October 5, 2012 30 Comments

A Change In How I Send Out Information

Mailing stuff from the most useless mailbox ever

It has occurred to me that if you’re getting most of what I send out, then you are probably overloaded and inundated. I send out 1-2 blog posts a week (these!), plus my super fun favorite Sunday newsletter, plus I have a few different deliver-by-email projects going, etc. I must seem like I’m sending you something every day of the week (if you get all those things).

I’m sorry about that. In attempting to make sure that I’m telling you the bigger story, I’ve probably been flooding your inbox, which none of us really want.

Here’s what I am intending to do for the foreseeable next while:

1 blog post a week (unless I simply must blog again)
1 amazing wonderful Sunday newsletter (are you catching a hint here?)
1 podcast (new one launches VERY soon) a week (but you won’t have to worry about that clogging your inbox)
1 webinar or webjam or other online fun every 2 weeks

Plus your courses that you’ve signed up to, because obviously you paid for those and don’t want to miss out on them.

Will that be better? Will that help?

Getting This Blog In Your Inbox Doesn’t Mean You Get My Newsletter

So, there’s this tricky thing that happens. People will say, “I love that newsletter you wrote about ____,” and I’ll think, “well, that was actually on the blog and not the newsletter,” but what I say back in every case is “hey thanks!” But what I don’t realize is that maybe YOU think you get my newsletter already because THIS comes to you in the mail.

THIS IS MY BLOG and not my newsletter.

THIS is my NEWSLETTER

I’d love to see you there. It’s where the fun stuff happens.

Okay, let me know. Thanks!

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  • http://whenpiggsfly.com/ Martin Pigg

    I cannot ever be overloaded or inundated when it comes to useful and inspirational words, so please keep them coming.

    • http://chrisbrogan.com/ Chris Brogan

      Kind of you, sir.

    • http://www.blazewebstudio.co.za/ geoffreygordon

      I am going to agree with @20Martin_Pigg here. Your stuff is rock solid Chris. I am never bothered, because it is always quality. I certainly look forward to your podcasts. :) Thats exciting.

  • http://keithkorneluk.com Keith Korneluk

    While one blog post per week is certainly nothing to shake a stick at, I’m curious as to why you will be blogging less-frequently. I know you get a lot of traffic regardless. Are you satisfied with that number and feel that one post a week is sufficient to maintain your readership? I’ll continue to enjoy your posts regardless, Chris!

    • http://chrisbrogan.com/ Chris Brogan

      It’s because I will provide even more content in other formats. So not looking at my blog as the only venue.

      • http://EricLWalker.com/ Eric Walker

        what platform you using?

  • http://www.corbaecafe.com/ Victoria Smith

    I completely appreciate your efforts in this. Thank you! I can’t think of anyone who only subscribes to one blogger’s posts, newsletters, and programs. I certainly don’t. I follow multiple bloggers as each fills a separate niche in my array of interests.I’m sure this is the same for other readers. Multiply that by say, oh a dozen, and you’ll quickly be inundated. I’ve had to scale way back on my email subscriptions just to manage the flow, but I can’t help but worry that I’m missing out on something that would be important. So thanks for thinking about it. (I just signed up for your newsletter to stay in the loop). Your thoughtfulness in this regard once again shows that you’re leading the pack and thinking about your readers. Quality, not quantity, is the real gold here. Quality messages are the ones that get through and noticed – not a blitzkrieg of repetition and noise.

  • http://www.garmaonhealth.com/ Joe

    You wanna see email inundation? Subscribe to Firepole Marketing. The guy farts emails.

    • http://twitter.com/ZenologueBlog Photography Business

      That’s so funny, Joe, because I had the very same thought as I was reading this! I love Chris’s emails (both the newsletter and the blog), and look forward to getting them. Firepole (read “firehose”) marketing sends me so many emails that I swear they’re just on a mission to send my inbox over quota.

  • http://thebacklight.com/ TristanH

    Can I offer a request with regards to the podcast? If it’s an interview show, please find people that we haven’t already heard a billion times. I will kill if I hear another interview with Pat Flynn.

  • http://twitter.com/gimmetim Tim Henningsen

    Thanks Chris. More marketers should take this tact. It’s human!

  • Mike

    When it comes to my social media marketing career, I always try to keep in mind the value of anticipation. We have so many tools with which to send out messages, the consumer can get inundated.

