Have You Found Your Newsletter Niche?
Tobias van Schneider offers a few ways to find your niche here.
“The point is that you open yourself up to your genuine, specific and even weird fixations.”
Discovered via Ghost Newsletter.
Your Open Rate Is Inflated. Move On.
Are you bragging about your open rate? It’s fairly common knowledge that iOS 15’s made them less reliable.
Jacob Donnelly tweeted about the realities of iOS 15, open rates, and why the numbers people are promoting are inflated here.
If this information is new to you, you can catch up on previous Mail Privacy Protection coverage in Opt In Weekly.
Discovered via The Rebooting.
I'm Curious, Did You Know These Things Before Launching Your Newsletter?
Are there things you wish you knew before starting a newsletter? Chris Short, who started writing one back in 2016, says these are the things no one tells you upfront.
A few to whet your palette:
Check out the rest here and see if you agree.
Discovered via Inbox Reads.
How Documented Focused A Redesign On Audience Feedback
When it came time for Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter to redesign (both visually and in terms of the topics they cover and how), Fisayo Okare wanted to make sure the needs of their audience were incorporated. A survey was sent out to readers focusing on 3 categories:
“1. Identifying our audience's needs regarding immigration news
2. What readers found most useful
3. What readers thought could be improved or added”
The results were then integrated into the new design. Okare concludes with this:
“We are excited we met the goal we set at the start of our audience research: to put the best interest of our readers first.”
What about your newsletter? How could you rework it to prioritize readers interest?
Discovered via American Press Institute.
Pop quiz: can you define bounce rate, mobile responsiveness, and permalink? If you want to brush up on your newsletter terminology, check out Casey Botticello’s Newsletter Glossary.
Note: It’s officially titled Newsletter Terminology (The Ultimate Newsletter Glossary), but it’s more of a primer. Hence, 101 in our title here.
Discovered via Inbox Reads.
In this episode of “Email’s Not Dead”, Laura Atkins, CEO of anti-spam consultancy and software firm Word to the Wise, shares what happens when email goes wrong and explains how you can become a better sender.
Discovered via Really Good Emails.
Should You Publish On Weekends?
There’s an emerging trend among newsletter publishers to start releasing weekend editions, and one of the most notable is theSkimm. Why?
“‘Previously, theSkimm would keep in touch with its audience on the weekends through social media,’ said Eugenia Cassidy, vp of content development at theSkimm. But the team felt there was a ‘gap’ in the engagement between the brand and their readers on Saturday and Sunday.”
Learn why other newsletters are jumping on board and consider the potential benefits here. (Fair warning: If you’re not a Digiday+ member, part of the article may be blocked, depending on how many free article views you’ve used in the past month.)
Discovered via Inbox Reads.
An Interview With Brian Morrissey
Brian Morrissey’s newsletter The Rebooting covers the media industry. Ashley Norris with FIPP recently interviewed him.
The Q&A includes a dive into his newsletter / podcast creation process, plus his predictions for the future of publishing.
“And what about entrepreneurs? Is there still space to launch and develop a successful newsletter?”
“There are many, many ways to build a sustainable media business so long as the cost basis is held in check. I think there’s always room for products with a clear point of view that is essential for a specific community. My advice is to always go narrow and deep.”
Alt text. Max Kohler shares what it is, why to use it, how to write it, and more in this post.
Discovered via Really Good Emails.
As a newsletter creator, improving visibility and increasing open rates is important. BIMI (or Brand Indicators for Message Identification) can help. Learn what it is and why it matters here.
Discovered via Really Good Emails.
