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?

3 comments

3 Comments

johns183mo 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.

noahs823mo 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.

susan_wells1mo ago

Hell yeah, @noahs82's friend totally gets it. That's the exact kind of result I keep seeing when people stop trying to reach everyone and start talking to the people who already raised their hand. The whole "big blast creates new demand" argument from @johns18 sounds nice in theory, but in real life, most people just delete or unsubscribe. A 12% reply rate vs 2% is huge, and that kind of response usually turns into actual paying clients, not just window shoppers. Plus, those 500 people are way more likely to tell their friends about you than the 9,500 who got annoyed by your email.