ProloguePrologue

Let’s talk about feeling nudged vs feeling nagged.

Maybe these should be the 2 Ns of email newsletters?

It’s basic psychology (I hope—I have zero formal psych education, but I’ve been writing with a reader’s reaction in mind since my first book, published in 4th grade).

People like to own their decisions.

They do not like to be badgered into making them.

They prefer to opt in, not to be pushed into providing their email address.

You wouldn’t go on a dating platform, connect with someone, and propose before the first date. Again, no experience with this but the 4th grader in me thinks this approach would be ridiculous.

So, why, oh why, if I visit your website for the VERY FIRST TIME are you asking me to give you something as precious as my email address before I’ve consumed at least a few scrolls worth of content?

Today’s issue includes some topics we newsletter creators should consider:

  • How to use pop-up subscription forms that nudge (take advantage of the testing Really Good Emails performed)
  • Getting attention without being annoying
  • Not landing in spam (what you can control and what you can’t)
  • Why engagement dominates list size (this topic never gets old, or does it?)

It’s a mix of advice from people who know a thing or two about nudging vs nagging.

My hope is that these curated tidbits will help you stay in the nudge zone (but not the friend zone).

Oh, and you should know my daughters recently read that story I wrote in 4th grade and they think the ending is lousy because everything they thought would happen happened.

BORING.

Maybe I’ve improved since then...

Ashley Guttuso  

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Like this newsletter?

Let me know. Reply, email me at Ashley[at]optinweekly.com, or find me on LinkedIn to hit me with some feedback. I’d love to know what you think.

Also, I’d appreciate it if you shared it with fellow email newsletter creators. All archived issues will be available on OptInWeekly.com, so you can send them the link to check it out.

Have a great week sending, y’all.

Thanks for reading,

Ashley @ Opt In Weekly