Inside the April 2026 roundtable : Are you focusing on the wrong part of the funnel?

Everyone who joined April's roundtable already knew it's not about how big your list is - it's about who's on it. The trickier part was figuring out what to do with folks once they're in your ecosystem.

And that's where the conversation got interesting.

Here are the 3 main topics we covered:

1. Growing your list might not be where your energy belongs right now

One participant was working with a list that had gone strong for a while, but engagement dwindled gradually. They mentioned that getting people on the list was never the hard part - but leveraging that list is inconsistent and unclear.

My two cents: before putting one more dollar into acquisition, have a dig into your ESP and see what's happening with the people who are already in your ecosystem. In most cases, there's a lot more to work with there than folks realize.

2. Too many options = too much friction = lost focus

When you have multiple offers, the temptation is to put all of them in front of your subscribers in every email.

One attendee recognized she'd been doing exactly that in the early days of her newsletter - until she shifted to tying each email to one offer, and that changed everything.

My two cents: the "Rule of One" isn't just a copywriting principle, it's a strategic one. One goal, one topic, one reader, one call to action. When the path forward isn't clear, most people get into analysis paralysis, so instead of choosing, they just move on.

3. A new platform won't solve a deliverability problem

One participant was in the process of migrating a list to a new ESP. To someone who's not neck-deep in email marketing every single day, that instinct makes sense. But usually, there are underlying problems (like domain reputation, email setup, list health) that platform migration won't fix - and in some cases, would make things worse if done incorrectly.

A new platform is like getting a new kitchen. It won't stop you from overcooking your pasta.

My two cents: though we know that open rates aren't a reliable engagement indicator and haven't been for years, they're still useful as a deliverability signal. If open rates have suddenly dropped on a list that used to perform, you have to look under the hood before you move platforms, not after. And if you're sending to more than 5,000 subscribers at a time, that puts you in "mass sender territory", so a proper platform setup and a warm-up strategy are an absolute must.

I host these thoughtful discussions about how to use your email list ethically so it can drive real impact every month. If you’d like to join the next one, make sure to be on my email list - only my subscribers get an invite.

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