3 Keys for a Successful Newsletter 

Get order right  - Give value - Be consistent 

Email marketing is essential for growing a cult following. You say, what if I don’t want a cult following? Well okay then; A following. Like anything, followers reflexively follow leaders in a niche space if their message resonates as genuine, personal, and frictionless. How does one achieve this? Here are three simple keys to unlocking your email subscribers button. 

1. Get in order  

Number one is to set a specific and physiological order to your email. People are simple; we like to feel like the only one in the room, we sense authenticity or lack of, and we like to feel valued. The writer of a good newsletter will prioritize their subscriber- singular. Start with a value add; a story of nuance, a hot news story, or a quick practical tip. That is your hook of value. Then lean into your perspective or your more detailed value pitch. This could be insights you’ve gathered over the week or month (depending on the frequency of your newsletter). For James Clear this is the 3-2-1 approach. His value is passing on the insights he’s seen, filtered through, and singled out for his readers. 

2. Give value 

Number two, giving value to your audience is key. Opening an email is  a choice for your subscriber to click, read, and scroll. A lot of doing. You’re competing for their attention. The newsletter must do a lot for them too. This starts with the order, then with the content. The content must give them a reason to keep reading. It must keep giving value and  instead of being smothered in ads or begging them to buy your product. The content must be persuasive of value to your chosen audience.  An example of giving value to his biohacking/ health improvement community  is Dan Go. He’s a common sense nutritionist who adds value to his subscribers' lives. How does he do this in a newsletter? He adds value by telling a personal character growth story then giving ‘biohacking’ tips, a favorite thing from the week, client proof, and lastly a quote. These are all value-added items in less than 4 minutes for Dan’s audience. People want to feel like they are given things not having to work for them.

1. Be consistent 

Number three, is to build trust with your audience. It might seem simple but is frequently neglected. If you’re just starting a newsletter think through the subject line, title, and frequency of when you will be putting it out. These three pieces I call the skeleton of a newsletter; holding up the contents of the newsletter. The subject line, title, and frequency are subtle indicators of consistency that will either give your subscribers reason to open your email or pass it on. We people are creatures of habit. If you’re consistent, your subscribers will know what to expect and will be more likely to engage with what you put out.