Yes, You Should Have A Newsletter
And how to make it work for your content
I know that everyone receives way too many emails, but you should send more. Here’s why.
You do not own social media.
At any moment any platform could decide to shut down and you’d lose the following you painstakingly gathered. Don’t believe me? Just ask Vine creators.
You can control what people see.
Because you don’t own social media, you can’t control wait people see. They can change up the algorithms at any moment and all of a sudden, only 10% of your followers are served your content. Unless you pay for ads. Obviously.
Social media doesn’t sell.
Ok it does, a little. But I can tell you from my own experience that I sell way more books through my newsletter than I do on Twitter (which is my preferred platform). People don’t like to leave the platform when they are scrolling, and the nature of Twitter is that most people won’t see your tweets.
The best way to share big news.
Newsletters provide a fool-proof way to contact people when you have big news. Have a book coming out? There is no better way to get that news into readers’ brains than through a newsletter. Same with a podcast or a new product.
Some people genuinely want to know more!
Readers and listeners email me often asking where they can find more of my content. And I’m not hiding it on social. I share it all the time! But people are busy living their own lives and they don’t have all day to monitor your social channels. Your fans want one place where they can catch up on everything (other than your website. Which you should also have, but that’s another post).
It’s a great way to build relationships.
Especially if you encourage your readers to write back and then you respond to them! If you are interested in having dedicated readers and a real “tribe,” exchanging emails is much more personal than social. And it doesn’t have to be long and complicated. If someone replies to your newsletter, a simple “thanks so much for reading, I’m really glad you enjoyed it/found it useful!” does the trick. Just let someone know you are a real human behind the computer and see their message.
A Few Quick Tips for Making Your Newsletter a Success
- You must use a platform, do not send it through you GMAIL account. Many are free and very user friendly (i.e. Substack, Mailer Lite, Mailchimp). You can also own your own email opt-ins through Medium!
- DO NOT ADD PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION. Not only is it of questionable legality, but it’s also really freaking annoying.
- Publish consistently. It doesn’t have to be weekly! I publish mine once a month. But it helps for people to know when to expect to hear from you.
- Include content that is valuable. Don’t just sell your product. There are lots of podcasts out there about how to have a good newsletter if you want to learn more.
Looking to learn more about how to promote your work? Check out this story: