Should you start a newsletter? I’ve been running The Addition for over two years and it has got me thinking about why a) I enjoy it and b) emails are such a powerful tool. As with podcasts, not everybody needs one. However, there are very good reasons to begin, whether you are in journalism or marketing.
Direct link to audience
Ok, so I could be crude and point out how valuable first-party data is. And this is true. But the reasons for collecting peoples’ email addresses go beyond that. It builds a direct link to people who are, presumably, interested in what you have to say. There is a connection that doesn’t exist with other platforms.
Beat The Algorithm
This builds on the idea above. On social media, you are at the mercy of “the algorithm”. A platform can change that in an instant, limiting your reach. If you start a newsletter, people who sign up have already decided they want to receive your work. It goes straight to their inbox, with no third-party filtering it.
Audience Feedback
When feedback comes as a reply to an email it can feel more like a conversation with your readers. Comment sections (can be) great too. However, a private exchange via email with readers has a higher level of intimacy which, at its best, is really rewarding.
Time to Breathe
Let me reiterate here, I LOVE blogging and blogs. Their speed and free-flowing nature is great. Newsletters, particularly if you only send one or two a week, are more like having a column. You have a chance to step back and tackle an issue more fully and that is valuable to both writer and reader.
Monetise Yor Work
You deserve to be paid for your writing. There are lots of ways to monetise newsletters. As well as adverts and affiliate links, you can build a subscription product, as I have now done. A small cohort of dedicated subscribers will generate an income that is probably more sustainable and you own your work.
Make Sales
I should also note, as many others have, that newsletters are a great “sales funnel” i.e. you can sell various products to people who read your newsletter. That’s true! But I hope the above shows there are other reasons to start writing and sending too.
Anyway, if you want help to start a newsletter or to improve your existing one, why not get in touch about my Newsletter Masterclass? (See what I did there?!)