Read on Twitter
Today I sent my 200th email newsletter of 2020. Here's what I've learned:
1. Brevity is king
2. Write like you speak
3. Always reply to readers
People remember being ignored. You suck if you ignore your fans. Reply and reply fast.
Related: I'll answer all questions I can
1. Brevity is king
2. Write like you speak
3. Always reply to readers
People remember being ignored. You suck if you ignore your fans. Reply and reply fast.
Related: I'll answer all questions I can
4. Celebrate opens, not subscribes https://twitter.com/sneddymobbin/status/1303743877032091648?s=20
5. Break up your writing
Wonderful ways to do that:
* Bullet points
* Dashes—like these
* Headings
Wonderful ways to do that:
* Bullet points
* Dashes—like these
* Headings
6. Consistency is not optional. If have a newsletter, not sending is not an option.
Make a plan for holidays and give yourself a break. But tell your audience beforehand. Otherwise, unless it's a real emergency (being tired doesn't count), send a damn email
Make a plan for holidays and give yourself a break. But tell your audience beforehand. Otherwise, unless it's a real emergency (being tired doesn't count), send a damn email
7. Shorter subject lines (40 characters or less)
8. Proofread out loud
And do it multiple times. I always do at least three audible read throughs
9. If people aren't sharing your newsletter, it's either not good or you're not asking. But it's probably just not good.
8. Proofread out loud
And do it multiple times. I always do at least three audible read throughs
9. If people aren't sharing your newsletter, it's either not good or you're not asking. But it's probably just not good.
10. Ruthlessly clean the list
Every 2 weeks, I delete everyone who hasn't open an email in a month. They get one chance to stay and if they don't respond they're gone. See lesson #4
Every 2 weeks, I delete everyone who hasn't open an email in a month. They get one chance to stay and if they don't respond they're gone. See lesson #4
11. Simplify that landing page
Newsletter name, sub-10 word tagline, 1-2 sentence value prop, option: link to latest issue, social proof
Reminder: this list has over 2 million subscribers...
Newsletter name, sub-10 word tagline, 1-2 sentence value prop, option: link to latest issue, social proof
Reminder: this list has over 2 million subscribers...
12. Get social proof (testimonials)
Ask for them if you have to. Ask for permission to put it on your landing page if someone tells you how much they love it.
Bonus points if they're relevant to the audience (see Trends by @TheHustle)
Ask for them if you have to. Ask for permission to put it on your landing page if someone tells you how much they love it.
Bonus points if they're relevant to the audience (see Trends by @TheHustle)
13. You don't need their name
Email only on the landing page. Reduce friction everywhere you can
14. Get reader feedback
Use a google form. "How was today's email?" Three buttons: Great, meh, bad + an extra field to explain why
Make it easy (no names or email address)
Email only on the landing page. Reduce friction everywhere you can
14. Get reader feedback
Use a google form. "How was today's email?" Three buttons: Great, meh, bad + an extra field to explain why
Make it easy (no names or email address)
15. Write a welcome email
* Use it to reiterate how often you send
* Direct them to your best previous work
* Ask them a question (and answer if they do)
* Ask them to move you to primary inbox (here's mine, which I stole from @MorningBrew)
* Use it to reiterate how often you send
* Direct them to your best previous work
* Ask them a question (and answer if they do)
* Ask them to move you to primary inbox (here's mine, which I stole from @MorningBrew)
"these instructions" from above: https://help.aweber.com/hc/en-us/articles/204029246
16. Redirect readers to a welcome page (like welcome email) after signup
17. Ask for stuff
Replies, shares, submissions, whatever. Just ask.
Some big newsletter people recommend asking every send. I ask for something once every three sends (just how it works. Not a rule)
17. Ask for stuff
Replies, shares, submissions, whatever. Just ask.
Some big newsletter people recommend asking every send. I ask for something once every three sends (just how it works. Not a rule)
18. Mobile first
But make sure it looks good on desktop too. Mine's split 50/50 but I have a bit of an...older audience
19. Brand it
Make an easy logo on @canva or use @99designs then make that your email profile picture. It will help you stand out
But make sure it looks good on desktop too. Mine's split 50/50 but I have a bit of an...older audience
19. Brand it
Make an easy logo on @canva or use @99designs then make that your email profile picture. It will help you stand out
20. Archive your old issues
Bonus points if you archive it so they index and you can benefit from SEO. I haven't yet because it's hard.
21. Pick a theme and stick with it
Don't deviate from the theme. Deviation confuses readers and confused readers unsubscribe.
Bonus points if you archive it so they index and you can benefit from SEO. I haven't yet because it's hard.
21. Pick a theme and stick with it
Don't deviate from the theme. Deviation confuses readers and confused readers unsubscribe.
22. Hot take: Don't resend to non-openers
I hate when people do this to me so I don't do it to my readers.
