Newsletters are a great way to connect with people, if done the right way.
1. Start with your inner circle and keep it short. I began with my gracious friends and family. But still, in my anxiety, I sent very short, apologetic newsletters of about 300 words. Then subscriptions opened to the public through my new website. My angst grew, and my missives got even shorter. I’m over that, thankfully, but my emails will rarely run over 750 words.
2. Avoid schtick. To build engagement, I have tried common advice, like “offer surveys” or “ask people what they like to read,” but what was once innovative is now schtickland. And who wants an email that requires work? Not me, anyway.
3. Study other people’s newsletters. I noticed the newsletters I looked forward to weren’t super short (or rambly), and they contained any combination of useful, interesting, funny, and honest content. So, plugging along like the little-anxious-train-that-could, I dug a little deeper and was rewarded with higher open rates and fewer unsubscribes.
4. Avoid posing. The Big Shift happened when I stopped posturing as if I knew what I was doing and decided to have fun instead, even if it cost me some subscribers. To my surprise, instead of subscriptions dropping like flies, my recipients engaged more. Win/win.
Find your win/win.
BONUS:
- Avoid spammy words. Here’s one of my subject lines, a dubious attempt to avoid spam hell: “How to succ**d?”
(Spoiler answer: “Beats me.”) - Limit the # of images and, if possible, use low-res, so your emails don’t get clipped.
- Learn your newsletter’s system. I once announced my debut launch to everyone I knew by email, and then found all their addresses hunkered into my subscriber list. Signing up someone without his/her permission is illegal in Canada. Such a mess.
- Learn the laws. At this moment,the US requires opt-out options, whereas Canada (and Europe, Australia, Brazil, India) require explicit opt-in consent. Newsletter services provide those options, but if getting a service seems daunting, don’t worry. Most are user friendly and offer free accounts, like mine. (Pay attention to the limits to subscribers.)
Conclusion: I finally gained a little confidence with newsletters (me, the introvert at home in her flannel pyjamas, who suddenly had an audience), enough to risk swinging toward verbosity. But thankfully, I’m aware that no one cares to hear that much from me. I’m in this for the long haul, and I will respect my subscribers’ time. So, apart from occasional author events, like launches and parties, a brisk informative and entertaining email once a month is plenty.