Newsletter and email marketing are the blue cheese (beets? cilantro?) of the business world - you either love it or hate it.
For the record - I HATE blue cheese, but I LOVE email marketing and newsletters.
And here’s why: once you get past that initial “who am I to be sending emails” feeling, followed by the writer’s block of “what the heck do I actually write?!” it’s actually really fun, empowering, and affirming.
See, YOU my friend are a smart, experienced, force of nature and wealth of knowledge that is begging to be shared, engaged with, and used to grow a community and something so much bigger than just you.
But you’ll never do it on social media alone. I know I sound like a broken record saying this, but you need something that you own, control, and use to communicate regularly. On social media maybe 10% of your followers will see what you’re up to. But when you communicate via email? 100% of the people who want to absorb your magic will get to see you, hear you and grow with you. On social media there can be crashes and blocks. With email - you’re in charge, all the time.
So now that we’re all in agreement that we need to be sending emails, there’s still the issues of what to say. How do you write a funny, engaging, interesting email that’s worthy of space in your wonderful community’s inbox? And more than that, an email that establishes your voice as an authority, and that solidifies your know-like-trust factor. And thennnnn that is *so* good you can expect people to hand over their credit cards…. NO pressure, right?
I avoided newsletters for the first year of my business because I was seriously afraid of bothering people and looking stupid.
There - I said it.
And then something clicked inside my head after my thousandth podcast, masterclass, and webinar praising the success of email marketing - that I didn’t care if I looked stupid, if people unsubscribed, if they weren’t the most life-changing emails. Because people were still making space and time for me and my words because they found them to be valuable.
And people will make space + time for YOU words because they are valuable too. I know it’s easier said than done in one blog post, and it might take some one-on-one sessions together to help you get there, but I believe it, and you should too.
So let’s dive into my top tips for writing newsletters that convert subscribers to paying clients, shall we?
1 - Every newsletter should have at least one purpose - Remember - you have been given the privilege of taking up real estate in someone's inbox. That privilege cannot be wasted by recapping your previous week or summarizing your schedule. Instead, share a new blog post or video, update your community on your live class schedule, announce a new event, etc.
When in doubt - share a client win, share a subscriber only recipe/workout, forward an interesting podcast or book you enjoyed, or even a motivational quote or mantra that powered you through the week.
2 - Make is personal. My newsletters are opportunities to get personal with my community. It’s where I share if I have a tough week, it’s where I get most vulnerable. I choose to go deep via email because it’s a smaller, more controlled community of like-minded professionals.
While I share because I genuinely want to, it also makes me human and relatable. It’s been an incredible venue to get closer to subscribers in a private one-on-one, you too? I thought I was the only person, setting.
And remember - people do not buy from or invest in people and brands they don’t know, like and trust. There is no better way to build up your KLT factor than to let people get to know the real you.
3 - Consistency is key. *pauses to grab soapbox - steps on* Really truly the only way email marketing works is if you commit to sending emails and showing up regularly. It doesn’t need to be weekly - in fact once a month or every other week totally works - but you cannot show up sporadically and hope the email gods work their magic.
In fact, you’re more likely to lose subscribers if you show up sporadically then if you show up regularly. Even if a subscriber doesn’t always read every single email you send their way, showing up in their inbox is a GOOD thing. It keeps you on their mind, they see that you’re committed and they’re more likely to finally read (and maybe even engage with!) what you send their way.
I know this doesn’t help you write the actual content, but if you’re struggling with motivation to sit down, write, and hit ‘send’ on that next newsletter - let this be the nudge you need to. And then see Point 1 for a few ideas for creating content of a purposeful and valuable emails *gets off soapbox*
4 - Provide value. This should be a no brainer, but just in case it’s not - your newsletter should provide value. A smile is value. A new podcast is value. A vulnerable story is value. Resharing content that you readers will like is value.
You do not have to move mountains or change someone’s life in an email. If you do - amazing! Please share your secrets with me. But if all you do is make someone feel seen, heard and special - you’ve won.
5 - 80% Service + 20% Selling = 100% still serving your client - To me newsletters are really personal blogs - an intimate way to provide information and motivation. In fact, it’s what I spend 80% of the emails doing. And most of what I write and do IG Lives about are based on questions and requests that I get from my crew. (which side note - how LUCKY am I to get such great community feedback?! Seriously the best way to create content is to ASK YOUR PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT)
But when I have something that I’m selling - coaching packages for COVID, webinars, or even my course Fitness Business Formula - you bet it’s the first thing out of my mouth. And here’s why - because I’m not trying to sell you a used pickup truck. I’m offering a solution to a problem that you’ve presented to me, and I’m doing it in a way that will help your business, make your life easier and better, and get you the win you’re looking for.
Because at the end of the day, whatever I’m selling is ultimately created to help you. So it’s not coming out of left field, and it’s definitely not something you’ll never need.
My job in that email is to remind you WHY you need this, and tell you WHAT results you are going to get from it. So even though I’m “selling” I’m always, always serving you.
6 - Have fun with it. I’m not even going to pretend that some weeks writing newsletters is just one more thing on my todo list. And some weeks - like the past two weeks with Online Business Bootcamp running full steam, and our house renovations *so close* to being done - it just hasn’t happened.
But when I flip the mentality of “I have” to “I get to” it changes things. Just like “I get to workout” or “I get to nourish my body with these leafy greens”, writing a newsletter is an “I get to share my message and magic with these people who want to hear from me.”
If you’re struggling with actual newsletter content - I gotcha covered. I’ll be releasing Done-For-You Email Newsletter Templates and Subject Lines next month so you can plug and play right into your community’s inboxes. And if you can’t wait until then, or you still have big newsletter questions - send me a message and let’s work on them together.
Until next time fam, take a deep breath and just it ‘send’ - but make sure I’m on your list too!
Xx, D