I Am Worried My Email List Is Growing. Here’s Why

No one ever told me having a sizeable email list can present new challenges

I started using ConvetKit to collect the email addresses of my readers some months ago. I love that readers can share their email addresses to keep in touch.

I have been using the platform for a while now, and if you are in the marketing business, you will know how great this platform is.

ConvertKit serves thousands of customers.

Recently, I noticed I became unhappy as my email list was growing. I know this is a little weird and counterproductive, but I am genuinely concerned my list is growing.

Don’t get me wrong. I love that I was growing my subscriber base but was sad that I would soon hit the limit on the free tier.

By now, you would have noticed that sophisticated email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, MailerLite and ConvertKit all have capped subscriber limits on their free plan.

You begin to pay a fee when your subscriber count hits the ceiling on the free tier.

Although this may not pose problems at the initial stages, however, like me, you might begin to have some concerns as your email list begins to grow.

You Begin To Think About Money

Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.

— P.T. Barnum

You start thinking about how to make money the moment you begin to pay for a service.

It’s logical. You need to make money to spend money.

The implication is that you stop being an artist when you let money enter the equation too soon. You stop putting your followers or readers first. Money takes over thoughts.

If you want to succeed in any endeavour, you should focus on delivering quality results and not worry about money.

Putting money first can impact your growth.

You Want To Start Charging Clients Prematurely

I will tell you the secret to getting rich on Wall Street. You try to be greedy when others are fearful. And you try to be fearful when others are greedy.

— Warren Buffett

You have done a decent job growing your email list.

The service starts to charge you because you have exceeded the threshold for the free tier.

But what if you are not ready to start charging yet?

Well, you subconsciously start thinking about money. You want to start earning to pay for these services. After all, you are also being charged, so it makes sense to start getting a chunk of money from your subscribers.

Even if you think you’re ready, it’s best to wait until you’ve established yourself in the market.

Charging too soon can alienate potential customers and give them a wrong impression of your brand. You might start losing followers as you begin to sell products to customers you have not yet onboarded properly.

You Shift Your Focus From Servicing Customers To Making Money

“It’s a common misconception that money is every entrepreneur’s metric for success. It’s not, and nor should it be.” — Richard Branson

Your ultimate goal is to serve your followers by providing valuable content on a regular basis.

However, putting money ahead of the needs of your readers might begin to impact the quality of your work.

You might find yourself getting less motivated because of a recent debit in your bank account.

Money is important. You can’t survive without it. However, if you make money your only focus, you’ll lose your followers. They’ll get bored and move on to someone else who better engages them.

Closing Thoughts

Like me, if you are concerned you might start charging your followers prematurely to pay bills, then you are better off switching to free email lists like Substack or Revue.

I recently started a Substack career newsletter and so far, it’s been rewarding. These platforms will only charge you once you start making money from your readers.

This is a fair deal. I only pay when I get paid. As much as I don’t get paid, I pay nothing but will still serve my customers, which makes complete sense.

Of course, I will continue to use the features that Convertkit, MailChimp, and MailerLite, but only when I am ready to make money.

Free stuff works for me if I am not charging. I don’t want to charge prematurely, and neither do I want to place money over my readers. It stops me from providing real value.

If you are in the same boat as me, then it might be worth switching services to reduce costs.

Keep your cost to the minimum or zero to help you focus on serving your readers and removing the urge to make money when you are not ready.