The magic behind newsletters is simpler than you think
The Morning Brew has 2.5 million subscribers.
The Hustle has 1.5 million subscribers.
James Clear’s 3–2–1 Newsletter has over a million subscribers.
What’s the secret sauce to creating a kick-ass newsletter? What’s going to help you build over a million loyal followers who want a taste of your newsletter?
It’s simple.
It doesn’t require much except dedication and finding out what your readers are interested in. It comes down to three simple ingredients…
Consistency. Quality. Insight.
If you have these ingredients in your newsletter, then you’re on your way to building a kick-ass newsletter that people will want to join.
🔍 Related: 39 punchy lessons on writing newsletters people will love
Consistency
In the past, I’ve started a few newsletters and given up on them because I don’t have a habit, zero consistency. I don’t know what to do with my newsletter. I just wanted to build an email list.
If you want a stellar newsletter, you need to be consistent. Businesses are not built on instant success, but instant failure. If you plan on sending a weekly newsletter, then you need to plan on having everything ready every week.
That’s why some people have once-a-month newsletters — it’s easier to prepare. Some businesses have daily newsletters.
It depends on your bandwidth and how much you can research and write.
I send out a weekly newsletter on copywriting. It includes a copywriting quote, idea, breakdown, and a question. Similar to James Clear’s ‘3–2–1 Newsletter’.
🔍 Related: I dare you to write your newsletter
Quality
A quality newsletter should have a quality design and concise copy.
That means throw-away words. Have a point to your newsletter. Don’t play around with what you’re going to say and just say it.
Make it feel like someone’s about to get gold in their inbox. They want to read the highest quality emails around because that’s the standard you have to live by if you want to be above everyone else.
When you have a quality newsletter, people will share it for you - and it will spread like wildfire.
Insight
Along with consistency and quality, you need insight in your newsletter.
The Hustle and the Morning Brew give their subscribers ‘the daily news’ in snippet information. But it’s engaging and short to read. You don’t have to spend 10 minutes reading the Wall Street Journal. They are insightful because they take the best bite-sized information and give it to you so you can read it in three minutes.
What makes newsletters insightful is the amount of research you put into your craft and then explain that research with your own words. It takes time and practice, but people will explain how you can take a difficult topic and make it easy to understand.
People who subscribe to emails and newsletters want something out of it.
They want information that will enhance their life. Information that helps them make more money, build better habits or understand what is happening around the world.
If you create a newsletter, don’t half-ass it. Don’t do it because everyone else is doing it.
You should do it because you’re building something you love and you believe people would benefit from it.
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