I have a newsletter business. It feels kinda weird and joyful to say that at the same time.
Weird because that wasn’t my intention.
I began writing a weekly as a way to communicate my thoughts about life. Then I got specific.
I stopped writing about everything and anything.
I found the people I loved talking to because of shared interests. ** Small business owners are my jam*** Marketing coms pros too.
And I started to gain traction. That’s where the joy came in. Today I opened up my metrics. I surpassed a 30 per cent open rate on the last 12 newsletters.
The industry rate is 20 percent for a newsletters across industries
Despite feeling all types of way about the metric Never for a moment do I say : YOU ARE SO SMART. You is kind… you is important.
Getting to this point took time and years.
So I now have a newsletter business 6 years after starting the FF brand.
I have a few things to tell you about email marketing which is the vein of an online newsletter business.
Social media may be the blood but there is no newsletter business without the veins.
READ THAT AGAIN
So if you’re starting an email list, dusting off your old one or cooking up a new, profitable side hustle.. here are five things to get going.
TO DISCUSS. Hi Nouman here is the graphic Nilanga did for the content series, we need something similar. The Title : 5 ways To Build A Newsletter Business. Please note Nouman, lower thirds remain the same.
1 | A small list is just fine — but focus on the RIGHT name.
This one is for the people in the back and the front.
The name of your newsletter matters.
A modern newsletter business is focused on the strategy of naming.
For instance, Seth Godin called his podcast “Akimbo” because using the first letter of the alphabet meant his pod would be more easily discoverable.
BOOM! That’s strategy right there.
When it comes to the newsletter business it’s the application of thought.
Does it reflect..
- A specific audience?
- A particular field?
Or
- Is it clever
- Does the name stand
- Is the name easily understood.
- Will it attract right crowd.
For example, I write two newsletters.
Just the Good Stuff is focused on small business owners. Instead of competing with other more resourced and funded newsletters, I wanted to pioneer the idea of giving soulful doses of what it takes to grow an online business. It’s in the name.
You Need AI, my second newsletter is more direct, You get what I mean from the get go. It’s purpose is clear.
The key is to stand out and be memorable from the start.
2 | Growing a newsletter business — means attracting QUALITY subscribers.
Size does not always matter. Responsiveness does.
Sure, is it great to see your numbers inching up from 100 to 1,000 to 10,000. Hello yes!
But only if you’ve got an engaged list.
I spent the first past of last year scrubbing my email list. I deleted 2,880 subscribers who either never or seldom opened my weekly newsletter.
TBH, it was a helluva scary to do this massive clean out.
But it’s only then, when I got rid of the weight that I began to see my newsletter business form.
Open rates went up. CTRs too. I finally had a true list and a true newsletter business.
TAKEAWAY:
- Clean up an old, unresponsive list.
- If you’re new. Set a subscriber goal for your platform.
- Love up your list well. Remember they are human with needs.
- Be hyper focused with your messaging and content.
- Cultivate a fan base.
- Get on a platform like Beehiv that can help your existing subscribers grow your list with their referral system.
3 |Focus on adding value before building your BRAND
I hope this doesn’t offend you, but I want to keep my truths real, even though one or two of them might suck.
Your weekly email isn’t a page from your personal diary.
Of course you can and should include anecdotes from your life but since your email is the hub of your newsletter business and hopefully your digital ecosystem…
You should use your opportunity to help someone solve a problem.
This was a hard pill I had to learn to swallow.
It didn’t matter how much I grew my email list if I didn’t give value, my unsubscribe rate would go through the roof.
So I’ve learned to use every issue as an opportunity to educate, inspire, showcase different facets of my ventures and a tiny bit of my personal life.
YOUR TAKEAWAY:
Think of each of your newsletters as a chance to connect, solve a problem and/or provide a glimpse into the varied projects you’re passionate about.
Don’t chase numbers, focus on creating value that resonates with your audience. You’ll attract the numbers with persistence.
To win you must become a servant and advocate for your dreams and ideas but these must connect with the humans who want the same for themselves too.
4. Fix The Technical… errr like now
I know you hate hearing about the technical stuff but sit down for this one.
It has a time stamp.
Queen Google, and its subject ,Yahoo announced that in Feb 2024 they want all newsletters business to set up the proper DNS records for their domain.s
This includes:
- DKIM
- DMARC
- SPF
Both Google and Yahool are cracking down with stricter rules for both large & small-business owners.
Here’s what you need to know.
A one-click unsubscribe is required at the bottom of your emails. No more clicking a link, reading “please enter your email address//select which newsletters you want to unsubscribe from//etc.” Just uno click, done & dusted. The subscriber can THEN be asked if they want to hop on any other of the brand’s newsletters.
A verified domain is required for you, the sender.
A <0.3% spam rate is your new limit.
You can’t send bulk emails from an @gmail(.)com domain.
