Podcast Summary: Episode 63 – "Ghosted! How to Come Back After Not Emailing For a While"

The Email Sound Booth with Liz Wilcox
Host: Liz Wilcox
Release Date: December 11, 2024

Introduction

In Episode 63 of The Email Sound Booth, Liz Wilcox delves into a common challenge faced by online businesses and email marketers: re-engaging an email list after a period of inactivity, or what she aptly terms as being "ghosted." Liz's candid and personable approach provides actionable strategies to revive dormant email lists, ensuring sustained engagement and revenue generation.

Timing Your Comeback

Liz emphasizes the importance of timing when planning to reconnect with your email list after a hiatus.

1. Reconnecting After a Few Months

• Immediate Resumption: If the absence from emailing spans only a few months and you maintained regular communication prior, Liz advises to resume emailing as if nothing happened.

• Minimal Explanation: Instead of lengthy apologies, offer a brief personal update. For instance, "Hey, it's been a while. I've been doing XYZ. Here's my latest podcast episode."

• Avoid Apologies: "[00:30] 'Don't you dare apologize. Don't say, oh, my gosh, I'm sorry I haven't emailed you in a few months. Nobody cares.'"

2. Reconnecting After More Than Six Months

• Reintroduce Through Welcome Emails: If the break exceeds six months, it's essential to re-engage subscribers by treating them as new. Liz suggests repurposing your welcome emails to create a "post-ghost sequence."

• Resources Provided: Liz offers welcome sequence templates and a Loom video tutorial in the show notes to assist listeners in this process.

• Content Refresh: Modify welcome emails to include reintroductions, redistribute freebies, and highlight your personality. For example, replace "Welcome to my list" with "Hey, remember you're on my list because XYZ?"

Re-engagement Strategy

Liz outlines a structured approach to re-engage subscribers who have been inactive for over six months.

1. Welcome Reintroduction

• Dispense Freebies Again: Offer the freebie once more to reignite interest. "[02:15] '...give away our freebie again, and we're going to refresh them on who you are and a bit of your personality.'"

2. Setting Expectations

• Define Future Communications: Clearly outline what subscribers can expect moving forward, such as types of content, frequency of emails, and available resources. "[03:00] 'In this post ghost strategy, we are going to again set those expectations...'"

3. Sharing Valuable Content

• Highlight Best or Latest Content: Share high-quality or recent content to provide immediate value and demonstrate your ongoing commitment. "[04:20] 'Email number two is like your best content... sharing some of your best or your newest content.'"

4. Consistent Follow-Up

• Regular Communication Schedule: Liz recommends sending the reintroduction emails within a five-day window, adjusting based on personal comfort levels. "[01:45] 'I personally would send them out like email one on Monday, email two Wednesday, email three, maybe Thursday or Friday.'"

The Importance of Consistency

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to underscoring the necessity of maintaining consistent email communication.

1. Commitment to Subscribers

• Stop Ghosting: Liz passionately urges listeners to commit to regular emailing to respect and honor the consent subscribers have given. "[05:10] 'Stop ghosting your list. If you want to take your business seriously... commit to sending these newsletters.'"

• Personal Anecdotes: Sharing her own hectic schedule, Liz illustrates the challenges of consistency and the importance she places on maintaining her email commitments. "[07:50] 'I've got other stuff to do, but I'm doing this because I said I would do it.'"

2. Emotional Connection

• Serve Your Audience: Emphasizing that it's not just about emails, but about serving and helping your audience, Liz likens ghosting to ending a relationship without notice. "[09:30] 'If this was a relationship, I wouldn't just ghost you. Right? Like, that's rude.'"

• Personal Passion: Liz conveys her deep commitment to her subscribers, stating, "I love serving so much. I love my people so much. I can't fathom ghosting them."

Handling Long-Term Inactive Subscribers

For those whose email inactivity spans over a year, Liz provides strategic advice on managing their lists.

• Consider Cleaning the List: If your email list is small (under 500 subscribers) with few or no active customers, Liz advises to delete inactive subscribers after attempting re-engagement. "[10:45] 'If they don't open the emails, just delete them. Really? Anybody just delete the people that don't open in the next couple months...'"

• Focus on Acquiring New Subscribers: Rather than expending energy on unresponsive contacts, prioritize finding new, engaged subscribers who are currently interested. "[11:30] 'Your energy would be better spent just finding new people that give a crap right now.'"

• Analogy to Relationships: Liz compares trying to re-engage old subscribers to attempting to rekindle a relationship with an ex, emphasizing it's often futile. "[12:15] 'It's like, if you're single for a couple years, do you try to go back to your ex? No, that's never gonna work, right?'"

Final Encouragement and Resources

Liz concludes the episode with heartfelt encouragement and offers resources for further assistance.

• Call to Action: She invites listeners to join her Email Marketing Membership for $9/month, where she commits to writing the majority of their emails weekly. "[15:00] 'I'd love for you to join email marketing membership $9 a month. I am going to literally write 80 to 90% of your emails every single week...'"

• Reiteration of Commitment: Liz reaffirms her dedication to helping listeners succeed in their email marketing endeavors. "[16:30] 'You are awesome and you are fully capable of emailing weekly. I know it.'"

• Closing Remarks: She wraps up by affirming the importance of consistency and serving one's audience, leaving listeners motivated to take actionable steps. "[17:00] 'I really want you to serve your people. I know you can serve them with email... You are amazing and fully capable of doing this.'"

Notable Quotes

• On Avoiding Apologies:
  "[00:30] 'Don't you dare apologize. Don't say, oh, my gosh, I'm sorry I haven't emailed you in a few months. Nobody cares.'"

• On Commitment:
  "[05:10] 'Stop ghosting your list. If you want to take your business seriously... commit to sending these newsletters.'"

• On Serving Subscribers:
  "[09:30] 'If this was a relationship, I wouldn't just ghost you. Right? Like, that's rude.'"

• On Focusing Forward:
  "[12:15] 'It's like, if you're single for a couple years, do you try to go back to your ex? No, that's never gonna work, right?'"

Conclusion

Episode 63 offers a blend of practical strategies and motivational insights for anyone looking to revive their email marketing efforts after a period of inactivity. Liz Wilcox's no-nonsense yet compassionate advice serves as a valuable guide to not only reconnecting with dormant subscribers but also building a more engaged and responsive email list moving forward. By emphasizing consistency, commitment, and genuine connection, Liz provides listeners with the tools and inspiration needed to transform their email marketing practices for sustained success.