Mystery shop mystery

Recently I “mystery shopped” a email marketing guru’s site and signed up for his email list.

After completing the obligatory (and I would argue, unnecessary) double-optin dosey doe, I got this:

Your subscription to our list has been confirmed. You should receive your first newsletter in a week or two. For your records, here is a copy of the information you submitted to us…

NOOOOOOO!!!

Seriously?

This is a fail of epic proportions.

The first email you send your subscribers gets the highest open, read and click rates of any email you’ll ever send them.

It’s no uncommon to see 80% of people reading that first email.

Not only that, but the first few days after a subscriber joins your list is your one (and likely only) chance to engage with them and build a solid relationship.

Two weeks is an eternity in marketing.

Your new subscriber needs to hear from you early and often.

To blow this golden opportunity by puking back a bunch of form data and telling them, “go sit over there in the corner—the doctor will be with you in an hour or three…”

¯\_(ツ)_/¯