The “baby duck” secret to bonding with your email list

The first thing a baby duck does after pecking its way free from the shell is take a quick look around…

It’s scanning its surroundings for anything big.

And when it sees something, it’s tiny brain instantly makes the connection:

“MOM!!!”

It’s called “imprinting,” and it’s why you’ll sometimes see stories on the news about baby ducks who waddle around after a dog or some huge biker dude who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The bond is deep and permanent.

This is exactly what you want to happen when someone joins your email list.

Now you probably don’t want them showing up at your house or following you around the neighborhood when you’re out for your morning run…

But you do want to make a lasting impression on them, so that every time your name pops up in their inbox, they think, “Oh, a note from Josh! What does he have to say today?”

That’s why it’s so important to have a solid welcome email. (A lot of people get this wrong—stay tuned for more about your welcome message and why it’s the most critical email you send your list.)

It’s also why I’m such a fan of 5-day email courses.

When someone signs up for your list, you have just a few days to make a lasting impression. By the time a week goes by, they’ve probably forgotten who you even are.

A good email course gives you an excuse to email them every day for a week—and then continue to talk to them about something they’re interested in for months or years after that.

You should aim to send 7-10 emails in the first 14 days after your new subscriber signs up.

If they stick with you through that—and most will—then you’ve formed a lasting bond with them, and they’ll continue to look forward to hearing from you.

P.S. If you’d like to put together a 5-day course like this for your list but aren’t sure where to start, I can help. Just contact me and we can discuss the details. (It’s more affordable than you might think.)

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