Humans Are Creatures Of Habit - Beware

[John Motson]

It's funny how when people get into a groove it's really hard to get them to notice
the subtle differences in the landscape.

Forum and website owners will tell you most click revenue they earn is from new
site visitors who arrived there via search engines - rather then people who visit
the same site every day.

Re-visitors tend to ignore advertising.

It's the same with news sites I read. I tend to just blindly go to the section I
am interested in completely ignoring anything else that may exist on the webpage
I am on.

I believe it's because we are creatures of habit. We memorize a pattern and
we usually follow it (almost) blindly.

And of course, the same law applies to newsletters we send out to our subscribers.

I send regular lists of expired domain names to my newsletter subscribers and forum
members. In a week I send out 3 to 4 emails.

My email is usually worded as:

************************
Hi,

I put together another list of expired domains for you:
http://somelinkhere

Then I write other stuff here.
************************

Today while sending out a link to free expired domain names I also provided a list of
Premium expired domain names that were registered by my forum members a few days
back as an example of what people can find in my forum's Premium section.

Well, a few minutes after I sent the mail out, I got a couple of angry replies.

One of them said:
*************************
John,

I am so sick of finding the domain name I want was registered by someone
else before I could get to it.

Perhaps you could hunt down the guys who lurk waiting for your list and
ban them from getting your emails so that us honest folks can get our hands
on some domain names for a change.

**************************

Of course, this angry subscriber actually failed to read my email (since he was
skimming as a force of habit ) and thought the list I provided was of available domain
names when in fact as written above, the list was an example of Premium domain
names registered by my Premium members.

Anyways, to cut things short, when writing your newsletters, be aware that people are
creatures of habit - literally. Once we get into a groove and get used to a format, we will
most likely skim and read only the parts that we are interested in, completely ignoring
anything else.

As for me, I will have to go away and figure out a way to get my subscribers'
attention and get them to read my mails carefully before I get any more angry emails.

John

[davezan]

Originally Posted by John Motson

I am so sick of finding the domain name I want was registered by someone
else before I could get to it.

Perhaps you could hunt down the guys who lurk waiting for your list and
ban them from getting your emails so that us honest folks can get our hands
on some domain names for a change.

Hmm, sounds like one who keeps searching for an available domain name, but
keeps getting beat to it. He's seriously expecting too much on the last part.

Anyway, I'm sure you know what to do, John. But I carefully read your emails.

[Michael Silvester]

John,

you only provided a list of 1 domain in
this post?

http://somelinkhere

I expect you to post a list of 100 domains with
each of your posts to the Warrior forum.

Im I asking too much?

Take Care,

Michael Silvester

[John Motson]

Originally Posted by Michael Silvester

John,

you only provided a list of 1 domain in
this post?

http://somelinkhere

I expect you to post a list of 100 domains with
each of your posts to the Warrior forum.

Im I asking too much?

Take Care,

Michael Silvester

ROFL

Thanks for that Michael !!!!

[strive4impact]

Originally Posted by John Motson

As for me, I will have to go away and figure out a way to get my subscribers'
attention and get them to read my mails carefully before I get any more angry emails.
John

One idea for getting them to read closely is to turn it into a contest to find errors in your email messages.

If you're willing to take on a little extra time involvement, it can also be something fun...

Something like: "Every email I send out has the possibility of containing errors. Since I am always willing to learn the "error of my ways", each week for the next 8 weeks I will be paying $5 (via PayPal) to someone who finds a typographical or factual error in one of my email messages."

Something like that could encourage (at least some of) your readers to read a little deeper. I'm sure there are other contests/incentives you could create, so long as you made it clear that it wasn't a permanent change (unless you wanted it to be a permanent part of your newsletter).

[Bev Clement]

John I thought you had bought all those premium domain names and was giving them away to your list Now I have to read your emails closely to see what you are saying there

And ignore Michael as he looks like [who is it you are supposed to look like Michael?] and remember he is from Australia like you.