Had to choose between a big email blast or a small targeted list for a new service

Last month, I was launching a new website audit service and had to pick between sending it to my whole 10,000-person email list or just the 500 people who had asked about audits before. I went with the small list, and it got a 12% reply rate, which was way better than my usual 2%. Has anyone else had a good result from sending less email, not more?

2 comments

2 Comments

johns1814d ago

Gotta push back on this a bit. Your small list worked because it was a perfect fit, but that's a one-time win. What about the other 9,500 people who might need an audit later but don't know it yet? A big blast can create new demand. I sent a general offer to my whole list last year and got a bunch of replies from people who'd never shown interest before. They just hadn't thought about it until they got the email. You miss all the shots you don't take, lol.

noahs8214d ago

Yeah, my friend had the same debate as @johns18. He sent a big blast for his design service and got a ton of unsubscribes and maybe two replies. Next time he only emailed past clients who mentioned a website refresh. Smaller list, but half of them booked a call. Sometimes it's not about who might need it, but who already told you they do.