Thinking of starting a newsletter? Today's article might help steer you in the right direction because email isn't actually for everyone.
Is starting a newsletter right for you?
I've seen a swathe of posts on social media channels lately about "the algorithm" and how you need to "own your audience".
This inevitably happens after channels like Facebook and LinkedIn go down for brief periods making folks with a following panic a little.
Now, most often, having an email list is the solution to owning your audience.
That may be true, however, have you stopped to ask:
Is having a newsletter right for you?
Yes, newsletters are for everyone, but paradoxically, they also aren't for everyone 🙃
Don't get us wrong, we think everyone (and their dog) should start a newsletter - But we need to look at this objectively.
Let's begin with why you should consider starting a newsletter, followed by a few tough questions you are going to have to ask yourself before you decide.
We'll also share a few practical and actionable tips you can follow to get you started if you choose to go ahead.
Why you should start a newsletter
There are a multitude of reasons we could advocate for starting a newsletter, but we've put that in a quick list of positives you'll have an opportunity to experience if you do:
You Own Your Audience: Unlike fleeting social media posts, a newsletter lands directly in inboxes – a dedicated space for your content. You control the narrative and frequency. You never really own an audience, but you have a great way to show them the value of what you have to offer, or how you're able to solve their problems.
You'll Build Relationships: Newsletters foster a sense of familiarity. It's a great place to put a face behind what you offer and show your audience you're a real person who understands their wants. You'll also gain a ton of insight into your audience and their preferences if you use your email analytics well.
You'll Boost Engagement: Newsletters allow for deeper dives than social media captions or short snippets of video can. You're able to educate more, entertain broadly, or inspire with long-form content that can be referred back to. There's a massive opportunity to nurture your relationship with your audience through email.
You'll Drive Sales & Leads: Email allows you to nurture leads with targeted offers and promotions. Newsletters can be a conversion powerhouse that supports these efforts. Even for product marketers - A newsletter holds deeper value than an interruption to promotions if you impart the right value.
Newsletters are powerful and there's a reason they're booming at the moment.
That, however, may also be something to consider. If you're going to miss the mark by sending to an uninterested audience who receives your content at random, then you might be wasting your time (and theirs).
Let's talk about what you need to consider.
Tough questions to ask yourself before you begin
Though we'd love to encourage you to get started on your newsletter right away, we're going to take a stance of objectivity.
A newsletter may not be for everyone.
There is a level of commitment to becoming a consistent newsletter sender and you'll need to think carefully about this before you dive in.
To help you do that, here are a few things you need to consider:
Why the heck are you doing this?
What do you hope to achieve? Brand awareness, lead generation, or community building? If your reason is simply "to own my audience", you might want to think about your intentions.
You aim to serve, not simply collect.
Who the heck is your audience?
Who are you trying to reach? Why would they part with their email addresses? What would make them read your emails?
Inboxes are prime real estate. You may not have thought of this.
What the heck do you send them?
Are you generating content that carries massive value? Are you appealing to specific interests? Are you able to tailor content to your audience?
If you can't keep your audience first, this may not be for you.
When the heck will you have the time?
Can you realistically manage content creation? Can you balance this alongside your existing workload? Can you find time to improve what you're sending?
If you don't have time to carve out, then perhaps it's best to stay out.
Tips to get you started
There are a few critical items you can tick off your list to get you started and build up from there.
If you lay a solid foundation upon which your newsletter is built, you'll create better future opportunities to grow and monetise your emails.
Here are five tips to get you going:
Define Your Niche Who are you trying to reach? What value will you provide? What is your topic or overarching industry? If you decide on these things first and keep them in the back of your mind at all times when creating an email strategy, you'll nail your goals with your audience far more easily.
Choose a Platform: There are so many fantastic email platforms out there. We use TouchBasePro which sponsors our emails, and they tick all the right boxes for our Email Advice in Your Inbox newsletters. Look for features that make sense. Find out if you'll get the right support if you get stuck. Pay what you're willing to experience from a platform's features.
Plan Compelling Content: Mix formats: articles, interviews, case studies. But, at all times, also make sure it's relevant and carries value for your audience. If you keep your audience, their needs, and why they're getting your emails in mind, you'll create content that hits the mark and converts to you achieving your email goals.
Will It Be a Personal Brand or Business Focus: Will your newsletter represent your personal brand or your business? This will influence tone, content themes, and overall strategy. If you mix it up, be cautious about losing your voice with your audience. Are you the face of your business? Great! Just make sure you stay consistent in this and don't just sell - Add value.
Promote & Grow All The Time: Announce your newsletter on social media, your website, and tell every family member you can! If you consistently promote your newsletter well, you'll have a great core audience who you can learn to serve well almost immediately. There's no shame in asking folks if you can share your knowledge with them if it carries value and interest for them. Keep this in mind when you choose where to promote your emails.
The secret trait to help you win at your newsletter
Many email senders, especially in the creator space, balance these things well, but it's often due to a simple-to-implement trait:
Prioritisation
If you make your audience and what you serve them a priority, you'll likely nail the email success you set out to achieve. ⭐
If you're thinking of starting a newsletter, you need to prioritise it for it to succeed. It's tempting to give up when you aren't finding immediate returns, but stick to your guns and if you choose to get started, we're rooting for you!
Before you go! You'll need an audience to send emails to before you begin. Learn the fastest ways to grow your email list today by using the tried and tested Email Database Growth Playbook.
Click here or on the image below to get your FREE copy👇
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