How to handle unsubscribers from your newsletter/email list

I send out press releases and email campaigns on a regular basis. I find that generally, most people who don't want to receive your emails will hit the old Unsubscribe or Opt Out button without any problems.

But occasionally they might email you directly to ask you to unsubscribe. Now in the case of media, how should you respond to that?



A situation like that happened to me last week. I had an editor who, up until last week had opened almost all of press releases, when he suddenly unsubscribed. So I took the time to find out why. I emailed him and said that I had noticed that he had recently unsubscribed, and would he mind telling me why and how I could fix the situation.

Now some people will just not bother to answer, but if you've been building a relationship with them over time, they usually will. He replied that he was noticing that most of the news wasn't B.C based, that it was based in other provinces, and wasn't a national story, so he wasn't very interested. However, he did say that if it was going to be B.C based, too send it directly to him- not as a mailout, and then very kindly gave me a list of reporters he would like me to send my stories to.

Now not all of your subscribers will be so nice, but it really pays to contact them and find out how your emails and information can be of benefit to them- not you.

In the case of a newsletter, these days there is so much information on the web available, that people just don't want another piece of information dropped in their inbox. So you have to really work on the information that you put into your newsletter to make it stand out from the crowd. Don't write anything that isn't unique to your business or product. Make sure it's information that you can't find anywhere else and then ask the person who unsubscribed if they would like to contribute to the newsletter. Offer them an interactive role, ask them questions- what would they like to see? How often would they like it delivered? How will it benefit them? Of course, these are most likely questions that you asked potential subscribers before you started your newsletter, but it pays to revisit to keep a customer.

So overall, I would say choose which subscribers are the most valuable for you to keep and then do the best you can to connect with them.

gal-friday is branching out

Well, you heard it here first, or rather second- facebook seems to always be first- gal-friday is branching out to Vancouver. Coquitlam to be exact. After residing in Edmonton for almost 25 years, it's time to move onwards and upwards into the mountains and by the sea. As many of you know my business only started in October of 2009 after the firm I was working for closed it's doors. Since then it's been months of learning curves and craziness starting my own business, but it's all coming together now. I have a great group of freelance writers and designers, and my associate Literary Agent Brian Wood is showing me the ropes as an agent.

We are now at the point where we can offer Agent services and Publicity services all in one. Selling a book is much easier if you have a media platform and if the world knows about you. With gal-friday we are able to deliver both. It's been a great partnership and is getting stronger every day.
We are the only company that is combining that service, and we are also the only people who will give you an honest (very honest) opinion about the sales potential of your book. Most agents don't give those kind of responses. But with us you are guaranteed that if we don't take your book on- you'll know why. Whether you like it or not!!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with my little business I am a freelance writer and I continue to write as much as I can on those days when I might get a little spare time. I recently finished a non-fiction nature biography and as we speak it is with an editor at Doubleday, and I am awaiting it's fate. So as a writer, and someone who worked behind the scenes at Chapters/Indigo as well as in front of the camera, our business is an excellent one to consider when thinking about the world of publishing.

As well, I handle several businesses, some of whom I've worked with for years with their marketing and publicity.

So, by the fall I will have relocated to Vancouver and Brian and I will be all set to attack the United States with our publicity and selling talents. We hope you stay along for the ride!