What to do when your growth slows

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I’ve been publishing this newsletter for three years as of today.

And for the past 150+ weeks I’ve kept a 45% open rate.

I pride myself on writing high-value, edu-tainment content paired with enticing subject lines.

It’s kinda my thing. And why this newsletter has been successful.

So yesterday when I opened up my analytics dashboard to check my engagement metrics, I was surprised to see…

My open rates have dipped

It’s still in the healthy place of above 40%.

So that might seem like much to worry about.

But when your email list is the centerpiece of your content strategy, your ears better perk up. Because if engagement starts to freefall, that ain’t good for me or my business.

Plus I’m a competitive marketer. I want healthy, consistent growth. And I have plans to reach 20,000 subscribers by end of year.

And since a highly engaged list is the most valuable marketing asset on the planet (aside from your reputation)….

I’m going to show you how I analyze and solve the “slowed growth” problem every marketer eventually faces

 This includes:

• Strategy: How I diagnose slow growth and create an action plan

• Tactics: Specific subject line writing techniques that I’m going to use over the next 30 days to get back to 45%+

First, let’s get the emotions out of the way

Seeing that engagement dip didn’t feel good.

Early in my career I would react with either

1. Confusion: What the ?!?!

2. Frustration: F*$%#!!

Or sometimes the 1-2 punch, What the F*$%# ??!!

But over time realized that emotional responses aren’t productive. They’re distractions.

Working out of fear, desperation, or anxiety leads to worse decisions and less creativity.

Now I don’t get mad (or sad). I get curious.

Whenever growth slows, I follow this 4-step process

This only works once you set aside emotions and think objectively.

Nothing is “good” or “bad.” It just is or is not.

STEP 1: GAUGE SEVERITY

Before I act, I ask myself: What’s the real damage here?

I want to respond with the right level of urgency and resources.

Not everything deserves a fire alarm.

When your CEO or boss messages you with a problem (or perceived problem), it’s tempting to drop everything and swarm on it.

But the truth is, very few things in marketing earn a red flag.

After I assess the damage. I ask myself, Is this a yellow flag or a red flag?

→ If it’s yellow: I communicate that I recognize it, make a note, and come back to it later.

→ If it’s red: I communicate I’m on it, reprioritize my day, and jump on it right now.

Avoiding false urgency keeps you in control of the situation and helps you make a more productive plan.

I give my open rate dilemma a yellow flag.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

I ask myself, What specifically didn’t work?

I always start with the data.

Here are my subject lines and associated open rates over the past 30 days:

Color coding sure does make it easy.

I immediately see the outlier. One subject line fell short by a significant margin:

Now I can dig in and analyze:

1. Why that one subject line tanked

2. What patterns top performers have in common

And that’s where things get interesting.

STEP 3: ANALYZE PERFORMANCE

It’s time to understand why. It helps to look for patterns.

Execution fell short for ONE main reason

I did not follow my go-to framework for writing un-ignorable subject lines.

And it bit me in the arse. It’s that simple.

Lazy writing leads to poor results.  

I know this. You know this. But this week I re-learned it the hard way.

But unfortunately, diagnosing slowed growth isn’t always so obvious.

There are many “hidden” causes to look out for.

So I also ask, What else changed in the last 30 days?

• Did my production increase or decrease?

• Was I running any experiments?

• Did I stray from my strategy?

• Was there a societal event or change?

If growth rates change — up or down — then something must’ve changed in either my output or my audience’s behavior.

They’re connected.

These answers will help you create an effective plan that will jump-start your growth rates.

STEP 4: TURN INSIGHTS INTO A GAMEPLAN

It's time to turn those insights into a game plan.

For me, it’s pretty straight forward

1. Stick to my proven subject line writing technique

2. Start my writing process earlier so I avoid rushing and have time to workshop subject lines longer and pick the best one

Here’s more on that technique I teased:

(If there’s ONE tactical thing you take away from today, let it be this)

Option 1: Hook’em with curiosity

I love a “mystery” subject line.

The goal is to create curiosity that motivates your reader to open your email. By clicking, they hope to “solve” their curiosity by reading the body of your email.

You’re specifically being vague as a means to intrigue the reader.

These are consistently the most effective subject lines I’ve ever used.

Option 2: Hook ‘em with benefits

The benefit subject line is the complete opposite of the mystery subject line.

It’s a straightforward headline that tells the reader exactly what’s inside by teasing the benefit.

The goal is to be upfront and clear about the value inside your email in order to entice the reader to open it.

The key is that you tease it without giving it away.

These are the most reliable subject lines for building credibilty.

More writing advice for increasing your open rates and getting more clicks

The best marketers know how to capture attention and convert it into growth.

I’ve built my career on it. And email is the best channel to grow your brand and pipeline. Straight up.

But it’s wildly misused and misunderstood.

So I took the most effective and reliable tactics that I’ve collected over the past 6 years and put them into a digital playbook called Content That Converts.

A huge part of it is dedicated specifically to email.

Inside you’ll find everything you need to write un-ignorable subject lines, compelling copy, plus advice for getting more clicks.

Specifically:

→ 25 “curiosity” subject lines you can copy/paste to increase your open rates today

→ The best Sender Name strategy that has literally never lost an A/B test and worked wonders at Gong and Clari

→ The two best “hot spots” - aka the best time of day to send your emails to get the most opens

Plus, dozens more tips, plays, and ideas to make you a stronger and more confident writer.

You can get all the above and much more inside Content That Converts.

Holler at you later,
Devin

PS: It took me 3 hours to write, edit, and design this newsletter. If you liked today’s post, you can help me grow by forwarding it to one person with a quick “You’ll love this newsletter. Totally worth signing up.”

Watch Episode 10 of Reed Between the Lines
with Kyle Lacy

Worth checkin’ out if you wanna know how to build brands, launch a merch store, and parent as an ambitious executive.

Kyle also dropped gems like

- How he created raving fans at Lessonly
- How to build brand and demand at the same time
- Advice for having a successful career and healthy family life

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