I've Retired!
A HUGE thank you to all the friends, clients, colleagues and subscribers I've met along the way.
You all allowed me to do fun, interesting work while earning a great living. You made Email Persuasion a best-seller and helped me win a bunch of accolades and awards for marketing which I really didn't deserve but appreciated anyway!
Now I'm taking time off to travel more, relax more, watch football more...and maybe play around with some fun side-projects too.
If you're interested, you can see all my recent posts about newsletters and emails on Substack by clicking the button below. I just re-read a whole bunch of them recently and I'm really rather proud of them:
You can also read my older articles on marketing, consulting and relationship building here.
Here's what I used to say...it still makes sense...
Email is Without Doubt the most powerful marketing tool for Small and Solo Businesses
I'm sure you've heard that a million times before.
And I'm sure you've read about the 43:1 return on investment with email marketing.
Or that a regular newsletter allows you to build credibility and trust directly with your audience without being hostage to the whims and algorithms of social media giants, search engines and their capricious billionaire owners.
It's true.
But, of course, there's a catch...
there's a Huge Problem with almost all the advice you get on email and newsletters
If you've ever read one of those articles about how you should copy the methods Joe Blow used to grow his email list to 27 million, or that you need to learn advanced "ninja" copywriting techniques or implement yet another complex technology tool then you'll know all about this problem.
Almost none of the advice on email and newsletters deals with the actual challenges real people have.
Real people have problems like getting started. Or knowing what to write about. Or managing to send emails out regularly rather than once in a blue moon. Or getting more than a few dozen subscribers.
Learning about fancy automations or how some influencer with a huge social media following grew their email list doesn't help the rest of us.
And frankly, we just don't have the time to learn any of it, let alone implement it. We have businesses to run. Clients to help. Lives to lead.
All that well-meaning advice does more harm than good because it doesn't focus on the actual day-to-day problems most of us have with newsletters and email marketing.
And it doesn't help with the one thing that above all else leads to success with email for "normal people".
Consistency
Sending a valuable, interesting email week in, week out that cements your credibility and builds a personal relationship with your subscribers while helping them succeed.
And you can only be consistent with email (or anything) if it's simple, easy and enjoyable.
You can get my free advice on how to succeed with email and newsletters in a way that's simple, easy and enjoyable by reading my Unsnooze Your Inbox Newsletter.
You'll learn simple techniques that anyone can implement to come up with great ideas, write engaging fun emails your readers will find hugely valuable and then turn those engaged subscribers into paying clients.
Highlights from
Unsnooze Your Inbox
Magic should feel like this...
-> so should your emails
Every great speaker has these - you should too
-> here's how you can build them
How to break out of a rut
-> fresh ideas for emails and newsletters
How to show people you "give a sh*t"
-> it matters a lot
How to reach deep into the soul of your audience
-> courage mon brave
Great emails begin with deep understanding
-> because that leads to trust
Why I'm not a fan of (over) dramatic storytelling in emails
-> though many would disagree
Your Secret Weapon against "I'll never be as good as that"
-> a simple tool that actually works
Surely this can't be why I open James Clear's emails?
-> and don't call me Shirley. Obvs.
Read this if you're hesitant to tell your story in your emails
-> it might just give you what you need to get started
3 "missing links" for getting more clients from your emails
-> these tips helped me *a lot*
Why "Influence" is overrated
-> shock, horror, I mean the much-revered book
Read all my Unsnooze Your Inbox articles here...
A creativity tip stolen from James Cameron
-> I'm pretty sure he won't mind, but just in case, don't tell him
Do what you enjoy - not what's best
-> marketing heresy
5 ways to "unlevel the playing field" with email
-> simple steps to get an edge over big firms
3 hard-won lessons on getting "unstuck"
-> and a simple process for writing emails even when you're stuck
Thank Gawd for Ann Lamott
-> warning - mild swearing inside!
I found a new guru to steal from
-> this will work for you too
Jonny & Lucy > Benedict & Martin
-> please don't hate me for this if you're a Sherlock fan...
How I learned to love follow-up
-> and the huge mistake I learned from
5 go-to sources of great ideas for emails
-> one of these WILL work for you
Why your personality Matters
-> and how to get it across
Your Secret Source of Stand Out Ideas
-> you're almost certainly overlooking this
How to craft a unique topic for your newsletter
-> a simple 3-step process
Why your newsletter MUST look and sound different
-> useful is not enough
Email Breakdown: "The Robots are Here" from Copyblogger
-> in-depth breakdown of a very well-written email
"The Peak" newsletter sells for $5m - here's what you can learn
-> fresh, real-world insight into how you can grow your newsletter
Write the emails you want to see in the world
-> not the ones you think other people want to see
The Real Secret of Selling by Email
-> or...how to avoid wasting your time on yet another silver bullet
Where do great emails come from?
-> hint: it's not from waiting for the muse to arrive
Your stories are your secret weapon
-> with them you can slay corporate dragons
This is the most important email you can send
-> get this wrong and it's over before it starts
The 3-Part "Magic formula" for effective emails
-> there aren't really any "magic formula". But this gets close.
simplicity = speed = results
-> and the enemy of speed is...
See all my Unsnooze Your Inbox articles here...