The Glorious Power of Specificity

I can always count on exactly 2 email subscribers whenever I launch projects: my wife and my mom.

Sometimes the lists stall out right there at 2. Other times I’ve very slowly reached 10, even 20.

But there was this one time I got 56 subscribers in a weekend. That may not seem like a huge number to you. But it was for me.

Since then, I’ve launched new lists for various projects and none of them have even come close to 56 subscribers that quickly.

What’s interesting about this is these days I have more followers, improved skills, and more experience. I’ve got more of everything that one typically needs to build a list.

But the numbers don’t correlate the way you’d expect.

So naturally. This makes me curious. What was it about that 56-subscriber list that just worked? What about it struck a chord with 56 people in just 48 hours?

It was likely a combination of things: the subject matter, timing, copywriting, the opt-in experience, and trustworthy design.

But more than any of that, I have a hunch that it was how specific I kept the subject matter — which organically kept the copywriting laser-specific.

Every other time I’ve launched email lists, they’ve been vague at best, and aimless at worst. I’m always afraid of limiting myself and the subject matter.
But I’ve discovered that whenever you stay vague, people don’t know what to expect from you.

Why would anyone sign their name to something they can’t reliably predict future outcomes for? It feels risky.

That 56-subscriber list in 48 hours was the only time I did these things… #

1. I clearly listed (using a bulleted list) exactly what the email list was for. I explicitly stated what members could expect in exchange for their email address.
2. I used numbers when practical. This particular list was for a 50-day writing prompt challenge.
3. I kept the subject matter laser-focused. It was clear that the list was exactly for 50 writing prompts. No more, no less. I didn’t even mention that there might be other bits of content included.
4. I left out poetic and artsy language. Even though the target audience was writers who might appreciate poetic writing, I decided it was best to keep the tone almost clinical. I knew subscribers wouldn’t care about my beautiful writing. They only cared about their writing.

I wonder how your email list would perform if you implemented some of these practices? Personally, I need to take my own advice more often. I get sidetracked at times.

Thankfully, these are changes I could absolutely make today and probably see results in less than a week.

Maybe we should try them together?