Starting a newsletter might seem daunting, but countless newsletter sites have proven it’s an effective way to engage with your audience and get leads. In this guide, we’ll show you how to start a newsletter and provide examples of successful newsletters to inspire you. Ready to transform your communication strategy? Read on.
How to Start a Newsletter (+ Examples)
Creating a newsletter can be a game-changer for membership website owners and startups. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to start a newsletter, complete with examples to inspire you.
Step 1: Define Your Goal
Before you start, it’s crucial to understand why you want to create a newsletter. Are you looking to drive traffic to your website, build a community, or keep your audience informed? Do you plan to make it a profit center by charging for subscriptions? Knowing your goal will shape your content and strategy.
Step 2: Choose Your Newsletter Platform
Next, select a platform that suits your needs. Popular newsletter sites like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Active Campaign offer various features to help you manage subscribers and design your newsletter. Each of these platforms provides user-friendly tools to get you started quickly.
Step 3: Build Your Subscriber List
Start by collecting email addresses from your website visitors, social media followers, and existing customers. Offering a valuable incentive, like a free ebook or exclusive content, can encourage sign-ups.
The best strategy is to create a newsletter so compelling that people will want to sign up to it when they hear what you’re sending. Event Driven Daily does this with their stock newsletter Morning Brew. Each month they send out all special situation stocks they find… and this is exactly what special situation investors are looking for, so it’s easy for the site to get newsletter signups and sell these leads on their paid membership.
Step 4: Design Your Newsletter
Design is key to making your newsletter visually appealing. Use templates provided by your chosen platform and customize them to reflect your brand identity. Ensure that your design is mobile-friendly, as many readers will access your newsletter on their phones. The Newsette stands out with its chic and vibrant design, catering specifically to young women.
Step 5: Create Engaging Content
Your content should be valuable and relevant to your audience. Mix up your content with articles, tips, interviews, and visuals to keep it interesting. Providing curated content, like Next Draft, which highlights the top ten news stories of the day, can make your newsletter a must-read.
Of course, if you’re using a promise of a sort of content to sell people on your newsletter, you really need to live up to delivering that content. This is especially true if you hope to sell your prospects on some paid tier in the future, since your free newsletter is sort of like a free trial for what it will be like dealing with your business as a paying customer. If you fail to deliver on the free stuff, how do they think your paid product is going to be?
Step 6: Analyze and Optimize
Once your newsletter is up and running, use analytics tools to track open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber growth. Use this data to refine your strategy and improve future newsletters. The Hustle continually optimizes its content by analyzing engagement metrics, ensuring that it remains relevant and engaging to its audience.
Examples of Successful Newsletters
- The Skimm – Simplifies the headlines for busy professionals.
- Morning Brew – Offers free special situation stock lists.
- Next Draft – Curated top ten fascinating news stories.
- The Hustle – Blends business and tech news with a casual tone.
- The Newsette – Covers lifestyle and career advice for young women.
Starting a newsletter can significantly enhance your engagement with your audience, offering immense value and building a loyal community. Follow these steps, take inspiration from successful newsletter sites, and soon you’ll have your very own thriving newsletter.
Read next: What Are Sample Newsletter Examples?
