“I Don’t Think Newsletters Are A Fad”
Listen to this podcast interview with Yaro Bagriy, founder of the Newsletter Crew community. He talks about what he’s learned from interviewing and interacting with newsletter creators, including how to get started writing one.
Not Boring’s Not Boring Journey To 42K Subscribers
Packy McCormick of Not Boring recently published this recap of the past year’s Not Boring growth and how he’s monetized his newsletter (hint: sponsorships). Pay attention to the section where he bullets the pros and cons of paid subscriptions and advertising and see where you land.
Nicholas Scalice Tweets Newsletter Launch Tips
Nicholas Scalice of Growth Marketer took to Twitter to provide a framework for starting a newsletter.
My advice? Don’t do any of the subsequent steps if you can’t nail step 1:
“1. Start with why
If it’s just because ‘everyone is doing it,’ that isn‘t good enough.
You need to have a specific reason for why you want to start a newsletter.
What is your ‘why?’”
Multi-million Dollar Newsletter Company Newsette Continues To Make Headlines
I first found out about Newsette on LinkedIn, where someone was belittling the approach. I immediately subscribed to see if the critic was right in claiming it was just a link collection or if there was editorial merit.
I think it’s actually impressive. Beyond trends and tips, there’s usually a Q&A with a successful woman. Plus, its success indicates the newsletter really resonates with its audience.
Learn more about how the founder Daniella Pierson launched it while in college 6 years ago and how she’s grown it to what it is.
Related: Read about how the fashion newsletter is taking over from Dazed.
Explode Your List Growth: Use A Referral Program
Speaking of growth... Referral programs are a great way to bring on a ton of new subscribers relatively fast and with minimal effort.
This podcast episode from Nathan Barry is loaded with insights on newsletter growth and paid newsletters (if you're into that kind of thing).
The Secrets Behind Morning Brew's Growth To 2.5 Million Newsletter Subscribers
Besides lead generation, growth is the largest pain point for any business. This article highlights a tactic all businesses should have drilled in their brains.
Go where the audience hangs out.
If you want growth, you can't just expect people to find you where they are. You have to go to them with your warm plate of cookies and say, "Oh look, I have something you want" (and know that they want it because you're in a cookie lovers forum).
This article suggests a few places for growing your newsletter audience:
Why You Might Be Losing Subscribers (And How To Turn Things Around)
Losing subscribers? Dianna Gunn has some possible solutions.
In this article, she lists 7 reasons you might be losing them and what to do about it.
The number one reason?
“You’re sending too many emails”
“There are two ways to fix this problem. The first option is to switch to a less frequent email marketing schedule. For example, if you’re currently publishing five days a week, you might switch to three or even one day a week.
The second option is to let subscribers choose how often they hear from you. You can build weekly and monthly newsletter options, then allow subscribers to choose these during signup. You can also send users who have stopped opening your emails a message asking if they want to switch to a list or segment with fewer emails.”
The other six reasons are also worth considering.
Discovered via Really Good Emails
Take A Cue From The New York Times And Test Your Subject Lines
In this article, Alexandria Symonds explains how The New York Times tests headlines that run first on their site and then in the print edition.
“The Times also makes a practice of running what are called A/B tests on the digital headlines that appear on its homepage: Half of readers will see one headline, and the other half will see an alternative headline, for about half an hour. At the end of the test, The Times will use the headline that attracted more readers.”
If you’re struggling with subject lines, adding in an A/B test can help you stop guessing which will perform better and just test it. If your ESP doesn’t offer this, create a group of contacts who you trust to be judicious and send them the 2 options you’re considering.
A Nod To Women Of Color With Newsletters For International Women’s Day
Tahmina Begum rounds up 12 newsletters by women of color in honor of International Women’s Day.
“And due to its newness, there isn’t yet an old boys club that caters to a mainstream white audience. Women of colour are creating the most inventive of newsletters, pushing the boundaries of what you can find in your inbox.”
