On this week’s Dear Katie, I was asked a question: I know having a newsletter is important, but what should I do to not bore people? No one wants more tax or bookkeeping tips.
And now, I think integrating the right newsletter strategies into the mix and having a newsletter is the best lead magnet you can have.
Why? Read the post here.
Newsletters are so beneficial because they help you:
- Build your contact database
- Get in the habit of creating content
- Give you a hub to repurpose content from
- Allow you to have a list of people to send you offers to
But you’re right. No one wants to read yet another tax tip monthly newsletter – it’s been done too many times at this point.
What should you write about?
While there isn’t one singular right way to do your newsletter, here are a few options.
1. Offer A Curated Roundup
Curated roundups work well when done the right.
You can feature industry insights, top articles, tools or trends in your newsletter.
You simply pull the best content together instead of having to create it on your own.
At the same time, you’re still the expert who filters out the noise and delivers exactly what your readers want and expect from you.
Avoid being just “another email in their inbox,” and create a curated roundup that people look forward to every week.
Ryan Lazanis does this exceptionally well with his weekly top 5.
If you create a lot of content, you can also create a roundup of your content that you tailor to your audience’s interests.
For example, you can curate:
- Key points from your latest webinar
- Highlights from your recent podcast episodes
- Top social media posts that resonate with your audience
2. Do an ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) Series
AMAs are a great way to create content without overthinking it. You’re just addressing real questions from your audience and providing your honest answer.
The awesome thing about AMAs is that you’re covering topics your audience truly cares about.
These are questions that they’re asking, and you can give them the inside scoop.
You can gather questions from:
- Social media
- Your clients
- Subscribers
- Prospects
The key most important thing is to ask people to share their questions.
My Dear Katie newsletter series – what you’re reading right now – is the perfect example of an AMA. And you can see my process for creating my Dear Katie series here.
3. Bust Myths and Misconceptions
Every niche has myths and misconceptions. Busting them can help you position yourself as an authority.
How?
- You’re educating your audience, AND
- You’re differentiating yourself by providing real insights
As part of this process, explain the consequences of believing those myths and share what your audience should do instead.
Seth Godin of The Daily Blog frequently addresses and clarifies misconceptions in leadership marketing and creative work. He gives new perspectives on long-held beliefs, which, in turn, gives his audience valuable insights.
Bonus Tip: Create Your Own Mix
Want to create something that feels uniquely yours? Don’t be afraid to combine different elements to mix things up.
A weekly newsletter may include:
- A personal story or reflection: People relate to personal stories. They make you human, and they keep your audience engaged. Adding a personal element to your newsletter can make it more memorable and encourage your readers to keep opening your messages.
- One key concept you want everyone to understand: This key concept could be a valuable lesson or an actionable insight based on your audience’s unique pain points or challenges.
- A curated piece of content: Share something valuable with your audience, whether it’s from your own team, your own personal work or a respected source. Just make sure the content is relevant and important to your subscribers.
Laura Belgray of Talking Shrimp is a great example of how to mix things up. She blends her personal stories with actionable marketing and copywriting tips in her newsletter. And she does all of this while injecting some humor and real-life reflections into the mix to keep everyone engaged.
These winning newsletter strategies can be game-changing – but only if you do one important thing: stay consistent.
Consistency is so crucial.
Why? Because your audience will know what to expect when they open your newsletter.
Over time, your consistency will build trust, and that trust will transform readers into loyal fans.
Just remember that not every newsletter needs to be groundbreaking.
But if you’re consistent and continue to show up with authenticity and value, you’ll stand out.
And, that’s a wrap on this Dear Katie question.
__
Now I want to hear from you. Do you have a question?
Until next time, cheers to your success!
Katie
Frequently Asked Questions
Consider including curated content, personal stories, or an ‘Ask Me Anything’ section to address real questions from your audience.
Avoid generic tax tips or bookkeeping advice that your audience has seen many times before; instead, focus on unique insights and valuable information.
Aim for consistency; whether it’s weekly or monthly, choose a schedule that you can maintain to build trust with your audience.
A curated roundup features the best industry insights or articles, helping you deliver valuable content without having to create everything from scratch.
You can collect questions from social media, your clients, and newsletter subscribers to ensure you’re addressing topics that matter to your audience.
Consistency helps your audience know what to expect, builds trust over time, and encourages them to become loyal readers.