  • http://EricLWalker.com/ Eric Walker

    Chris, I like it when you post MORE blog posts. I also enjoy my cup of coffee with you on Sundays (thanks, it usually gets me out of doing dishes as the Mrs. understands I need like 30 minutes to read your newsletter. Even if it only takes me 10 … shhhh). I’m interested in your podcast. Is that like going back to your roots? BTW: your inbox output is tame compared to others, but I know you don’t compare yourself to others. Lastly, just finished Impact EQ and THAT will honestly last me for the next 1-2 years. Lots to sharpen. Thanks man.

    • http://chrisbrogan.com/ Chris Brogan

      The Podcast will be fun because I haven’t had a steady “show” for years. : )

  • Andrea Butje

    Chris- This is a great blog post in and of itself, and I am thrilled to know about your Sunday newsletter-can’t wait. Your content is always directly useful and extremely enjoyable. I am inspired by your ongoing development of diverse formats to share your knowledge with us. I try to do the same in my industry. Thanks for all you give and share-you do it with absolute grace. :)

    • http://www.facebook.com/andreabutje Andrea Butje

      And- thanks for being such an inspiration.

    • http://chrisbrogan.com/ Chris Brogan

      Thanks!

      • Adam_Waid

        Chris, just curious, why Sunday for your newsletter?

  • Linda

    While I deeply appreciate all of your insights and guidance, I think rest is underrated! I’d like to turn off all of the business stuff on Saturdays and Sundays. Reading will resume on Monday! Thanks for all you do Chris.

  • http://www.conorneill.com Conor

    Excellent! That is thinking from the “audience’s point of view” ;-)

  • http://www.heartspoken.com/ Elizabeth H. Cottrell

    This is very thoughtful and much appreciated, Chris. I do try to catch everything you put out, and it can be a challenge with the current state of inbox overload. If anyone’s going to cut back, I can think of some others besides you, but I still appreciate it.

  • http://www.proservicesks.com Frank Woodman Jr

    I think that it’s easy to push out too much to your readers and subscribers and it’s not good for either side when that happens. For it’s not only those receiving your posts, newsletters, and emails being over whelmed to consider it’s also your trying to put out quality products that suffers when the pace is too demanding. And I think you’ll find that you don’t mind so much the pressures of writing and getting out your content when you cut back your schedule to a more manageable rate.

    I know that I’ve found that at some point you can only hurt quality when you push for too much quantity. So it sounds like a win/win decision and I’m sure that you will come to appreciate your decision as much as your readers and subscribers do.

    • http://chrisbrogan.com/ Chris Brogan

      I’m not at all suffering in the quality department. I could write mountains more than I post. It’s just that I don’t want to drown people.

  • wormseye

    Meat beaters!

  • Robin Reid

    Chris – I could never get too much email from you.
    You are one of three bloggers I read religiously; the other two are Seth Godin and Penelope Trunk. I can go anyplace to get relevant info. You three are hilarious, out of the box thinkers who galvanize our higher order brains to think and act more effectively.

  • OBVAVirtualAssistant

    I was just thinking, when I read the first line “you are probably overloaded and
    inundated” and asked myself am I? The answer was a big NO. Your stuff is so
    very different, so very informative, the captions of each blog is so very
    captivating, the matter is too the point and speaks aloud every thought of your
    mind and action. These are very few words to describe how grateful I am for
    your blogs, newsletters(will check it from the link given below) and all your
    advice and replies.

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer

    Hey Chris, first time on your website in a while but I really like 1) your newest design and 2) the way you’ve organized all of your messaging and communications in this blog post. What you suggest above makes total sense for a variety of reasons, and I applaud you for slightly decreasing your blog posting frequency and sticking to a weekly newsletter of unique content – makes total sense to engage with your readers based on high quality content and not necessarily high frequency.

  • http://www.odigma.com/ facebook fans

    Yes, this is really changed and nowdays ,we send email to send information to reach far distances.

  • Pingback: A Change In How I Send Out Information | marcinkorecki

  • Hanxue Lee

    Hello Chris, I have always enjoyed reading your blog posts – mainly via Google Reader. Nice to know you have a weekly email newsletter now.

    Is there a way to filter your blog posts by category? For example, to show only Google+ related posts. I fail to find the post labels.