You send out your Mailchimp campaign. Without fail, within the hour, the unsubscribes start coming in.
As ET says to Elliot, “Ouuuuuuuuuuch.”
Whether it’s a Mailchimp subscriber, Instagram follower, or Facebook liker, losing a fan can feel like a hit to the heart. The negative voices start chiming in:
- what did I do wrong?
- why don’t they like me anymore?
- what did I post that was a turn off?
- why am I such a loser?
Rest assured, my friends, we’ve all been there. Even Ryan Reynolds gets an unsubscribe occasionally. But contrary to what your bruised ego may be saying, losing followers is actually very good news. Here are the key takeaways you can keep in mind.
You Can’t Please Everyone
Embrace your individuality! Trying to please everyone leads to vanilla poo. While losing followers may mean that you initially seem less popular, it’s actually a good sign that your message is becoming more specific and you’re finding your target audience. If you’re doing your job right, not everyone will like you. Seriously.
Find Your Tribe
The more specific and authentic your message, the easier it will be for your tribe to connect with you. Be bold, be real, and you will give your true audience an opportunity to find you. The more that your messaging is clearly “you,” the more opportunities you will be creating for them to connect.
Be Patient
If you start getting real, it may take your people awhile to find you (“awhile” as in like six months, a year, two years). Don’t lose heart. Be consistent with your message and your sharing, and – over time – you will start to develop the crew that really resonates with your offerings.
Don’t Take It Personal, Now
Finally, don’t take it personally. I’ve personally unsubscribed from newsletters that were perfectly inoffensive for any number of reasons:
- I moved away.
- I was double subscribed with a different email.
- I didn’t need the service anymore.
- I decided to do a social media cleanse of everything in my inbox for other reasons.
- I was in a bad mood when I got the email.
- Etc.
If you’re trying a new marketing angle or shifting your tone, give yourself at least three to six months before you evaluate the longer term impact of what is happening with your marketing channels. Be patient, be consistent – and most importantly – be YOU.
If you want more info on marketing immersions and teacher trainings, check out the online course, “Marketing For Success”.
