I made a big, fat blunder in last Friday’s email.

Do you remember it?

The email I sent about having lots of variety in your emails — so you never bore your readers, and (if you write emails correctly) even keep ’em on the edge of their seats, anxiously awaiting you to push that shiny, candy-like “send” button each day?

Let me explain:

To make my point, I used those variety cereal packs as an example.

The analogy being not to bore your list with the same “taste”.

Well, here’s where I goofed:

The reality is, just because someone buys that variety pack of cereals, doesn’t mean he or she won’t, for example, go “cuckoo” for Cocoa Puffs cereal 2 or 3 (or more) days in a row. And if that happens, the LAST thing you want to do is pour him a bowl of Trix or Fruity Pebbles or Count Chocula or whatever.

And that’s where my advice was a tad “askew.”

Because there are times when you may very well hit a “nerve” — a topic that gets ye old trusty cash register ringing.

In those cases, it might be kinda foolish to stop.

And variety would actually work AGAINST you.

Anyway, just another reason not to dogmatically cling to “rules.”

Especially when it comes to email marketing.

And speaking of which…

If you’re interested in more advanced email marketing tips and ideas, check out Appendix 8 (the Terry Dean interview) in The Copywriting Grab Bag. Terry’s secret on beefing up the responsiveness of your email list ALONE is, in my (blatantly and shamelessly biased) opinion, worth the entire cost of the book.

Next time… something to eat besides email marketing.

Ben Settle