How to Use Facebook Ads to Get More Newsletter Subscribers
The team at Paved provides instructions for setting up Facebook ads for your newsletter. You’re welcome.
Related: If you use Curated, here’s a video tutorial to help you set up conversion tracking for your Facebook ads.
In How to Write a Newsletter About the Dead, Kristen Hare shares tips about an obituary newsletter the Tampa Bay Times is launching.
Why it matters: These tips transcend to how to write about the living, too. And publishing a newsletter with this focus is inspired in its simplicity. I once wrote short obits for a college alumnae magazine. It was humbling work.
Former Chicago Tribune Newsletter Editor Charlie Meyerson Launched an Independent City Newsletter
This Q&A with Charlie Meyerson by Simon Owens digs into how Chicago Public Square came to be and what makes it work.
“I wanted to play my part, and friends made clear they were desperate for help sorting through all that was happening. One — a young mother I’d known since her high school days — wrote this: ‘Every time I looked at Facebook or Twitter today, terrible things were happening in our government. Is there any news source that is keeping track of things that are happening day by day? Just in a bullet-point form? I feel like these days might go like this and I don’t want to miss actual happenings.’
And I thought: ‘Huh. I know how to do that.’ And, over the last couple of decades, what advice have I given journalists who have a passion to communicate and time on their hands? Duh: ‘Start a blog and send it out by email.’ So I did.”
Related: Check out How to Define Loyalty, A Primer for Publishers
Morning Brew’s Growth Director Explains Why Engagement Trumps Subscriber Count
Jenny Rothenberg, Director of Growth at Morning Brew, explains why engagement has been key to the success of this popular newsletter.
“Our goal from the onset was to build, grow, and retain a hyper-engaged audience. To keep ourselves pushing toward that north star, we measure ourselves not on our list size, but on subscribers that are actually engaging with our content–most cleanly measured by unique opens.”
She offers specific advice and tactics for newsletter creators looking to pursue that same north star, including referral tips, diversification strategies, and the importance of testing.
Related: Read about How Chase Diamond Got 500k Email Subscribers in 10 Months
Nic Getkate breaks down the deliverability acronyms email newsletter senders need to understand, including:
Related: Curated users should check here for a breakdown of what you control vs what we control.
Get Your Newsletter Listed in Directories
New to newsletters or looking to spread the word beyond your current network? Check out these newsletter directories and submit yours to be listed.
How a 25-year-old Entrepreneur’s Free Newsletter Made $1.1 Million in One Month
A LinkedIn connection of mine shared this story last week with a hint of disapproval for newsletters that lack original content, so I subscribed to see how founded the insult was. It turns out The Newsette is way more than a link dump. The commentary is extensive and each issue includes a long-form interview with an influential woman.
Be sure to read this story to learn how founder Daniella Pierson has grown this publication to 500,000 subscribers, secured lucrative sponsorships, and has stayed focused on a newsletter-first approach.
Newsletter Evolution: Lessons from The Economist
Lysanne Currie summarizes The Economist’s newsletters editor Sunnie Huang’s insights after three years in the role. She offers four important lessons.
- Focus on the reader’s goal
- Ensure a good experience
- Create your email squad
- Understand your readers’ pain points
Make Your Newsletter Emotionally Intelligent
In this LinkedIn post, Megan Bowen, Chief Customer Officer of Refine Labs teaches the 5 core competencies to develop emotional intelligence.
They’re empathy, communication, self-awareness, self-regulation, and vulnerability.
While critical to rocking a role in Customer Success, they’re also part of becoming better at understanding and engaging with other humans, which should be integral to your newsletter.
When we think through what we plan to send to the individuals on our subscriber lists, we should be asking, “Is it empathetic? Does it communicate clearly? Am I respecting this person’s inbox, or am I pushing them to buy or believe something without first earning their trust?”
Does Your Newsletter Inspire Action?
Anti Racism Daily does.
In this article, Hanaa’ Tameez details the catalyst of Nicole Cardoza’s newsletter and how it goes beyond social media posting in its mission to educate and inspire action.
“‘Reading news about racism is draining and can leave people feeling helpless, overwhelmed, and unsure of what to do next. But offering actions to take helps reduce the passive or performative activism that’s common on social media,’ Cardoza said.”
