PrologueIs there a place for evergreen content in newsletters?
What do I mean?
There is this idea in content creation that some stories are timely:
Breaking news
Trending topics
Of-the-moment commentary
And then there’s evergreen content:
Topics that aren’t timely, but are important, and likely to be found helpful
Media editors tend to assign a mix, asking both “What’s new this week/month/year that we should cover?” and “What will our readers ALWAYS care about?”
Typically, evergreen content is on hand at any given time to be used as valuable filler.
I remember writing evergreen stories for Parents Magazine about topics pregnant mothers cared about: creating birth plans, a guide to prenatal classes, etc.
And I also remember the residual revisions they required when new editors were hired and looked to update the repository of evergreen articles waiting to be published.
Because even evergreen content needs to be refreshed to reflect new information to be published.
But how should this be adapted for newsletters?
Confession: I have 500+ collected links that haven’t made it into the 60 published issues of Opt In Weekly.
I should probably go through and delete the ones that are outdated or now seem irrelevant, but even then I’ll probably have 100 or so that I’m not ready to let go of just yet in the case that I truly need content and can justify sharing it.
And I’m assuming you have an idea file of some sort you could turn to if needed.
But I think that many of us value the timeliness of newsletters and attempt to publish content that captures the events, thoughts, and narratives of the here and now.
It’s part of building rapport and intimacy with our readerships.
We experience things together.
And, oftentimes, what we learn today changes what we believed yesterday.
So, as I begin 2022 and consider ways I can improve my newsletter and the process behind it, especially the idea that I probably should have something evergreen waiting to save me in a moment of creative panic, I’m going to test out creating backup content.
While some might be able to create an entire backup issue, I think I’d prefer to have backup bits (an evergreen Prologue or 2, some evergreen Newsletter Tips, etc.), so that, if needed, I could toss together these bits, finesse, and have a less-effort-required issue.
But the challenge will be in deciding what can be evergreen, and what will lose its luster the longer I wait to publish.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Now, let’s get to the curated newsletter goodness…
🔗 10 Most Popular Links
In the final issue of the 2021, I’ve decided to share a round up of the content Opt In Weekly readers found most engaging (in this case, engaging mostly means click-inspiring) this year.
Below, you’ll find links to the most popular issues (including the one that prompted the most direct replies), the most popular categories, the top 10 links we shared, and the most clicked link in each content category.
Top 5 Content Categories (Based On Total Clicks Of Links Per Category)
Issue With The Most Direct Responses
For some reason, issue 57 (sent Dec. 2nd) prompted the most replies.
My guess is because I addressed what it feels like to hit send.
🔗 Top Link Per Category
Screen Share - Choosing a Newsletter Revenue Model
Newsletter Tips - Want More Newsletter Subscribers? Start Here
Curation - The Twitter Hashtag Curation Method
Marketing - How To Create Episodic Content
Writing - How To Master Conversational Copywriting
Publishing - The Impact Of Product Thinking On Publishing
Money Matters - Wait, Is Facebook Saying It Won’t Always Be Free?
Curated News - Shout Out To Some Recent Launches
Opt In Challenge - Master The Acronyms Of Deliverability
I spent last Friday night sorting through a few packs of felt stick-on letters and numbers trying to make 12 sets that would spell Troop 4313 so that the next morning our Girl Scouts could make pennants to wave in the local Christmas parade.
That was after creating a big banner that read Girl Scouts Go For Gold and creating oversized trefoils—you know, the green clover-looking symbol of Girl Scouts, and also the name of the butter cookies they sell—which we lined with tinsel garland.
My daughters helped until they got crabby then I sent them off to sleep while I finished the search for felt letters and numbers.
The parade theme was Hall of Fame, so the girls were going to dress as inspirational female athletes.
I ended up needing to get fairly creative when the letters and numbers ran dry. It turned out that the 3 packs I’d bought could only support 5 or 6 pennants.
The girls figured out that 8s cut in half could become 3s before they headed off to bed.
Then I realized that, with some trimming, Es could become 3s.
And straight bits of letters could be 4s and 1s.
Hs showed promise as potential Ts.
It was a disorderly process when I began, but once I started looking for solutions they began to appear amidst a mess of letters and numbers.
I eventually had 12 packs ready for the morning.
And it was worth it (to me) to watch the girls assembling their pennants and solving the puzzle of felt pieces they’d been given.
I think most parents and teachers can relate to the sense of joy I experience when I’ve done the groundwork to create an enjoyable activity for children.
Beyond just the pennants, setting them up to decorate their float gave me that same sense of satisfaction. It’s wonderful to watch girls accomplish their goals, and I’ve learned along the way with Girl Scouts that it’s smart to break down their tasks based on how old they are so that the work of the project is a stretch, but achievable.
Getting things 10-50% there and letting them do the rest is ok.
It requires assessing what they’re capable of and meeting them there.
