What is your favorite newsletter to read, and why? I’ll strongly suggest that it’s because of the value you perceive it gives YOU. You find it thought-provoking, inspiring, actionable, or educational. You should write your newsletters with the same value and intentionality that you find in other emails you read.
It’s time to break the barriers of what you “think” you should put in a newsletter and start challenging your creative processes. Here’s some tips to kick your cliche newsletter into something subscribers look forward to.
Open with Intention
I’m sure you’ve written some great blog posts or have an event coming up that you want to share. But instead, ask yourself these two questions before you start crafting your message:
- What do I want my recipients to feel when they read my email?
- What do I want them to do as a result of my email?
Communicate this first and foremost, so readers know exactly what’s coming and why it should matter to them (and hopefully they’ll keep reading your email!).
Get Personal
What’s been going on in between the hustle bustle of your workday? Sharing a short, impactful story of something you experienced or learned lately is a great strategy to expand outside the cookie cutter newsletter. You can use that story to tie into a key theme of your brand.
Give a Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse
Subscribers want to know YOU. Each subscriber on your list represents a real person who felt a need to connect with you and your work. Take a moment to share something special and intimate with this network. Working on a new project? Writing a new book? Share the news with them before anyone else! Share special photos of your upcoming plans to help create excitement.
Share Something Valuable
It’s likely that your subscribers joined your list from a freebie that you were promoting. Why stop giving? If you have some other valuable resources, sprinkle those in from time to time. This communicates two things to your subscribers: you truly value their growth and you’ll continue adding value to their inbox!
Make it Quick
Chances are, your subscribers have countless other emails in their inbox competing for their attention. Your newsletter doesn’t have to be short, but it should pack a punch in a concise manner!
Your newsletter communications need to be original and thoughtfully crafted. If you want your subscribers to interact and engage with you, take the time to consider what THEY want to receive from being connected to you.
Kristin is lives near Houston, Texas, and dedicates her time as a single mom to her daughter, Grace. She enjoys downtime with her family, good Texas BBQ, and has a passion for international missionary work.