Stuck On Your Newsletter’s Name?
Are you ready to start a newsletter but can’t think of the “perfect” name? Dan Oshinsky shared a LinkedIn post you need to see. Here’s the gist:
“Often, keeping things simple is just the easiest decision — it’s also the right decision.”
Bustle Plans On Newsletter Subscriptions Becoming An 8-Figure Earner. Will It Work?
Kayleigh Barber asked Dan Oshinsky to weigh in on the likelihood of Bustle Digital Group achieving its ambitious income goals with the 14 (soon to be 15) newsletters it publishes.
“Based on what Oshinsky has seen with the publishers he works with, a ‘best-in-class’ unique open rate is 30% or above. A 20% average open rate is not bad, he added, but he said that while BDG focuses on growing its total list size, it will be important to monitor that engagement does not drop off as a side effect of new subscriptions.”
Psst! Dan is also slated to lead a workshop for Newsletter Fest. We’re discussing a presentation on different newsletter business models. Stay tuned.
Related: Check out how The NY Times aims to convert newsletter readers into paid subscribers.
Highlights From The July Edition Of “Not a Newsletter”
In case you’re unaware, Dan Oshinsky sends out a monthly link to a Google Doc called Not a Newsletter. This not so newslettery newsletter is loaded with news, resources, and advice.
July’s feature stories include:
Related: Email on Acid breaks down if you should us BIMI.
Newsletter Insights In “Not A Newsletter”
Dan Oshinsky’s June edition of “Not a Newsletter” hit inboxes last week. As always it’s chock-full of newsletter headlines, tips, and resources including:
Like this and want more? Check out all the Dan Oshinsky newsletter wisdom we’ve shared in Opt In Weekly if you want to go down a rabbit hole.
Take Time to Strategize (Copy this Brief)
Dan Oshinsky, former Director of Newsletters at BuzzFeed, currently runs Inbox Collective. He sends out a monthly link to a Google Doc called Not a Newsletter. It’s loaded with newsletter news, resources, and advice.
Check out Dan’s Newsletter Strategy Positioning Brief (make a copy for yourself) and make sure you set goals, track key metrics, and define your primary audience. It’s a great planning doc you should revisit regularly.
New Not A Newsletter Released Earlier This Week
This month’s “Not a Newsletter” by Dan Oshinsky is packed full of newsletter links, tips, and best practices that are not only practical but helpful, too. Highlights include:
He also includes an article from Yanna-Torry Aspraki, an email deliverability expert, answering the question, “How do they know if I’m a good or bad sender?”
Set aside some time to read the full March edition (yes, it’s a Google Doc) here.
Newsletter Insights From “Not A Newsletter”
This month‘s edition of “Not a Newsletter” by Dan Oshinsky is once again full of helpful links, tips, and news on all things newsletters. He includes:
Read the full October Google Doc here.
The Ultimate Screen Share Is In The Works
Seth is at it again flexing his video making skills and we’ve got our first promotional video for Newsletter Fest ready. We’re also working on a longer version (with speaker names).
Help us spread the word by sending all your favorite newsletter creators to NewsletterFest.com. The site is a work in progress, but we love bringing you along for the journey, so be sure to subscribe for updates (link under video) and register for workshops as they are announced.
And, yes, I know both Dan Oshinsky and Mary Ellen Slayter’s eyes are closed in this screenshot. I feel like it really sets the tone for the entire event. Click through to see them in action.
Note: If you have reached out to me about being a speaker, I promise I will be in touch. It’s been a hectic couple of weeks. People really love this idea!
You Don’t Have To Monetize Your Newsletter
Have you noticed the obsession with people asking how you’re monetizing your newsletter lately?
Newsflash: It’s actually completely ok not to have an income-producing newsletter.
Dan Oshinsky (yes, the same one from the Screen Share video above) took a moment to remind the newsletter writers of LinkedIn about that in this post.
“You’ll find that your newsletter — or any side project — can be hugely successful, even if it doesn’t make a single dollar.”
He suggested that we non-monetizers set goals, such as personal, professional, leadership, and learning goals, to measure the success of our newsletter efforts.
For instance, a freelance writer might launch a newsletter to showcase your talent and attract clients. Or someone with a passion for cooking might start a newsletter that journals their adventures in the kitchen.
Not every newsletter needs a paid subscriber base or sponsorships. It’s still completely ok to do a thing for the fun of doing it, or to build an audience that you might be able to sell something to one day.
Psst! Dan’s new not an issue of Not a Newsletter came out yesterday. There’s a ton of useful info in it for you, as always.
Pssssssst! If you do want to earn cash from paid subscriptions, Curated is now supporting that in addition to the sponsorship tools we’ve offered for years. See Curated News below.
More Responses To Apple’s Announcement
I’ve seen varying degrees of frustration and “don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world” about this issue in my social scrolling and email reading this week. The following is a round up of those thoughts in one list.
“Apple: You can't track email open rates anymore.
Marketers: OH NO! The world is ending. Email marketing is dead.
NEWS FLASH: Email open rates have NEVER been accurate.
“If you send good email that your readers love, you’re going to be fine.
The metrics you use to measure success may change, but you’re still going to be able to measure plenty of things when it comes to email.”
“There’s a middle ground position that could be had here that protects users’ privacy and offers just enough data for email senders to work with, but Apple has chosen to paint people who simply want to run a small business over email in the worst possible light instead.”
Creators often debate if they should clean subscribers off their email lists who are no longer engaged. We know from running an email provider that sends over 1 billion emails per month, the data is very clear: to maintain great inbox placement you must clean inactive subscribers...
...Inbox providers like Apple ask that senders keep their list clean and engaged, but then take away the metrics senders need to actually do that.
If creators rely on click tracking—the only remaining method of determining engagement—to clean their lists they’ll remove a lot of engaged subscribers who simply consume the emails without clicking through to the web.”