We should do the same in our newsletter content, right?
Or, at least that’s how I tend to think about writing and curating for an audience that looks to me for resources and inspiration.
It’s your job to sort through the fray and find the letters they need.
It’s also your job to find the unexpected fits that might need a little context (trimming/reframing) to be valuable.
To gather and deliver them, give guidance, and watch—with joy—as readers make their own pennants and wave them at the world from their places perched on tinsel-adorned parade floats.
Help them go for gold and cheer them on as they shine.
This week’s issue is a day late. Did you notice? I traveled to visit part of my work team in Memphis this week and chose to delay a day rather than send you a rushed draft. I hope you find the roundup of news and ideas below helpful.
My dad owes me.
Or maybe I owe him?
One role he has always played in our family is roller coaster / thrill ride companion to children who need the mental security a ride-along adult provides.
He brings out the courage in all of us.
I can remember him convincing me to ride this SkyCoaster with him once on a summer vacation to Destin.
He delights in getting people to agree to ride something they probably wouldn’t have tried without some extra prompting. And, afterwards, he earns a space in their memories as being right by their side during the adventure.
He’s done the same thing for my oldest daughter, who thrives on his encouragement and has built up a collection of special moments with him over the years.
But, this year he’d had knee surgery and was unable to join us for a day at Dollywood during our sometimes annual family mountain vacation.
So while he hung out at the cabin, I became my bravest daughter’s new ride partner.
His presence was missed.
I couldn’t convince her to go on several rides she’d done in the past. How does he do that?
But she did want to go on the Drop Line. And she’d only ever done it with him.
So there I was, forcing myself to join her because I didn’t want his not being there to mean she didn’t do a brave thing she knew she could do.
The premise is you’re lifted 230 feet fairly slowly on a tower, facing outward. The seats spin around as you go up so you see the park and surrounding mountain scenery. Then, at the top, you pause for an uncomfortable amount of time, begin to lift a bit more, then free fall until you’re maybe 20 feet from the ground.
It’s pretty terrifying.
The drop part feels like it lasts way longer than it looks.
We held hands and I crossed my legs the way my veteran daughter instructed me to.
My thoughts wavered between “it’s going to be fine” and “you’re doing this for her, so she embraces adventure and isn’t scared of things.”
It was an intense moment in time, free falling with my daughter.
Letting her bravery inspire my own.
The feeling is not too far from that of sending an email to thousands of recipients.
Even hundreds.
If you’re a newsletter creator, you know this moment.
The one at the top of the tower where you’re pretty sure it’s all going to be fine but you hesitate before hitting send and experiencing the emotional thrill of risking ridicule.
Just remember, “it’s going to be fine” and “you’re doing this for YOU, so keep embracing the adventure.”
And it gets a little easier each time.
Now, let’s see who’s been creating newsletter news that could inspire your own.
Are you truly thankful for your subscribers?
I’m sending a message of Thanksgiving this week because I’ll be taking next week off for the holiday.
We’re going to head to a mountain cabin with my parents and my brother’s family and spend the childrens’ week-long school holiday eating good food and adventuring.
It’s become an almost annual tradition this time of year.
The last time we went we made the entire vacation as a celebration of my mother’s triumph over breast cancer.
This time, it feels like a celebration of simply being alive and past the worst of the pandemic.
I’m looking forward to the memories.
Each meal.
Each game.
Each hike.
Each smile.
Each time a child says something wonderful, like when my youngest got in the hot tub last trip and said, “Ah, this is the life.”
Each giggle that type of thing gives the grandparents, who are so very in love with their young descendants (that one’s for you, Mom and Dad).
Several weeks ago I mentioned how Dennis Shiao advises us all to take newsletter unsubscribes personally.
This week, as I contemplate thankfulness, it feels appropriate to focus on something simple, yet challenging:
Be thankful for your subscribers.
The real people on the other side of your letter, experiencing the world you are creating for them issue after issue.
Show them you appreciate their attention.
Their smiles.
Their willingness to go on this adventure with you.
It’s easy to get caught up strategizing how you’ll double your subscriber count.
Which tactics might yield the fastest growth.
But don’t forget that if each person already subscribed—already along for the ride—is having an amazing time, they could each be inspired to invite a friend. That alone would double subscriptions in the best way possible: word of mouth referrals from engaged subscribers.
I want to thank you for inviting me into your inbox each week and let you know I appreciate the honor of your attention.
Thank you especially to those who’ve shared Opt In Weekly with other newsletter creators.
The team at Curated.co is on a mission to empower you with resources to fuel your process… because we appreciate you.
This week’s issue has me contemplating the newsletter’s place in the evolution of journalism, the power of word-of-mouth marketing, and the value of each and every subscriber. I hope you enjoy it.
PS: If you read last week’s report on the status of my daughter’s middle school honor society woes, you might be excited to learn that the registration deadline was extended and she’s in. I’m thankful for that, too!
