Subscriber attrition is something dramatically underrated by newsletter operators, regardless of growth strategy.
And there are a variety of factors that go into subscriber attrition, including things like:
How tight your niche is…
The level of brand/rapport built up with your audience…
And of course the actual substance of your content.
The higher level you are in these 3 categories, the more likely you are to have loyal subscribers who continuously open your emails over the long haul.
Just improving on quality/niche is one way to look at attrition.
However…
You can also look at subscriber attrition as a natural property of email marketing.
This is oftentimes the more realistic outlook, especially if you’re staying on par with quality, volume, etc.
Because more often than not, someone who subscribed 7 months ago, isn’t going to be near the same quality as someone who joined the list 7 days ago.
That’s just the way things are for 99% of brands.
Windows of opportunity
So why do I bring this up?
Am I telling you to lay down the ax and admit defeat to subscriber attrition?
It’s the opposite.
In fact, once you’re able to understand the natural process of subscriber attrition, you can start to take advantage of certain ‘windows’ of opportunity with your list.
If your goal is to monetize your newsletter with sponsorships or advertisements, there are ideal windows to get in front of your audience at the right time.
Specific gaps when they’ve had enough touchpoints to trust you, but also where they’re not burnt out from your content.
Playing to the extremes
Here’s 1 great way to go about this (that I use myself)
Go really heavy on the content emphasis for a few weeks.
What I mean by that, is with every newsletter, you should be building or retracting from your reputation.
1 of 2 things should occur within every person who reads the newsletter…
1) They LOVE it and are itching for the next.
Or…
2) They didn’t resonate or find any value whatsoever, and want out.
This will allow you to filter through and find your loyal audience, which you can then capitalize on with monetization.
How to create content your audience loves (5 quick tips)
Here are 5 things to keep in mind for writing content your audience will want to read:
1. Understand your average reader on a deep level
2. Every sentence ask “will they care?”
3. Stay on top of industry trends
4. Write simple
5. Be controversial
Case Study
We started working with this newsletter a month ago and it's been a complete turnaround in 30 days.
— Ben Billups (@BenBillups) August 23, 2024
30 days ago:
– 4,356 subscribers
– 13% open rate
– 1.1% CTOR
Now:
– 8,850 subscribers
– 44.1% open rate
– 5.4% CTOR
That's the power of @fwdnewsletters pic.twitter.com/aENcXEpxue
Ben OUT!
P.s.
Want to grow your own Newsletter for $0.75 per subscriber?