”

Liz Derstine recently had a pretty exciting week, crossing Switzerland on the 242 mile Swiss via Alpina trail and nabbing a FKT (fastest known time).

My total time was 5 days, 17 hours, 40 minutes–1 day 2 hours faster than the current women’s record, and 1 day 5 hours faster than my previous time from 2023! I averaged over 43 miles (70 kilometers) per day and 12,650 feet (3,850 meters) of elevation gain per day.

Now, I had read her piece on crewing Tara Dower at this year’s Hardrock 100, where Tara finished 3rd woman, and 14th overall. She also “ran a large portion of the course over several days (aka “Softrock”)” and mentioned a particular bag she used, the Lickety Split 20L Backpack from Mountain Hardware.

Well, I go on plenty of adventures (though not as hardcore), and rarely need an excuse to buy a new bag, so I ordered one, and love it!

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