23. Track everything
Subject line/open performance, unsubs/issue (with reasons), clicks, replies, welcome email replies
Track it. There's power in data
I hate when people do this to me so I don't do it to my readers.
23. Track everything
Subject line/open performance, unsubs/issue (with reasons), clicks, replies, welcome email replies
Track it. There's power in data
24. Format matters, but it's not the king
Great content deserves to be presented well, but people will read it if it's not.
content sucks no matter how it looks
25. Notice what people click. Then send them more of it.
26. Clickbait sucks
27. Make every word earn its place
Great content deserves to be presented well, but people will read it if it's not.
content sucks no matter how it looks25. Notice what people click. Then send them more of it.
26. Clickbait sucks
27. Make every word earn its place
28. Don't grow with giveaways
29. Don't worry about unsubs. Do you worry your grade school crush is the one that got away too?
30. Read more newsletters. Steal what you like, remember what you don't.
31. Use your ads. Wants advertisers? Run an ad selling them ads
29. Don't worry about unsubs. Do you worry your grade school crush is the one that got away too?
30. Read more newsletters. Steal what you like, remember what you don't.
31. Use your ads. Wants advertisers? Run an ad selling them ads
32. Don't write in your ESP. Use Google Docs or @NotionHQ
33. Don't waste your subject line/preview. No dates, edition numbers, and certainly not your newsletter name
34. Grade 7 reading level and down
35. Use http://hemingway.app
33. Don't waste your subject line/preview. No dates, edition numbers, and certainly not your newsletter name
34. Grade 7 reading level and down
35. Use http://hemingway.app
36. Niche down. It's much easier to get subscribers when it's easy to define your audience.
37. Just start. You can switch anything later. But you can never start earlier.
38. Organize yourself. Try @JanelSGM's Newsletter OS
39. Set up Google analytics on your site
37. Just start. You can switch anything later. But you can never start earlier.
38. Organize yourself. Try @JanelSGM's Newsletter OS
39. Set up Google analytics on your site
40. Make a newsletter social account. Where's your audience? For me it's Instagram. For @MorningBrew it's Twitter. Be there and be active.
41. Build a personal Twitter following. Tweet about the process of growing
42. Don't compare yourself to other newsletters. They aren't you
41. Build a personal Twitter following. Tweet about the process of growing
42. Don't compare yourself to other newsletters. They aren't you
43. It's easy to start on Substack. But you'll probably grow out of it.
44. Don't use a wacky font. It won't get rendered
45. Wait until you have 1,000 subscribers to launch a referral program. Here's how I built mine: (also now it's 25% of my subs) https://twitter.com/sneddymobbin/status/1329899801417289730?s=20
44. Don't use a wacky font. It won't get rendered
45. Wait until you have 1,000 subscribers to launch a referral program. Here's how I built mine: (also now it's 25% of my subs) https://twitter.com/sneddymobbin/status/1329899801417289730?s=20
46. Back up your list once a week. Especially if you're critical of your ESP (like me) 
@Mailchimp
47. Clipping is bad. Fix it. Gmail allows 102kb
48. If you want to code your email, use http://mjml.io
49. Writer's block? Take a walk. Outside.
@Mailchimp 47. Clipping is bad. Fix it. Gmail allows 102kb
48. If you want to code your email, use http://mjml.io
49. Writer's block? Take a walk. Outside.
50. Read your own newsletter. Reflection increases improvement speed.
51. Pick 15 subject lines per email. Then pick the best one (or two and A/B test). Use the losers for the preview
52. Get a good keyboard. I
my @Logitech K860
53. Talk to other newsletter writers
51. Pick 15 subject lines per email. Then pick the best one (or two and A/B test). Use the losers for the preview
52. Get a good keyboard. I
my @Logitech K86053. Talk to other newsletter writers
54. Get in newsletter directories:
https://twitter.com/newslettercrew/status/1334573150714130433?s=20
55. Read http://letterstack.co . My friend @pauldm is smart
56. Make content for SEO. Get an @ahrefs free trial and make a list of keywords you want to rank for. Then get writing.
57. Write a lot, then trim
https://twitter.com/newslettercrew/status/1334573150714130433?s=20
55. Read http://letterstack.co . My friend @pauldm is smart
56. Make content for SEO. Get an @ahrefs free trial and make a list of keywords you want to rank for. Then get writing.
57. Write a lot, then trim
58. Include surveys and share results. On relevant topics, not audience info harvesting.
59. Deliver the value in the newsletter, not elsewhere:
https://twitter.com/sneddymobbin/status/1326644545405263872?s=20
60. Stay away from Facebook lead ads. Send them to the landing page. If they convert, they'll likely stay
59. Deliver the value in the newsletter, not elsewhere:
https://twitter.com/sneddymobbin/status/1326644545405263872?s=20
60. Stay away from Facebook lead ads. Send them to the landing page. If they convert, they'll likely stay
